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The term "National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897,[1][2] although the definition and the criteria have changed since the introduction of the term. The swords and sword mountings in the list adhere to the current definition, and have been designated national treasures according to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties that came into effect on June 9, 1951. The items are selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology based on their "especially high historical or artistic value".[3][4] The list presents 110 swords and 12 sword mountings from ancient to feudal Japan, spanning from the late Kofun to the Muromachi period. The objects are housed in Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, museums or held privately. The Tokyo National Museum houses the largest number of these national treasures, with 20 of the 122.[4]
During the Yayoi period from about 300 BC to 300 AD, iron tools and weapons such as knives, axes, swords or spears, were introduced to Japan from China via the Korean peninsula.[5][6][7][8] Shortly after this event, Chinese, Korean, and eventually Japanese swordsmiths produced ironwork locally.[9][10] Swords were forged to imitate Chinese blades:[11] generally straight chokutō with faulty tempering. Worn slung from the waist, they were likely used as stabbing and slashing weapons.[11][12] Although functionally it would generally be more accurate to define them as hacking rather than slashing weapons. Swordmaking centers developed in Yamato, San'in and Mutsu where various types of blades such as tsurugi, tōsu and tachi[nb 1] were produced.[11][13] Flat double-edged (hira-zukuri) blades originated in the Kofun period, and around the mid-Kofun period swords evolved from thrusting to cutting weapons.[13] Ancient swords were also religious objects according to the 8th century chronicles Nihon Shoki and Kojiki. In fact, one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan is a sword, and swords have been discovered in ancient tumuli or handed down as treasures of Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples.[9][13] Few ancient blades (jokotō) exist because the iron has been corroded by humidity.[8][13][14]
The transition from straight jokotō or chokutō to deliberately curved, and much more refined Japanese swords (nihontō), occurred gradually over a long period of time, although few extant swords from the transition period exist.[15] Dating to the 8th century, Shōsōin swords and the Kogarasu Maru show a deliberately produced curve.[16] Yasutsuna from Hōki Province forged curved swords that are considered to be of excellent quality. Stylistic change since then is minimal, and his works are considered the beginning of the old sword (kotō) period, which existed until 1596, and produced the best-known Japanese swordsmiths.[17] According to sources Yasutsuna may have lived in the Daidō era (806–809), around 900; or more likely, was a contemporary of Sanjō Munechika and active in the Eien era (987, 988).[13][15][18] The change in blade shape increased with the introduction of horses (after 941) into the battlefield, from which sweeping cutting strokes with curved swords were more effective than stabbing lunges required of foot soldiers.[9][16][18][19] Imparting a deliberate curve is a technological challenge requiring the reversal of natural bending that occurred when the sword edge is hammered. The development of a ridge (shinogi) along the blade was essential for construction.[20] Various military conflicts during the Heian period helped to perfect the techniques of swordsmanship, and led to the establishment of swordsmiths around the country.[19] They settled in locations close to administrative centers, where the demand for swords was high, and in areas with easy access to ore, charcoal and water.[17] Originally smiths did not belong to any school or tradition.[21] Around the mid to late-Heian period distinct styles of workmanship developed in certain regional centers.[22] The best known of these schools or traditions are the gokaden (five traditions) with each producing a distinct style of workmanship and associated with the five provinces: Yamashiro, Yamato, Bizen, Sagami/Sōshū and Mino. These five schools produced about 80% of all kotō period swords.