A Tomotsugu Katana (友次)

Some katana radiate invincibility. This is one of them. Signed by Uda School Tomotsugu with a two-character ubu nakago, it carries a cutting edge of 75cm and a commanding 3cm of curvature – proportions that announce their purpose before the blade is even drawn. The Uda School of Etchu province, nestled on the Sea of Japan, can be traced back to the 14th-century Nanbokuchō period, drawing influences from both the Yamato and Sōshū traditions. Among all the talented smiths who signed Tomotsugu, this is clearly one of the finest katana the school produced during the Muromachi period.

The blade carries a wonderful gunome midare hamon that surfs its full length with real energy, paired with a robust itame hada. It is genuinely difficult not to be awed by this sword when holding it – the balance between mass and curvature gives it an authority that photographs struggle to convey.

The katana arrived in its protective shirasaya, and a custom koshirae was subsequently commissioned for it – one of the very first major koshirae projects undertaken at Unique Japan, paying tribute to the sea and to good fortune. The fittings depict waves, cranes, and loyal geese, carried through from the iron tsuba to the menuki and fuchi-kashira. The sword is accompanied by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certification.