A Chikuzen Yoshimasa Katana (筑前住源信国吉政)

The Shintô-era Chikuzen Nobukuni School traces its lineage to Nobukuni Yoshisada, who considered himself the twelfth-generation descendant of the great Yamashiro Nobukuni tradition. Chikuzen province itself has a long and distinguished sword-making history stretching back to the Warrior Monks of the Kongobyoe School in the early Kotô period. When Yoshisada’s eldest son abandoned the family tradition at the age of 26 to study the Bizen Ichimonji School under Sukemune, Yoshisada – an adamant proponent of the Yamashiro and Soshu traditions – disinherited him entirely. Succession passed to the younger brothers, Yoshimasa 2nd generation (the maker of this katana) and Yoshitsugu.

With a cutting edge of 75.2cm and a substantial mihaba, this is a seriously impressive sword. The hamon is a dazzling $1 with ashi (legs) flaring out toward the edge, full of movement and character. The jihada is an exquisitely tightly forged ko-itame hada, and the steel throughout reflects the high standards Fujishiro Shûkichi associated with a Jo-saku (superior) smith – a ranking this katana makes easy to understand. The blade carries both NTHK-NPO Yushusaku – the highest honour at the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword – and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon, a combination that confirms its quality across two independent bodies of expertise.

This sword is presented in shirasaya only, making it an ideal candidate for a custom koshirae project. Building a set of period-appropriate fittings is a deeply personal process – choosing a theme, selecting antique tsuba, fuchi-kashira, and menuki – and results in a sword that will carry the owner’s story alongside the smith’s. The Unique Japan team is well placed to assist with that process.