A Nakata Kanehide Katana (中田兼秀)

Nakata Kanehide – born Isamu Nakata on 24 August 1913 in Nagano prefecture – is one of the towering figures of twentieth-century Japanese swordsmanship. He apprenticed for eight years under 12th generation Kawashima Masahide before becoming the pupil of Watanabe Kanenaga in Seki city, Gifu prefecture in 1937. When this katana was forged, he held the designation of Rikugun Jumei Tosho – a swordsmith certified by Imperial Army headquarters – a mark of status held by only the most accomplished smiths of the wartime period. Kanehide is said to have presented a sword personally to Prime Minister Hideki Tojo in 1943.

After the war, the recognition continued without pause. Kanehide won the NBTHK Doryoku Award three times and the Nyusen Award eight times, was honoured with commissions for the Emperor and Empress Showa in 1957, and was later designated an Important Intangible Cultural Asset of both Seki city (1976) and Gifu prefecture (1977). This katana captures the full measure of his ability. The choji-midare hamon is described by the NTHK-NPO Kanteisho certificate as Yaki Daka no Hanayaka no Choji Midare – a gorgeous, wide temper line in wild clove blossom shapes. The word hanayaka (gorgeous, brilliant) is deployed by the Society very sparingly. It says everything about this blade.

The nakago shows a machi-okuri (raised machi), indicating the blade was shortened at some point in its history – a common practice and no detriment to appreciation. The koshirae is a thoughtfully assembled Showa-period mounting with an iron mokko-shaped tsuba prominently signed Sadahiro, decorated with tadpoles in gold inlay – symbols of luck and abundance. The menuki are peonies, the King of Flowers, wrapped in an intricate ajirokumi-agemaki tsuka-maki braid. A kirikomi (combat cutting mark) is present on the spine – a mark of distinction never to be removed. Two NTHK-NPO Kanteisho certificates accompany the sword: one for the blade, one for the koshirae.