0-timeline - size 24 Shin-to

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During the Shinto era, there were seven main prosperous regions where many swordsmiths gathered and actively forged swords.  These are Yamashiro (山城) in Kyoto, Settsu (摂津) in Osaka, Musashi (武蔵 ) in Edo, Hizen (肥前) in Saga, Satsuma (薩摩) in Kagoshima, Echizen (越前) in Fukui,  and Kaga (加賀) in Kanazawa.  Swordsmiths from each area shared common regional characteristics of their places.  Knowing each of these characteristics is the easiest way to understand Shin-to.  However, it is important to remember that each swordsmith within a group had their own unique way of sword-making.  The following are only general descriptions of these characteristics.

Below is a map of Japan.  Hokkaido is not shown on the map because swords were not made there during that time.

64Map with number with 8

1.  Yamashiro (山城) Kyoto

The Yamashiro shin-to sword has a solid and strong look.  The hamon near the lower part of the blade, just above the machi (区) area, shows suguha (straight hamon).  This is called kyo-yakidashi (京焼出し, meaning it starts with a straight hamon.  Then, it shows a sudden shift to a design of o-midare (大乱).  The o-midare (large irregular waviness) becomes less wavy about one or two inches below the yokote line, then continues into the boshi as a wavy hamon.  The design in the boshi is komaru-boshi.   See the illustration below. 

Ji-hada ———— Somewhat rough, (depending on the swordsmith).  Masame-hada (straight grain pattern) may show on shinogi-ji (between the ridgeline and back). 

Among the Yamashiro shin-to group, there was a group called the Mishina group (三品).  They were related to Mino-den (美濃).  Therefore, their boshi was often jizo-boshi (地蔵鋩子).  This is called Mishina-boshi (三品鋩子).  Jizo-boshi is an image of a man’s head.

The Well-known swordsmiths in Yamashiro area: Umetada Myoju (梅忠明寿)                                                                                                   Horikawa Kunihiro (堀川国広)                                                                                               Dewadaijyo Kunimichi (出羽大掾国路)

28 Mishina-Boshi Komaru-boshi, Kyo-Yakidashi

                                                  　     Iganokami Kinnmichi (伊賀守金道) Yamashiro Den, once my family sword

2．Settu (摂津) Osaka (大阪)

Settsu (Osaka) produced more wakizashi than katana.  They tend to make it slightly sakizori (the top half curving outward) with a slightly stretched boshi. A Settsu sword also shows yakidashi, similar to the previous Yamashiro sword.  However, unlike Yamashiro’s sword, the transition is not abrupt but relatively smooth, where suguha changes into notare (wavy pattern).  This is called Osaka Yakidashi.

Osaka Boshi ——-Hamon continues up to the yokote line, then komaru with a turn back.   Ji-hada————-Very fine,  almost no pattern, a solid surface like, especially, shinogi-ji (between the ridgeline and the back).  This is called Osaka-tetsu (iron).

29 Osaka Yakidashi Komaru Boshi

Well-known swordsmiths in Settsu area— Osaka Tsuda Sukehiro (大阪津田助広)                                                                                 Tsuda Sukenao (津田助直)                                                                                                   Ikkanshi Tadatsuna (一竿子 忠綱)

                                                                 Ikkanshi Tadatsuna (一竿子忠綱), once my family sword 

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Published by Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江

I was born and raised in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, and then moved to Kamakura. Now I live in Los Angeles. I graduated from Meiji University and received a degree in literature and curatorship. I hold a curatorship license. I also graduated from California State University, Northridge, and earned an Economics degree. My father owned a manufacturing company related to metal. As his hobby, he had been collecting Japanese swords and other types of Japanese art objects. He was one of the administrators of Nihon Bijutu Token Hozon Kyokai(日本美術刀剣保存協会), which is a sword museum located in Tokyo. One of his friends (Mori Sensei), who was also the main administrator, used to hold a Japanese sword study group in his house. I joined his study group. Mori sensei’s group was very rare and valuable because he could bring top-quality swords as our study materials, due to his position in the museum. The kind of swords we could study were top-quality museum swords. Those are the kind of swords people could only see through the glass display cases. Also, I studied swords with my father since he kept many swords in our house. This is how I started to study Japanese swords.

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