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Masamune: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Masamune
Masamune, the name that would come to define the pinnacle of Japanese swordsmanship, remains a figure shrouded in the mists of the late thirteenth century. No exact dates mark his birth or death, and the historical record offers only a vague window of activity between 1288 and 1328, a period spanning the twilight of the Kamakura period and the dawn of the Nanboku-chō era. He worked in Sagami Province, a region that would become the cradle of the Sōshū school, yet his origins are as elusive as the steel he forged. Some stories claim a family name, but many experts dismiss this as a later fabrication designed to elevate the prestige of the Tokugawa family. What is known is that he trained under masters from Bizen and Yamashiro provinces, including Saburo Kunimune, Awataguchi Kunitsuna, and Shintōgo Kunimitsu, absorbing their techniques before transcending them. He did not merely copy the styles of his teachers; he synthesized them into a new language of steel that would outlive the dynasties he served. His life was not one of public fame but of quiet mastery, a craftsman whose work would eventually become the standard by which all other swords were measured.
The Art of the Undulating Edge
The true revolution of Masamune lay not in the hardness of his steel, but in the fluidity of its temper line, a feature known as the hamon. While his contemporaries often produced blades with straight, rigid lines, Masamune introduced the notare hamon, a finish where the leading edge of the blade slowly undulates like a gentle wave. This was not merely an aesthetic choice; it was a structural triumph that balanced the brittleness of the hard edge with the flexibility of the soft core. His works are characterized by striking chikei, dark lines following the grain pattern in the steel above the hamon, and kinsuji, lightning-shaped lines of nie that shimmer like frozen electricity. These nie, crystals of martensite embedded in a pearlite matrix, were the result of a precise quenching process that required an intimate understanding of the steel's behavior under extreme heat and cold. He also incorporated ko-midare, small irregularities that appeared to be copied from the Old Bizen and Hōki Province styles, adding a layer of complexity to his blades. This mastery of the hamon allowed his swords to possess a reputation for superior beauty and quality, remarkable in a period where the steel necessary for swords was often impure. He brought the art of swordsmithing to perfection, creating blades that were not just weapons but living entities that seemed to breathe with the rhythm of the steel.
The Vanishing Honjo
The most famous of all Masamune's creations, the Honjō Masamune, vanished into the fog of history shortly after the end of World War II, leaving behind a legacy of mystery and loss. This katana, which represented the Tokugawa shogunate for most of the Edo period, was passed down from shōgun to shōgun, a symbol of imperial authority and martial prowess. Its history began in 1561 when General Honjō Shigenaga gained the sword after a battle where it split his helmet, yet he survived to claim it as a prize. The blade changed hands multiple times, sold for 13 Mai, 13 ōban, and later valued at 1,000 Mai in the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō, before passing through the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Shimazu Yoshihiro, and finally the Tokugawa family. In December 1945, the last known owner, Tokugawa Iemasa, surrendered the sword to a police station at Mejiro as part of the Allied occupation's disarmament of Japan. In January 1946, the Mejiro police gave the swords to a man identified as Sgt. Coldy Bimore of the Foreign Liquidations Commission, and from that moment, the blade disappeared. Despite decades of searching, its fate and current location remain unknown, making it the most important of the missing Japanese swords. Only vague theories exist as to its location, and the sword's disappearance has become a symbol of the cultural losses suffered during the chaos of the post-war era.
Masamune lived and worked between 1288 and 1328 during the twilight of the Kamakura period and the dawn of the Nanboku-chō era. No exact dates mark his birth or death, and the historical record offers only a vague window of activity spanning these years. He worked in Sagami Province, a region that would become the cradle of the Sōshū school.
What is the Hamon style of Masamune swords?
Masamune introduced the notare hamon, a finish where the leading edge of the blade slowly undulates like a gentle wave. This structural triumph balanced the brittleness of the hard edge with the flexibility of the soft core. His works are characterized by striking chikei and kinsuji, which are dark lines following the grain pattern and lightning-shaped lines of nie that shimmer like frozen electricity.
What happened to the Honjō Masamune sword?
The Honjō Masamune vanished into the fog of history shortly after the end of World War II. In January 1946, the Mejiro police gave the sword to a man identified as Sgt. Coldy Bimore of the Foreign Liquidations Commission, and from that moment, the blade disappeared. Despite decades of searching, its fate and current location remain unknown, making it the most important of the missing Japanese swords.
Who were the students of Masamune?
Masamune trained fifteen known swordsmiths, with ten considered to be the Juttetsu or Ten Famous Students. Among these disciples were Chogi, Kanemitsu, Shizu Saburo Kaneuji, Kinju, Kunishige, Kunitsugu, Saemonzaburo, Saeki Norishige, Go Yoshihiro, and Naotsuna. These disciples carried the torch of the Sōshū school, ensuring that Masamune's legacy would endure for centuries.
What is the legend of Masamune and Muramasa?
A legend tells of a test where Masamune's pupil, Muramasa, challenged his master to see who could make a finer sword. They suspended the blades in a small creek with the cutting edge facing against the current, and Masamune's sword cut only leaves while Muramasa's sword cut everything including fish and air. A monk explained that Masamune's sword was holy while Muramasa's was evil, establishing both smiths as symbols for their respective eras.
How many swords by Masamune are in the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō?
The Kyōhō Meibutsuchō lists 248 famous swords, among which 80 had already been lost during the Siege of Osaka and are included only as historical records. Masamune is represented by 59 swords, 18 of which had already been lost at the time the catalog was compiled, accounting for an overwhelming one quarter of the entire list. The catalogue also includes 9 of Masamune's swords designated as National Treasures and 10 as Important Cultural Properties.