[17][21][23] Each school consisted of several branches.[17] In the late Heian period Emperor Go-Toba, a sword lover, summoned swordsmiths from the Awataguchi school of Yamashiro, the Ichimonji school of Bizen and the Aoe school of Bitchū Province to forge swords at his palace. These smiths, known as goban kaji (honorable rotation smiths) are considered to have been the finest swordsmiths of their time.[nb 2][21][24] Go-Toba selected from the Awataguchi, Hisakuni and Ichimonji Nobufusa to collaborate on his own tempering.[25] Early Kamakura period tachi had an elaborately finished tang and an elegant dignified overall shape (sugata).[21] Tantō daggers from the same period showed a slight outward curvature.[24]
Around the mid-Kamakura period, the warrior class reached its peak of prosperity.[26] Consequently, sword production was thriving in many parts of Japan.[26] Following the Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281, smiths aimed at producing stronger swords that would pierce the heavy armour of the invaders. To achieve this, tachi became wider, thicker with an overall grand appearance (sugata) and a straight temper line.[26][27] With the Mongol threat dissipated at the end of the Kamakura period, this trend was partially reversed, as blades grew longer with a more dignified shape than those from the mid-Kamakura period.[27] However the so-called "unchangeable smiths", including Rai Kunitoshi, Rai Kunimitsu, Osafune Nagamitsu and Osafune Kagemitsu, continued to produce swords of the elegant style of the late Heian/early Kamakura period. These swords were particularly popular with Kyoto's aristocracy.[27] The production of tantō daggers increased considerably towards the late Kamakura period.[28] Master tantō makers include Awataguchi Yoshimitsu, Rai Kunitoshi, Shintōgo Kunimitsu, Osafune Kagemitsu, Etchū Norishige and Samonji.[28] The naginata appeared as a new weapon in the late Kamakura period.[28] The confrontation between the Northern and Southern Court resulted in a 60-year-long power struggle between warrior lords known as the Nanboku-chō period and caused a tremendous demand for swords.[29] The stylistic trends of the Kamakura period continued, and tachi were characterized by magnificent shape, growing in overall length and the length of the point (kissaki). They were generally wide and disproportionately thin.[29] Similarly tantō grew in size to 30–43 cm (12–17 in) and became known as ko-wakizashi or sunnobi tantō (extended knives).[30] But also tantō shorter than those of the Kamakura period were being forged.[30] Enormous tachi called seoi-tachi (shouldering swords), nodachi (field swords) and ōdachi with blades 120–150 cm (47–59 in) long were forged.[nb 3][31] The high demand for swords during feudal civil wars after 1467 (Sengoku period) resulted in mass production and low quality swords as swordsmiths no longer refined their own steel.[32] There are no national treasure swords after this period.
Statistics
| Prefecture | City | National Treasures |
|---|---|---|
| Aichi | Nagoya | 8 |
| Ehime | Imabari | 3 |
| Fukuoka | Dazaifu | 1 |
| Fukuoka | 2 | |
| Yanagawa | 1 | |
| Gifu | Takayama | 1 |
| Hiroshima | Hatsukaichi | 2 |
| Private | 5 | |
| Hyōgo | Nishinomiya | 2 |
| Ibaraki | Kashima | 1 |
| Tsuchiura | 1 | |
| Ishikawa | Kanazawa | 1 |
| Kagoshima | Kagoshima | 1 |
| Kanagawa | Kamakura | 1 |
| Kōchi | Hidaka | 1 |
| Kyoto | Kyoto | 3 |
| Nara | Nara | 6 |
| Okayama | Okayama | 3 |
| Private | 1 | |
| Osaka | Osaka | 3 |
| Private | 9 | |
| Saitama | Saitama | 2 |
| Shizuoka | Numazu | 1 |
| Mishima | 1 | |
| Private | 2 | |
| Shizuoka | 1 | |
| Tochigi | Nikkō | 4 |
| Tokyo | Private | 12 |
| Tokyo | 39 | |
| Yamagata | Tsuruoka | 2 |
| Yamaguchi | Hōfu | 1 |
| Iwakuni | 1 |
| Period | National Treasures |
|---|---|
| Kofun period | 1 |
| Asuka period | 2 |
| Heian period | 19 |
| Kamakura period | 86 |
| Nanboku-chō period | 13 |
| Muromachi period | 1 |
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Usage
The table's columns (except for Remarks and Design and material) are sortable pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works. Not all tables have all of the following columns.
