Antique Japanese Sword Daisho attributed to Hosokawa Tadayoshi/Signed by Toyoyuki with NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho Certificate
【Description】
-Katana
This blade is attributed to Hosokawa Minamoto Tadayoshi (細川源忠義) . Hosokawa is the school to which he belongs. He is known as the second son of the Hosokawa Masayoshi, one of the most famous swordsmiths at the end of the Edo period (150-200 years ago).
Tadayoshi was born in the 12th year of the Bunka era (1815). His father, Hosokawa Masayoshi, had learned sword-forging techniques under the master, Suishinshi Masahide(水心子正秀), one of the most famous swordsmiths in Samurai history. His uncle, Taminosuke Masahira, trained Tadayoshi until Tadayoshi became about 20 years old. In the 6th year of the Tenpo era (1835 ), when he was 21, he moved to Edo City to improve his craftsmanship under his father, who lived in Edo. In the 8th year of the Tenpo era (1837), His son, Tadamasa, was born, and three years later, Tadayoshi became an Okakae Kaji for Matsudaira clan, who ruled Tsuyama domain located in Misaka Koku (today’s Okayama prefecture). Tadayoshi and his father, Masayoshi, moved to a mansion owned by Tsuyama domain, forging blades for them. Okakaekaji is a swordsmith who exclusively forged blades for a specific clan or domain.
In the first year of the Ka-Ei era (1848), the third son, Yoshinori, was born, and Tadayoshi quit a job of the Okakaekaji, and his half-brother, Masamori, took over the position. Tadayoshi started to serve Horita clan, who ruled Sakura domain in Kazusa province (today’s Chiba prefecture). His craftsmanship was highly recognized in the domain, and he was promoted a few times after he started to work in this domain. He died in the third year of the Meiji era when he was 56.
Tadayoshi was an extremely skilled swordsmith who was excellent at forging blades with Choji Midare Hamon, characteristic of the Bizen sword-forging style (BIZEN DEN). Choji Midare Hamon is an Irregular, wavy tempering line. Most of Tadayoshi’s work reflects on Bizen Den (One of the Five Japanese sword-forging traditions).
-Wakizashi
This blade was signed by Toyoyuki (豊行), who belonged to a prestigious school named Takada (高田). He was active during the early Edo period (mid-late 17th century). Toyoyuki was the son of the second-gen Muneyuki.
Takada school was founded by Takada Tomoyuki in Takada village, Bungo domain (Ohita prefecture), during the Nanbokucho period. (1334-1338 A.D). Takada Tomoyuki went to Bizen province(today’s Okayama prefecture) to master the sword-forging techniques of BIZEN and returned to the village and trained his apprentices. That is how Takada school started.
During Sengoku Period (the warring state period: from late 15 C to late 16 C), the Takada school forged many swords for many Samurais in Kyushu island. It is said that the reputation of the blades forged by Takada school was close to MINO or BIZEN swords, two of which are the most famous sword forging places.
The Bungo domain was ruled by Otomo Yoshishige (Sorin) during the Sengoku period. Yoshishige and his domain built a strong military and political base there. Yoshishige was known as one of the most famous warlords on Kyushu island. It is said that Takada swordsmiths forged swords for those who served the Otomo clan.
Generally speaking, Kyushu island was prosperous in sword-making because of its long trading history with Asian countries. Many feudal lords on this island fought against each other to gain an advantage in trading. Takada school received many orders as the demand increased among those lords.
The material of Japanese swords(high-quality iron sand and charcoal) was abundant in mount Sobo Katamuki, located near Takada village. We believe Takada school prospered because of its geographic location and natural resources.
*Please keep in mind that there are a couple of visible black rust on both blades. If you like to see the detailed condition, please feel free to contact us.
What is Daisho?
Daisho is a pair of two Japanese swords Samurai carried. During the Edo period, having Daisho in public places was considered social status for Samurai. Furthermore, Samurai were required to wear them under the law back then. Daisho is written as 大=Big and 小=Small. Dai part means Katana, and Sho part means Wakizashi.
【 Blade】
-Katana
Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa)： 65.5 cm ( 25.8 inches)
Curvature(Sori)：1.4 cm (0.55 inches)
-Wakizashi
Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa)：51.6 cm ( 20.3 inches)
Curvature(Sori)：1.0 cm (0.39 inches)
-Katana
Hamon：
The crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process
Jimon(Jihada)：
visible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process
-Wakizashi
Hamon：
The crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process
Jimon(Jihada)：
visible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process
Kissaki: Kissaki is the tip of the Japanese sword.