Masamune's influence extended far beyond his own blades, as he trained a great number of swordsmiths, fifteen of whom are known, with ten considered to be the Juttetsu, or Ten Famous Students. Among these disciples were Chogi, whose works were greatly influenced by Masamune's style despite likely not being a direct student, and Kanemitsu, who created some of the sharpest swords ever known. Shizu Saburo Kaneuji lived in Yamato province before going to Mino to study under Masamune, where his style radically changed to become almost indistinguishable from his master's. Kinju, also known as Kaneshige, and Kaneuji were founders of the Mino style, while Kunishige created the Hasebe school, producing swords in the style of the second period of Soshu and Yamashiro. Kunitsugu, also known as Kamakura Rai, was the grandson of Rai Kuniyuki, and his works showed the influence of the Soshu and Yamashiro traditions. Saemonzaburo, believed to go by the name Yasuyoshi, was considered by some to be one of the greatest of Masamune's students, while Saeki Norishige was the only smith to have mastered the style of matsukawa-hada, or pine tree bark pattern steel. Go Yoshihiro, who died at age 27, is believed to have the highest skill in forging swords among the Masamune Juttetsu, though no known signed works exist. Naotsuna, considered a pupil of Masamune since the publication of Nōami Hon Mei-zukushi, had a style influenced by the Soshu, Soden Bizen, and Iwami province styles. These disciples carried the torch of the Sōshū school, ensuring that Masamune's legacy would endure for centuries.
The Legend of the River
A legend tells of a test where Masamune's pupil, Muramasa, challenged his master to see who could make a finer sword, a contest that would define their respective legacies. They both worked tirelessly, and when both swords were finished, they decided to test the results by suspending the blades in a small creek with the cutting edge facing against the current. Muramasa's sword cut everything that passed its way, including fish, leaves floating down the river, and the very air which blew on it. Masamune, however, lowered his sword into the current and waited patiently, and only leaves were cut. The fish swam right up to it, and the air hissed as it gently blew by the blade. A monk, who had been watching the whole ordeal, walked over and bowed low to the two swordmasters, explaining that Masamune's sword was holy, while Muramasa's was evil. In another account, both blades cut the leaves that went down on the river's current equally well, but the leaves would stick to the blade of Muramasa whereas they would slip on past Masamune's after being sliced. Yet another version has leaves being sliced by Muramasa's blade while the leaves were repelled by Masamune's, and another again has leaves being sliced by Muramasa's blade and healed by Masamune's. While all known legends of the two ever having met are historically impossible, both smiths are widely regarded as symbols for their respective eras, with Masamune representing the ideal of the holy sword and Muramasa the embodiment of the evil blade.
The Catalog of the Heavens
The Kyōhō Meibutsuchō, a catalogue of famous Japanese swords commissioned by Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, documents the characteristics and provenance of each blade, including detailed drawings of each sword's shape and hamon. Compiled by the Hon'ami clan, renowned sword appraisers and polishers, the catalogue lists 248 famous swords, among which 80 had already been lost during the Siege of Osaka and are included only as historical records. Masamune is represented by 59 swords, 18 of which had already been lost at the time the catalog was compiled, accounting for an overwhelming one quarter of the entire list. This makes Masamune the most prominently featured swordsmith in the catalog, with Yoshimitsu and Yoshihiro coming to be regarded as the Tenka-Sansaku, or Three Great Smiths under Heaven. Later, from the late Edo period to the Taishō era, Hon'ami Kōjo and several sword scholars compiled supplemental volumes to the original Kyōhō Meibutsuchō, adding 2 swords attributed to Masamune, 5 to Yoshimitsu, 2 to Sadamune, and 1 to Yoshihiro. The catalogue also includes swords designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, with 9 of Masamune's swords designated as National Treasures and 10 as Important Cultural Properties. These include 4 katana and 5 tantō among the former, and 6 katana, 3 tantō, and 1 wakizashi among the latter. The Kyōhō Meibutsuchō remains a vital record of the golden age of Japanese swordsmithing, preserving the legacy of Masamune and his contemporaries for future generations.
The Surviving Treasures
Among the surviving works of Masamune, several blades stand out as masterpieces of the Sōshū school, each with its own history and significance. The Kanze Masamune, a katana handed down through the Kanze clan, the hereditary heads of the Noh theatre tradition, was presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu in the late 16th century and later given to the Honda clan as part of the bridal trousseau of Senhime. The Nakatsukasa Masamune, once owned by Honda Tadakatsu, a prominent general who served Tokugawa Ieyasu, bears an inlaid gold inscription of both the name Masamune and that of the Hon'ami clan. The Tarōsaku Masamune, a katana once owned by Mizuno Masashige, was used during the Battle of Anegawa to cleave through the helmet and skull of an enemy commander. The Tsugaru Masamune, passed down through generations of the Tsugaru clan, was originally owned by Jō Kagemochi, who served under Takeda Shingen. The Hyuga Masamune, a tantō once owned by several generals who served under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was seized by Mizuno Katsunari at the Battle of Sekigahara and later transferred to the Kishū Tokugawa family. The Hōchō Masamune, a group of three unusual tantō with wide bodies, includes one with a gomabashi in cutout, restored around 1919 and sold for approximately 10 hiki. The Kuki Masamune, once owned by Kuki Moritaka, was presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu after the Battle of Sekigahara. The Ishida Masamune, once owned by Ishida Mitsunari, is also known by the nickname Kirikomi Masamune, and the Fudo Masamune, one of the few blades signed by Masamune that is not in question as to the signature, features an engraving of Fudō Myō-ō, the Buddhist deity. These surviving treasures, housed in museums such as the Tokyo National Museum and the Mitsui Memorial Museum, continue to bear witness to the genius of Masamune.