- Type/Name: type of sword or sword mounting; blades mentioned in the kyōhō era Kyōhō Meibutsuchō as masterpieces (meibutsu) are mentioned by name and marked in yellow
- Signature: for signed swords, the signature and its reading; otherwise "unsigned"
- Swordsmith: name of the swordsmith who forged the blade; if applicable it includes the name of the school; the ten students of Masamune (juttetsu) are marked in green; the goban kaji, smiths summoned to the court of Emperor Go-Toba are marked in blue
- Remarks: additional information such as notable owners or its curvature
- Date: period and year; the column entries sort by year. If the entry can only be dated to a time-period, they sort by the start year of that period
- Length: distance from the notch to the tip of the sword
- Present location: "temple/museum/shrine-name town-name prefecture-name"; column entries sort as "prefecture-name town-name temple/museum/shrine-name"
The table of sword mountings differentiates between Sword type and Mounting type; includes a column on the employed Design and material; and lists the Overall length as the mounting in addition to the sword's length.
- Key
| # | Meibutsu |
| * | One of the ten students of Masamune |
| ^ | One of the goban kaji |
Treasures
Ancient swords (jokotō)
Four ancient straight swords (chokutō) and one tsurugi handed down in possession of temples and shrines have been designated as National Treasure craft items.[nb 4] A notable collection of 55 swords and other weapons from the 8th century have been preserved in the Shōsōin collection. Being under the supervision of the Imperial Household Agency, neither these items nor the well known Kogarasu Maru are National Treasures.[33][34]
| Name | Remarks | Date | Type | Length | Present location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilt bronze tachi with ring pommel (金銅荘環頭大刀拵, kondōsō kantō tachi goshirae)[14][35][36] | Double-edged blade, said to be the oldest Japanese object transmitted from generation to generation; offered to Kunitokotachi by the Kusakabe clan and worshipped as shintai of Omura Shrine; 527 g (18.6 oz), hilt length: 7.5 cm (3.0 in), scabbard length: 92.1 cm (36.3 in) | late Kofun period | Chokutō | 68.4 cm (26.9 in) | Omura Shrine,[nb 5] Hidaka, Kōchi |
| Great Bear sword (七星剣, Shichiseiken) or Seven Stars Sword[37] | The sword contains a gold inlay of clouds and seven stars forming the Great Bear constellation. According to a document at Shitennō-ji, this sword was owned by Prince Shōtoku. Considered to be directly imported from the Asian continent | Asuka period, 7th century | Chokutō | 62.1 cm (24.4 in) | Shitennō-ji, Osaka |
| Heishi Shōrin ken (丙子椒林剣)[14][37] | The sword contains an inscription in gold inlay: Heishi shōrin (丙子椒林) which according to one theory, represents 丙子 (bǐng-zǐ), which is a stem-branch of the Sexagenary cycle and the author's name: Shōrin (椒林). According to a document at Shitennō-ji, this sword was owned by Prince Shōtoku. Considered to be directly imported from the Asian continent | Asuka period | Chokutō | 65.8 cm (25.9 in) | Shitennō-ji, Osaka |
| Chokutō (or futsu-no mitama no tsurugi (布都御魂剣)) and black lacquer mounting (黒漆平文大刀拵, kuro urushi hyōmontachi goshirae)[nb 6][14][38] | Legendary sword used by Emperor Jimmu to found the Japanese nation | early Heian period | Chokutō | 223.5 cm (88.0 in) | Kashima Shrine, Kashima, Ibaraki, Ibaraki |
| Unsigned sword (剣 無銘, tsurugi mumei)[nb 7][39][40][41] | Handle in the shape of a Buddhist ritual implement, a pestle like weapon with three prongs (sanko); double-edged sword for ceremonial use only | early Heian period | Tsurugi | 62.2 cm (24.5 in) | custodian: Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto, Kyoto (owner: Kongō-ji, Kawachinagano, Osaka) |
Old swords (kotō)
105 swords from the kotō period (late 10th century to 1596) including tachi (61), tantō (26), katana (11), ōdachi (3), naginata (2), tsurugi (1) and kodachi (1) have been designated as national treasures. They represent works of four of the five traditions: Yamato (5), Yamashiro (19), Sōshū (19), Bizen (45); and blades from Etchū Province (3), Bitchū Province (5), Hōki Province (2) and Saikaidō (7).