Nakago：Nakago is the tang of the Japanese sword.
Japanese swordsmiths left the black rust on the tang on purpose to prevent red rust while the tang is in its handle. And the discoloration of the tang was created over time, which is a great indicator for a Japanese sword specialist to estimate when the sword was forged.
Koshirae: Koshirae is the mounting of the Japanese sword. There are several parts that consist of Koshirae such as Saya(Scabbard), Tsuka( Handle), Tsuba(Handguard).
All sword mountings of this Daisho Koshirae have the same motif: dragon. Initially, dragons were imaginary creatures found in ancient foreign traditions and myths. Furthermore, it is regarded as a symbolic beast of auspicious signs. Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, the belly is the Mizuchi (蛟, a mythical animal in Japan that looks like a snake and has a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers and ears are cows. A dragon was thought to reign at the top of all animals because of its odd appearance. Based on our experiences, there are lots of dragon-designed sword mountings. It shows that many Samurai warriors favored this dignified beast motif.
The Fuchi Kashira and Tsuba are decorated with the Unryu (雲竜) theme. It is a combination of dragons and clouds. Clouds bring blessed rain and snow, and their movements significantly affect the day’s weather. Due to its supernatural power, a theory says that gods, spirits, and dragons dwell in the clouds. In Japan, there is a belief that dragons are worshipped as water gods. Since rice cultivation has flourished in this country, people always treat water as an essential resource. We imagine some people wished for a plentiful harvest in this combination. From such a religious aspect, we could infer that dragon designs were familiar to people.
Fuchi-Kashira：A pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt.
The surface of Fuchi Kashira of the Katana Koshirae is decorated with the Nanako-Ji (魚子地) technique. This process makes a uniform minimal protrusions pattern by hitting the Nanako-Ji Tagane (魚子地鏨, a chisel for this technique) on a metal surface. This decorative technique is often seen on sword mountings.
In addition, the Wakizashi Koshirae Fuchi Kashira has the design of dragons and water. We estimate this combination is related to the water god belief, the same as the Unryu theme we mentioned above.
Tsuka and Menuki：Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration.
Katana’s Menukis are silvery dragons, and Wakizashi’s Menukis are golden dragons. If you focus on the dragons’ hands, you will find that they bring a ball-shaped object in their hands. This item is the Nyoi Houju (如意宝珠, Cintāmaṇi), a fantasy jewel that fulfills any desire and gives out treasure, clothes, food, and drinks. Moreover, it heals illness and suffering, removes evils, purifies muddy water, and prevents disasters. It is said this magical item is taken from the brain of the dragon king.
Tsuba and Habaki：Tsuba is the handguard for the Japanese Sword and Habaki is the equipment to make the blade not touch its scabbard inside. It prevents the blade from getting rusty and chipped.
Saya： Saya is the scabbard for the Japanese sword.
*Please keep in mind that there is a small area where black lacquer came off.
Authentication Paper：NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho Certificate for the Katana and Wakizashi(No. 237777, No.267608)
NBTHK,, also known as Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai (the Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword), is one of the oldest Japanese sword appraising organizations in modern-day Japan. They authenticated the Katana blade on April 9th in the 47th year of the Showa era (1972) and Wakizashi on Feb 10th in the 48th year of Showa (1973). They appraised the Katana and Wakizashi blade as Tokubetsu Kicho Touken, an old form of the certificates. The purchaser will receive these original certificates as well. We can also translate what is written into English and make a PDF file for your record if you request.
Registration Number : Gifu 37085-Oita 21360
The Board of Education in Gifu issued a registration paper for the Katana blade and Oita prefecture issued a registration paper for the Wakizashi sword . It is called Jyu Token Rui Torokusho(銃刀剣類登録証). Bunkacho(The Agency for Cultural Affairs) acknowledges a Japanese sword with this paper as a work of art.
The sword needs to be traditionally hand-forged and made of Tamahagane carbon steel to be registered in the system. With this paper, its owner in Japan can legally own an authentic Japanese sword. Based on this registration number, we will apply for its export permit.
This paper will need to be returned to the board of education when the sword is being shipped abroad, but you can receive a copy of it. An English translation of this registration paper is available on request.
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【About us】
Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, exhibiting antique artifacts related to the Samurai history. Samurai Museum Shop is the place for those who are interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship. We deal with antique Samurai swords/armor, traditional crafts made in Japan and so on.
