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Our Journal.
Exploring the philosophy, history, and craftsmanship of the Japanese sword.
NihontōMay 22 · 202610 min read
The Muramasa Demon Blade. A Late Muromachi Tantō from Ise
Inside a signed Muramasa tantō with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. The Sengoku era smith whose blades the Tokugawa shogunate branded as cursed.
HT
Hiroshi Tanaka
ConnoisseurshipApril 30 · 202611 min read
Nidai Muramasa. A Katana with a Tanobe Sensei Sayagaki
A second generation Muramasa katana (1532 to 1555) carrying an NBTHK Hozon paper, Tokubetsu Kichō certification, and a sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro.
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Kenji Mori
ConnoisseurshipApril 8 · 20269 min read
Jūyō Tōken. A Mumei Katana Attributed to Yamato Shizu
What 'Jūyō Tōken' really means, why mumei attributions can be priceless, and a closer look at a Yamato Shizu katana in the Shizu Kaneuji tradition.
HT
Hiroshi Tanaka
HistoryMarch 18 · 202610 min read
Yokoyama Sukekane 1866. The Last Light of the Samurai
A Tokubetsu Hozon tachi by Bizen Osafune Yokoyama Sukekane, forged in 1866. The final years of the samurai class and the Bizen tradition itself.
MdV
Marleen de Vries