{"id":77155,"date":"2025-10-20T16:40:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T07:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samuraimuseum.jp\/shop\/?post_type=product&p=77155"},"modified":"2026-02-11T00:21:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T15:21:23","slug":"antique-japanese-sword-katana-attributed-to-edo-hojojinbthk-hozon-certificate","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.samuraimuseum.jp\/shop\/product\/antique-japanese-sword-katana-attributed-to-edo-hojojinbthk-hozon-certificate\/","title":{"rendered":"Antique Japanese Sword Katana Attributed to Edo Hojoji
NBTHK Hozon <\/span>Certificate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Antique Japanese Sword Katana attributed to Edo H\u014dj\u014dji with <\/span>Hozon<\/span> <\/span>Certificate<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u3010Description\u3011<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 This blade is attributed to the Edo H\u014dj\u014dji school (\u6c5f\u6238\u6cd5\u57ce\u5bfa). The term H\u014dj\u014dji refers to a prestigious lineage of swordsmiths. The school was originally founded by H\u014dj\u014dji Kunimitsu(\u6cd5\u57ce\u5bfa)\u570b\u5149), a distinguished smith active in Tanba no Kuni (present-day Hy\u014dgo Prefecture) during the late Nanbokuch\u014d to Muromachi period. According to tradition, Kunimitsu was one of the three prominent apprentices of Sadamune, one of the most celebrated swordsmiths of the S\u014dsh\u016b school in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Later, H\u014dj\u014dji Masahiro (\u6cd5\u57ce\u5bfa\u6b63\u5f18), a descendant of Kunimitsu, moved to Edo in the early Edo period and established the Edo H\u014dj\u014dji school. Historical records indicate that he brought with him several apprentices from Tajima\u00a0and those who accompanied Masahiro to Edo were granted the surname Tachibana (\u6a58).<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0The works of Edo H\u014dj\u014dji swordsmiths are noted for their resemblance to those of Kotetsu (\u864e\u5fb9), one of the most famous smiths of the Edo period. Other renowned members of the school include Kaneshige, Sadakuni, and Yoshitsugu. The H\u014dj\u014dji school flourished under the Edo shogunate, producing many blades for official use. It is also recorded that Masahiro once resided in the Mito domain (today’s Ibaraki Prefecture), where he forged swords for Tokugawa Mitsukuni.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0It is appraised as a\u00a0Hozon Token\u00a0<\/strong>(\u4fdd\u5b58\u5200\u5263) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai: \u65e5\u672c\u7f8e\u8853\u5200\u5263\u4fdd\u5b58\u5354\u4f1a). This authentication paper was only given to authentic Japanese swords, well preserved and high quality with artistic value.<\/span><\/p>\n

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*Please keep in mind that there are a couple of Kitae Kizu on this blade. If you like to see the detailed condition, please feel free to contact us.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u3010 Blade\u3011<\/span><\/strong>
\nCutting Edge Length(Nagasa)<\/span><\/strong>\uff1a68.1 cm (26.8 inches)<\/strong><\/span>
\nCurvature(Sori)<\/span><\/strong>\uff1a1.5 cm (0.59 inches)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Hamon<\/strong><\/span>\uff1a
\nThe crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process<\/strong>
\nJimon(Jihada)<\/span><\/strong>\uff1a
\nvisible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Kissaki<\/strong>\uff1a<\/span><\/span>Kissaki is the tip\u00a0of the Japanese sword.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Nakago<\/strong><\/span>\uff1aNakago is the tang of the Japanese sword. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Japanese 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Koshirae<\/strong>\uff1a<\/span>Koshirae is the mounting of the Japanese sword. There are several parts that consist of Koshirae such as Saya (Scabbard), Tsuka (Handle), Tsuba (Handguard).<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Fuchi-Kashira<\/strong><\/span>\uff1aA pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0This Fuchi-Kashira (\u7e01\u982d) is decorated with a wave design (\u6ce2\u6fe4\u56f3) and features two family crests (\u5bb6\u7d0b).<\/span>
One of them is the \u201cMaru ni Mitsuba Aoi\u201d (\u4e38\u306b\u4e09\u3064\u8449\u8475), inlaid in gold. This crest depicts three hollyhock leaves arranged within a circle and is best known as the Tokugawa family crest.<\/span>
\u00a0The hollyhock (\u8475,aoi) has long been considered a sacred plant in Japan and was originally used as the divine emblem of Kamo Shrine in Kyoto. When Tokugawa Ieyasu received permission to use this crest from the shrine, it became the official symbol of the Tokugawa shogunate and the entire Tokugawa clan. <\/span>The other crest, rendered on a black background, depicts a plum blossom (\u6885) within a circle, another traditional Japanese family emblem often associated with vitality, perseverance, and the coming of spring.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\"\"\u3000\"\"<\/p>\n

Tsuka and Menuki<\/strong><\/span>\uff1aTsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The motif of this Menuki is a dragon (\u9f8d, Ry\u016b). The dragon is an imaginary creature originating from ancient Chinese mythology, later introduced to Japan through cultural exchange. In East Asian tradition, dragons are revered as auspicious, divine beings that control water, rain, and fertility, symbolizing strength, wisdom, and good fortune.<\/span><\/p>\n

Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, belly is Mizuchi (\u86df, mythical animal in Japan which looks like a snake and have a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers, and ears are cows. It was thought that the dragon would reign at the top of all animals because of its odd-looking appearance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0In ancient China, the dragon pattern was used for emperors\u2019 clothing so that people strictly defined its shape or even the number of nails. On the other hand, the dragon pattern does not have detailed rules to represent classes in Japan. However, still, it maintains its meaning as the all-purpose auspicious pattern.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Also, in Japan, there is a belief that worships dragon as a water god and is called Ryujin Shinkou (\u7adc\u795e\u4fe1\u4ef0). Since rice cultivation flourished in this country, water is always an essential resource. Therefore, the dragon motif has been familiar to Japanese people since a long time ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tsuba and Habaki<\/strong><\/span>\uff1aTsuba 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0This Tsuba features an openwork (\u900f\u304b\u3057\u5f6b\u308a, sukashi-bori) design depicting a heart-shaped leaf with veins drawn curly, called Aoi (\u8475, asarum caulescens). It is a plant pattern in which each stem branches and has characteristic heart-shaped leaves. Today, the Aoi-Domoe \/ Mitsuba-Aoi-no Mon (\u8475\u5df4\/\u4e09\u3064\u8449\u8475\u306e\u7d0b) is known as the family crest of Tokugawa Shogunate family led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, a famous military commander of the Warring States period. This plant pattern has also been used for the crest of the Kamo shrine in Kyoto prefecture. As mentioned above, the famous Shogunate family, the Tokugawa family, had their family crest with three leaves of Aoi due to the relationship with the Kamo shrine. As its leaves have a habit of always facing the sun, and the word \u201cAoi\u201d is taken as \u201cAogu (\u4ef0\u3050, looking up)\u201d for the sun, people thought the Aoi pattern would bring good fortune.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Saya<\/strong><\/span>\uff1aSaya is the scabbard for the Japanese sword.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The surface of this saya is finished in Aka Ishime-ji (\u8d64\u77f3\u76ee\u5730), also known as Ishime-nuri (\u77f3\u76ee\u5857), a traditional red lacquer technique. Its base was textured using a tagane (\u93e8)\u2014a small metalworking chisel\u2014to create a fine, stone-like surface that gives the lacquer a distinctive sense of depth and refinement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Like the other sword fittings in this set, the saya is also decorated with motifs of hollyhock leaves (\u8475). Here, it features the Futaba Aoi-mon (\u4e8c\u8449\u8475\u7d0b), or \u201ctwo hollyhock leaves crest,\u201d which is regarded as the prototype of the Tokugawa clan\u2019s Mitsuba Aoi-mon (\u4e09\u3064\u8449\u8475\u7d0b). The hollyhock has long been considered a sacred plant in Japan, symbolizing divine protection and authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nAuthentication Paper<\/strong><\/span>\uff1aNBTHK Hozon Certificate for the blade (No. 3016957)<\/strong><\/p>\n

NBTHK<\/a>, 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 Hozon Touken, the blade 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<\/a>\u00a0for your record if you request.<\/p>\n

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Registration Number : Tokyo 3284<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The Board of Education in Tokyo issued a registration paper for this sword. It is called Jyu Hou Token Rui Tourokusho (\u9283\u7832\u5200\u5263\u985e\u767b\u9332\u8a3c). Bunkacho (The Agency for Cultural Affairs) acknowledges a Japanese sword with this paper as a work of art.
\nThe 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.
\nThis 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u3010About us\u3011<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0Samurai 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. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u3010Japanese Sword& Export Process<\/strong>\u3011<\/span>
\n\u00a0The Japanese swords we deal with are hand-forged edged swords made in Japan. It was made from the traditional carbon steel called TAMAHAGANE(\u7389\u92fc)<\/span><\/a>. 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 1300 Japanese swords for the past few years (\uff5e2026) to amazing owners who appreciate its historical value.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Each 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.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0To 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<\/strong> to receive this permit after submitting required documents. And we would like you to expect at least 1-1.5 months<\/strong> for your order to arrive at your given address after you ordered. For more detailed info, please click here<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0It is allo<\/span>wed 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.<\/p>\n

\u3010Payment Method\u3011<\/strong>
\nWe accept payment through Stripe <\/strong>(Credit card), PayPal<\/strong>, 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 <\/strong>or GBP<\/strong>. The price is set in Japanese Yen. Prices in other currencies are automatically calculated based on the latest exchange rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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* If the amount is above 1 million JPY, Stripe or wire transfer will be the only options for payment.<\/p>\n

\u3010Shipping\u3011<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u00a0We have shipped authentic Japanese swords to the USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Belgium, France, Finland, UK<\/a>, <\/span><\/span>Hong Kong, Australia<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span>. 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<\/strong><\/span> as long as we can send antique Japanese swords by EMS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0We normally ship by EMS<\/strong>(Express Mail Service) provided by Japan Post. <\/span>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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0It 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

* If you live in Australia and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please click here<\/span><\/span> <\/a>to know the detail.<\/strong><\/p>\n

* If you live in the UK and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please contact us first and click here<\/span><\/span> <\/a>to know the detail.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u3010Review\u3011<\/strong>
\n\u00a0Here is o<\/span>ne of the reviews we received from a customer who purchased an authentic Japanese sword from us. For more reviews, please click here.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a>
\n\u201cMy 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3010How to make sure the condition\u3011<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u00a0Please 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.<\/span> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3010How To Contact Us\u3011<\/strong>
\n\u00a0Please 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 w<\/span>ebsite. Please click one of them to reach us. We will reply to you within 1-2 business days.<\/p>\n

\u3010The Art of Nihonto (Japanese Sword)<\/strong>\u3011
\n\u00a0Samurai’s history is a profound, eloquent legacy of ancient Japanese warriors in which millions of people worldwide are being fascinated. If y<\/span>ou like to find out the art of Nihonto, please click here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u3010A Guide to Japanese Sword Maintenance<\/strong>\u3011<\/span>
\n\u00a0After 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.<\/span><\/p>\n