Real Masterpice Tachi Katana of Mastery Satsumayoshi Uwa Genpei (1797) NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

Katana by Satsumayoshi Uwa Genpei (Oku Genpei)

Late Edo period, Kansei 9 (1797)

This exceptional late-Edo period katana was forged in the spring of the ninth year of the Kansei era (1797) by the celebrated Satsuma swordsmith Satsumayoshi Uwa Genpei, also known as Oku Genpei.

Dimensions and Construction

The blade measures 76.3 cm (2 shaku 5 sun 2 bu) with a graceful 2.3 cm curvature. It is 3.6 cm wide at the base, tapering to 2.4 cm at the tip, with thicknesses of 0.73 cm at the base, 0.82 cm at the ridge, and 0.65 cm at the tip. The tip (kissaki) is 4.2 cm long, and the tang (nakago) measures 22.8 cm. Weighing 1.107 kg, the blade’s ribbed construction and defined ridge line create a broad, powerful form with a deep curvature and a slightly extended central point.

Artistic Features

The sword displays a long, commanding sugata with a shallow overhang and a broad, robust tip. Its striking gunome (undulating) hamon is enlivened by frayed, irregular activity—uchikake-fu and yunashiri-kakari—forming a pattern of twenty small clings, delicate ashi (“feet”), and leaf-like figures. Abundant nie—boiling crystalline martensite—runs along the edge, interwoven with frequent golden, boiling lines (kinie). The finish is bright and crisp, the cutting edge clear and alive with a deep, rich nie presence, producing a blade of exceptional solidity and visual drama.

The Smith

Born in 1744 as the eldest son of Oku Motonao, Genpei’s given name was Oku Kozaemon. He learned swordsmithing from his father and, at 38, became an official craftsman for the Shimazu clan of Satsuma. In 1789, the first year of the Kansei era, he was awarded the prestigious title Yamatonokami. Genpei is regarded as one of the two greatest masters of Satsuma Shinshinto, alongside Hoki no Kami Masayuki, and ranks among the most celebrated artisans of the Shinshinto period. He passed away on 15 July 1826, aged 84.

Significance

Forged when Genpei was 54 years old, this katana embodies the full maturity of the master’s art. Presented without reference to his honorary title, the blade allows its workmanship alone to speak of the smith’s greatness.

Officially recognized with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon (“Special Preservation”) certification, it stands as a work of exceptional quality and a significant piece within the tradition of Japanese sword art.

The sayagaki (inscription on the scabbard) was written by Sato Kanzan, the eminent scholar and founder of the NBTHK, further affirming the sword’s historical and artistic importance.