Antique Japanese Sword Wakizashi Signed by Hisayuki with NBTHK Tokubestsu Hozon Certificate
【Description】
This blade was signed by Bakufushi Fujiwara Hisayuki (幕府士藤原久幸) in the 4th year of the Ansei era (1857: the late – end of the Edo period). Bakufushi means Samurai, who served Tokugawa government. He is also known as Kawai Hisayuki (川井久幸). He was active in sword-forging at the end of the Edo period. He served Tokugawa Shogunate as a Samurai as well. He was ranked as Hatamoto (Guardian of the banner), a high-ranked direct retainer of Tokugawa Shogunate. While forging swords for the Tokugawa government, he also worked as a military officer, exceptionally skilled at using Yari (spear).
He was born in the 6th year of Tenmei era (1786) as the first son of Kawai family, who belonged to Hamaoto rank under Tokugawa Shogunate. His family’s ancestor served Tokugawa Ieyasu (the first appointed Shogun in the Edo period) in Toe province (Shizuoka prefecture). And, Hisayuki’s family was a branch family and kept the Hatamoto ranking from his ancestors. Hisayuki’s real name is Kawai Kametaro (川井亀太郎). He lived in Koishikawa area in Edo city, Musashikoku.
Being interested in sword-forging, Hisayuki first became an apprentice of Hosokawa Masayoshi school. He mainly learned his sword-forging technique under the master Shimizu Hisayoshi. Later on, he also studied craft from Nakayama Ikkansai Yoshihiro. It was pretty rare to become a swordsmith from a Samurai family’s background. We assume he was eager to improve his sword-forging technique by learning from different masters.
During his career, he mainly focused on forging sharp and practical swords. Many of his remaining works are designed with a straight tempering line (Suguha). While he forged many Yari blades (spears), you rarely find a Katana blade signed by him. As a Samurai, he was also famous as the master of Yari fighting style.
He died at the age of 83 in the first year of the Meiji era when the Tokugawa government lost its power. Based on how refined this sword is, we believe this blade was ordered by a high-class Samurai who served Tokugawa Shogun at the end of the Edo period.
The Background History
Japan enjoyed a relatively peaceful time from the early Edo period to the mid-Edo period(the 1600s-1760s) because of the stable economy and the powerful government run by Tokugawa Shogun. Samurai didn’t have many opportunities to utilize his Katana sword in public or on battlefields during this time. Thus, they carried their swords more as a symbol of their social status. The demand for weapons decreased accordingly compared to the previous Warring state period called Sengoku Jidai. (1467-1600)
However, toward the end of the Edo period(1764-1876), the Japanese sword’s role changed dramatically. With the poverty spreading in Japan, there were so many riots initiated by the civilians. Japanese sword started to play an essential role in maintaining public safety.
Pressure from foreign countries to open Japanese borders also forced Samurai to order strong-looking swords to survive this tumultuous time. We believe many swordsmiths, including Hisayuki, made great efforts to forged high-quality, practical blades for their masters to prepare for battles.
There was a civil war between Tokugawa’s military government and the new Meiji government at the end of the Edo period. That means the original owner of this Katana might have seen the moment when Samurai’s life changed forever. This blade has a strong looking and must have been practical to use in that demanding time.
This blade is appraised as a Tokubetsu Hozon Token (特別保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). This authentication paper was only given to authentic Japanese swords, especially well preserved and high quality with artistic value.
*Please keep in mind that there is a small Kitae Kizu on the blade. If you would like to know the detailed condition, please feel free to contact us.
【Blade】
Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa)：39.1 cm (15.3 inches)
Curvature(Sori)：1.2 cm (0.47 inches)
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 because it prevents red rust while the tang is in its handle. And the discoloration of the tang was created over time, and it 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).
Fuchi-Kashira：A pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt.
The motif of this Fuchi Kashira is Kiri (桐, paulownia).
The Kiri (桐) pattern is generally composed of three standing straight inflorescences and three leaves. The number of flowers that are blooming at each inflorescence means the ranks of this design. It is also famous that one of the most popular Samurais in Japan: Toyotomi Hideyoshi used the Kiri pattern for his family crest. According to a theory, Hideyoshi used Omodaka (沢瀉, arrowhead) pattern as his family crest. However, Oda Nobunaga, a well-known military commander in the Warring States period, permitted Hideyoshi to use Kiri design. This plant pattern was once used by the imperial family and national leaders of the time. Today, this plant pattern is used as the crest of the Japanese Government.
Tsuka and Menuki：Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration.
Some tea ceremony utensils are depicted on this Menuki. Tea ceremony (茶道, Sado) is a traditional Japanese cultural art in which guests are entertained with matcha green tea, tea sweets, and kaiseki cuisine. Tea ceremony utensils are called Sado-gu (茶道具) in Japanese.
Regarding the upper Menuki, a tool called Hanebouki or Habouki (羽箒) and charcoal (炭, Sumi) placed in a bamboo box are depicted. Hanebouki is a broom made of bird feathers. It is mainly used to clean up spilled ash during the charcoal-laying procedure called the Sumitemae (炭手前), which is held before tea is served. This is because birds and their feathers are considered clean and pure. Sweeping with feathers also has the meaning of purifying. The feather brooms are made primarily from the wing feathers of a variety of large birds, including cranes, swans, owls, storks, and so on.
On the lower Menuki, Chagama (茶釜) with Kan (環) attached to it and Chasen (茶筅) are depicted. The pot, or the kettle, used in the Japanese tea ceremony is called Chagama, and it is an important tea utensil that boils water for brewing tea. Kan is a tool used to place the tea pot on and off the furnace during the Sumitemae (charcoal-laying procedure). It is a pair of meral rings which are pass through holes, called Kantsuki (鐶付), at both ends of the pot. Finally, Chasen is a bamboo whisk, which is used to to stir matcha green tea after the hot water is added to matcha in a matcha bowl.
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.
It seems this Tsuba might be categorized as Tosho Tsuba (刀匠鍔) or Toko (Toukou) Tsuba (刀工鍔), which is a handguard made by a swordsmith, not by Tsuba craftsman. Especially, the one made by a swordsmith after the Edo period is called Toko Tsuba (刀工鍔). Tosho Tsuba, or Toko Tsuba, was often made by focusing on tempering iron, which represents the sword-forging skill and emphasizes practical use on the battle. This Tsuba is also made of highly forged and densely packed iron ground.
Saya：Saya is the scabbard for the Japanese sword.
The surface of these Saya is decorated with the Ishime-Ji (石目地). Its base was hit by Tagane (鏨, chisel for metalworking), and it makes a rough surface that seems stone.
Authentication Paper：NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate for the blade (No. 1017934)
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 blade on March 15th in the 30th year of Heisei (2018). They appraised it as Tokubetsu Hozon Touken, the blade especially worth preserving for Japanese society. The purchaser will receive this original certificate as well. We can also translate what is written into English and make a PDF file for your record if you request.
Registration Number : Tokyo 39986
The Board of Education in Tokyo issued a registration paper for this 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, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Belgium, France, Finland, Hong Kong, 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.
* If you live in the UK and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please contact us first and 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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