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| Given to me by Yasunori in 2002 when visiting him. It shows him in c.1940. |
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| The smiths in 1940. |
In my younger years when I was a high school student (c.1988) I was able to purchase my first Japanese sword, a fortunate birthday present from my father for I didn’t have much pocket money to spend on such an expensive hobby such as Japanese swords. After this I would endeavour to save up for a full calendar year and wait for a suitable sword to appear for sale. I was particulary drawn to swords made at the Yasukuni Shrine for their elegant style. Now in those days around 1990, the Japanese sword boom particularly in the US and in gendaito was at an all time high and Yasukuni shrine swords were going for 3500-4500 dollars awhich I thought quite high considering that one could get a good Jo Saku Shinto wakizashi by the second generation Hizen Masahiro for about $5000 or a good Jo Saku Yamato Kami Yoshimichi wakizashi for $2700 but such were their popularity that prices were paid as a result.
I finally got my chance in obtaining a sword by the first of the Nidai smiths of the Yasukuni Shrine made by Kotani Yasunori dated 1938 which was mounted in Army Shingunto mounts. The sword needed a polish but was possible to see everything in its present condition and lost no time in trying to contact Mr. Kotani on my find.
I am a bookish type by temperament and always spent money on Japanese sword books whenever it was possible. One very good book I had in my library was a book by Ono Tadashi on Gendaito smiths published in 1970 which had the addresses of all the smiths living as of at that date. I found Kotani Yasunori in the book and knowing that the Japanese hardly moved in their lives unlike Americans, chances were I would be able to contact him. This was in 1995 and when I received his reply I was delighted. We continued to correspond to one another until I moved to Kyoto in December 2000 to pursue my post graduate studies in Japanese history at Kyoto University. In 2001 finally I did get to meet him at his hometown in Kure, Hiroshima. I did a writeup for Token Bijutsu describing my meeting with him in 2002 which I produce here.
This sword which I produce here, is not the one I presented to Yasunori, but by coincidence made in the same year but a much more finer and excellently made one which came out of the United States. It was originally mounted in Shingunto mounts which were removed before being sold to me in 2000. On being to shipped to me in Kyoto in 2000 I realised quickly what an excellent sword it was and that my purchase was justified. I almost immediately called Tanobe sensei at the NBTHK whom I had known for over 25 years to tell him about my new sword. He kindly agreed to see and took a day trip to Tokyo to see him. He remarked on what an excellently made blade it was and fathfully recaptures the work of Osafune Nagamitsu and Kagemitsu. Not merely the work but the shape and weight and feel of the sword made it look like a Kamakura era sword. Needless to say, I swore to keep this sword and have had it ever since. A memorial to a remarkable talent and an unassuming young man. I was very glad to have met him and still remember the long gaze he cast at the sword as I had brought that to see him that evedentally gave him much pleasure while resting in hospital.
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| Sayagaki did for me in 2004 by Tanobe sesnei who remarked that the sword was one of the very best he's ever sen by this smith. He lamented that he did not continue after the war as he could have been an top ranked smith. |
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| Hozon papers awarded in 2016. |
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| The only torokusho issued for this sword, now dormant |
My article in Token Bijutsu published in 2004