Yamato Province
The Yamato tradition is the oldest, originating as early as the 4th century with the introduction of ironworking techniques from the mainland.[42] According to legend, the smith Amakuni forged the first single-edged long swords with curvature (tachi) around 700.[43] Even though there is no authentication of this event or date, the earliest Japanese swords were probably forged in Yamato Province.[44] During the Nara period, many good smiths were located around the capital in Nara. They moved to Kyoto when it became capital at the beginning of the Heian period, but about 1200 smiths gathered again in Nara when the various sects centered in Nara rose to power during the Kamakura period and needed weapons to arm their monks. Thus, the Yamato tradition is associated closely with the warrior monks of Nara.[45][46] Yamato tradition sugata[j 1] is characterized by a deep torii-zori,[j 2] high shinogi,[j 3] and slightly extended kissaki.[j 4] The jihada[j 5] is mostly masame-hada,[j 6] and the hamon[j 7] is suguha,[j 8] with rough nie.[j 9] The bōshi[j 10] is mainly ko-maru.[j 11][23][47] Generally the style of Yamato blades is considered to be restrained, conservative and static.[46] Five major schools or branches of the Yamato tradition are distinguished: Senjuin,[nb 8] Shikkake, Taima,[nb 9] Tegai[nb 10] and Hōshō.[nb 11] Four of the five schools are represented by national treasure swords.[45][48]
| Name | Signature | Swordsmith | Remarks | Date | Length | Present location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tachi[49] | Kuniyuki (国行) | Taima Kuniyuki (当麻国行) | Sword by the founder of the Taima branch; handed down in the Abe clan; curvature: 1.5 cm (0.59 in) | Kamakura period, around Shōō era (1288–1293) | 69.7 cm (27.4 in) | Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, Tokyo |
| Tachi[49] | Nobuyoshi (延吉) | Senjuin Nobuyoshi (千手院延吉) | Formerly the property of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, curvature: 2.8 cm (1.1 in) | Kamakura period, around Bunpō era (1317–1319) | 73.5 cm (28.9 in) | Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, Tokyo |
| Tachi[50] | Kanenaga (包永) | Tegai Kanenaga (手掻包永) | Sword by the founder of the Tegai branch | Kamakura period, around Shōō era (1288–1293) | 71.2 cm (28.0 in) | Seikadō Bunko, Tokyo |
| Ōdachi | year five of the Jōji era (1366), 43rd year of the sexagenary cycle (year of the fire horse), Senjuin Nagayoshi (貞治五年丙午千手院長吉, jōjigonen hinoeuma Senjuin Nagayoshi) | Senjuin Nagayoshi (千手院長吉) | Curvature: 4.9 cm (1.9 in) | Nanboku-chō period, 1366 | 136 cm (54 in) | Ōyamazumi Shrine, Imabari, Ehime |
| Tantō or Kuwayama Hōshō (桑山保昌)#[51] | Takaichi ? ... Sadayoshi (高市□住金吾藤貞吉, Takaichi ? jū kingo fuji Sadayoshi), ?kyō yonen jūgatsu jūhachinichi (□亨〈二二〉年十月十八日) | Hōshō Sadayoshi (保昌貞吉) | —
|
Kamakura period, around Bunpō era (1317–1319) | —
|
Private (Matsumoto Ko), Osaka |
Yamashiro Province
The Yamashiro tradition was centered around the capital Kyoto in Yamashiro Province where swords were in high demand. Sanjō Munechika (c. 987) was a forerunner of this tradition, and the earliest identified smith working in Kyoto.[52] Various branches of the Yamashiro tradition are distinguished: Sanjō, Awataguchi, Rai, Ayanokoji, Nobukuni, Hasebe and Heian-jo.[53]