【Japanese Sword& Export Process】
The Japanese swords we deal with are hand-forged edged swords made in Japan. It was made from the traditional carbon steel called TAMAHAGANE(玉鋼). Samurai Museum is familiar with the proper legal procedure for an antique/ authentic Japanese sword to be exported from Japan. We have sent more than 700 Japanese swords for the past few years (～2024) to amazing owners who appreciate its historical value.
Each Japanese sword is registered under the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Board of Education in Japan. They issue a registration paper for each Japanese sword for its owner in Japan to legally possess it. The Japanese sword with its registration paper means it was traditionally hand-forged in Japan.
To legally export the sword from Japan to other countries, we will have to apply for its permit to the Agency for Cultural Affairs(Bunkacho) and return the original registration paper to the Board of Education. It normally takes around 2-4 weeks to receive this permit after submitting required documents. And we would like you to expect at least 1-1.5 months for your order to arrive at your given address after you ordered. For more detailed info, please click here.
It is allowed for residents in Japan to own authentic Japanese swords without a special license as long as they come with registration papers. Please feel free to contact us if you are a resident of Japan, whether temporarily or permanently. We will also assist you when you leave Japan and need to obtain the export permit.
【Payment Method】
We accept payment through Stripe (Credit card), PayPal, Apple Pay or ChromePay, all of which are secure payment methods. Also, you don’t need to make an account on Stripe for the checkout. If you prefer other payment method, please contact us. After confirming your payment, we will apply for an export permit. You may either pay in JPY, USD, AUD, CAD,EUR CHF or GBP. The price is set in Japanese Yen. Prices in other currencies are automatically calculated based on the latest exchange rate.
* If the amount is above 1 million JPY, Stripe or wire transfer will be the only options for payment.
【Shipping】
We have shipped authentic Japanese swords to the USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Hong Kong and Australia. If you don’t live in these countries and like to order, please contact us first before making a purchase. We offer Free International Shipping as long as we can send antique Japanese swords by EMS.
We normally ship by EMS(Express Mail Service) provided by Japan Post. We will send you a tracking number for your order as soon as we hand it to the post office. We will put 100 % insurance on the shipping document without any extra charge. Based on the total amount, there might be a duty tax or other fee for you to pay, depending on the countries. We use package cushioning to protect the item and put it in a PVC pipe, which is one of the most secure packages because of its durability.
It will normally takes 5-14 days for the item to arrive at your given address after we dispatch it. Time of delivery is estimated as accurately as possible by the carrier but does not take into account any delays beyond our control such as by inclement weather, post office holiday seasons.
* If you live in Australia and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please click here to know the detail.
【Review】
Here is one of the reviews we received from a customer who purchased an authentic Japanese sword from us. For more reviews, please click here.
“My experience overall with the whole process was wonderful. I had many questions about the history and process to purchase these treasures. All my questions were answered very timely and complete. The staff is very knowledgeable and very well versed if any questions do arise.”
【How to make sure the condition】
Please keep in mind that what you are going to purchase is an antique item. We uploaded high resolution photos for you to check its condition thoroughly. If you like to see more photos with different angles, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to send them to you so that you can make informed decision. It is essential for us to know that you are happy with your choice of a sword. and we are prepared to use the best of our ability to serve you.
【How To Contact Us】
Please contact us through email, Facebook Messenger or Live Chat if you have any questions. You can find each icon on the right side of the website. Please click one of them to reach us. We will reply to you within 1-2 business days.
【The Art of Nihonto (Japanese Sword)】
Samurai’s history is a profound, eloquent legacy of ancient Japanese warriors in which millions of people worldwide are being fascinated. If you like to find out the art of Nihonto, please click here.
【A Guide to Japanese Sword Maintenance】
After acquiring an genuine Japanese sword, it is also important to know how to take good care of it. Here is the special video for you. Mr. Paul Martin, Japanese sword expert, shows you how to give proper maintenance to your sword. By mastering how to clean the Japanese sword, its aesthetic beauty will last forever.
When you purchase a Japanese sword from us, you can get a Free Japanese sword maintenance kit. It comes with four tools(Choji Oil, Uchiko Whetstone Powder, Peg remover, Oil Applicator). By watching the video instruction above , you can enjoy learning how to maintain your Japanese sword while appreciating it. If you have any difficulty assembling the sword or cleaning the blade, you can feel free to contact us.
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