Yamashiro tradition sugata is characterized by torii-zori, smaller mihaba,[j 12] slightly bigger kasane,[j 13] funbari,[j 14] and small kissaki. The jihada is dense small-grained itame-hada[j 15] and the hamon is suguha in nie, or small-grain nie.[23]
Sanjō, Ayanokoji and Hasebe schools
The Sanjō branch, named after a street in Kyoto and founded by Sanjō Munechika around 1000, is the oldest school in Yamashiro Province.[54] In the early Kamakura period it was the most advanced school of swordsmanship in Japan.[22] Sanjō Munechika's pieces, together with those of Yasutsuna from Hōki Province, consist of some of the oldest curved Japanese swords and mark the start of the old sword (kotō) period.[53] Sanjō school's sugata is characterized by a much narrower upper area compared to the bottom, small kissaki, torii-zori and deep koshi-zori.[j 16] The jihada uses good quality steel with abundant ji-nie[j 17] and chikei,[j 18] small mokume-hada[j 19] mixed with wavy, large hada. The hamon is bright and covered with thick nioi.[j 20] It is based on suguha mixed with small chōji midare.[j 21] Hataraki[j 22] appear along the temper line.[54]
The Ayanokoji school is named for a street in Kyoto where the smith Sadatoshi lived, and may possibly be a branch of the Sanjō school.[44][55] Ayanokoji tachi are slender with small kissaki. The jihada uses soft jigane,[j 23] small mokume-hada mixed with masame-hada, abundant ji-nie, yubashiri[j 24] and chikei. The temper line is small chōji midare, nie with much activity.[j 22][55]
A later branch of the Yamashiro tradition, was the Hasebe school which was active in the Nanboku-chō period and early Muromachi period.[56] It was founded by Hasebe Kunishige who originally came from Yamato Province. He travelled to Sagami Province where he became one of the ten great students of Masamune (Masamune juttetsu), and eventually went to Kyoto to found the Hasebe school.[56][57] The sugata is characterized by a wide mihaba, thin kasane and shallow sori.[j 25] The jihada is fine itame-hada mixed with masame-hada, chikei and abundant ji-nie. The hamon is of irregular width, narrow and small-patterned at the bottom and wide and large-patterned at the top of the blade. There are many tobiyaki[j 26] and hitatsura[j 27] as well as rough nie.[56]
| Type/Name[nb 12] | Signature | Swordsmith | Remarks | Date | Length | Present location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tachi or Crescent Moon Munechika (三日月宗近, mikazuki munechika)#[28][58] | Sanjō (三条) | Sanjō Munechika (三条宗近) | One of the Five Swords under Heaven (天下五剣); the name, "crescent moon" refers to the shape of the tempering pattern; owned by Kōdai-in, wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who bequeathed it to Tokugawa Hidetada, then handed down in the Tokugawa clan; curvature: 2.7 cm (1.1 in) | Heian period, 10th–11th century | 80 cm (31 in) | Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo |
| Tachi[59][60] | Sadatoshi (定利) | Ayanokoji Sadatoshi (綾小路定利) | Sword by the founder of the Ayanokoji school; handed down in the Abe clan from 1663 when Tokugawa Ietsuna gave it to Abe Masakuni, lord of Iwatsuki castle; strong curvature 3.0 cm (1.2 in) | Kamakura period, 13th century | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=List_of_National_Treasures_of_Japan_(crafts-swords)