The name Masahiro has been signed by many great swordsmiths over the centuries.

This particular smith, Masahiro, hails from Houki no Kuni (now Tottori prefecture) and was part of the Hiroga School. Not a lot is known about Masahiro and for that matter the Hiroga School. Very few of his works are in existence. This makes the sword rare and unique.

The sword was made during a remarkable and turbulent time in Japan’s history. This short 30-year window of time is called the Azuchi Momoyama Period – a transitional pivot point towards the long and relatively peaceful Edo Period.

The sword exhibits traits of the Soshu tradition. Hitatsura is formed when the whole blade is heat-treated to produce the hamon, mune-yaki and tobi-yaki. This gives the sword lots of ‘hataraki‘ or activity in the hamon that collectors cherish.

The Soshu tradition originated in the Kamakura region with the famous swordsmith Masamune leading the charge back in the late 13th century.

It’s rather fascinating how a smith who lived in essentially the middle of nowhere in Japan (Tottori is sparsely populated) could produce such a notable sword.

Masahiro must have had some kind of communication with Soshu-den tradition swordsmiths. Notice the nakago: it is short and stubby, similar to funa-gata nakago, which the Masamune School swords carried.

The sword comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho certification (a sword that graded Especially Precious) from Showa 50-nen, 1975.

Furthermore, the sword’s shirasaya is signed and certified by Dr. Sato Kanzan. This is called sayagaki. Dr. Sato sensei was one of the directors at the NBTHK at the time.

A Custom Koshirae (Fittings)
The sword was first acquired in only her shirasaya (brown/white scabbard). Thus it became a koshirae (pronounced “ko-she-rye”) – a custom fittings project for our client living in British Columbia, Canada.

When producing a custom koshirae, the client and Unique Japan work together to establish a theme for the fittings. All fittings (tsuba, fuchi-kashira and menuki) are sourced antiques from the Edo period. The tsuka (hilt) and saya (scabbard) are made to measure by skilled craftsman.

What makes a custom koshirae so special is that it becomes a combination of modern-day Japanese traditional craftsmanship coupled with key elements of the Samurai past.

It is thus a rewarding journey that ultimately becomes a meaningful keepsake for the client and his family.

A beautiful tsuba from Echizen province was selected along with a golden carp climbing a waterfall as the fuchi-kashira and shisa lions for the menuki.

The scabbard was elected to be black lacquered with a traditional ito-maki (silk wrap) in blue.

As many quality swords are found only in shirasaya, Unique Japan regularly builds custom koshirae (and daisho koshirae) for clients around the world.

If the idea of building a custom koshirae project around a Japanese sword we help source is appealing to you, please be sure to contact us. Domo arigato!

If owning an authentic Japanese Samurai sword is of interest to you and your family, we would be honoured to serve you.

If you have the pleasure of living in Japan or visiting the country, we recommend that you come to one of our upcoming sword shows or schedule a private VIP meeting with us.

VIP meetings are normally held near JR Ebisu station in Tokyo at a hired gallery space. We can also arrange visits to a company office, hotel, near the airport or at a private residence.

To those exploring our collection online, be sure to download our catalogue of available swords here.

We completely respect the fact it takes a HUGE leap of personal FAITH in us to commit to a particular sword given the reliance on photos and descriptions for such a highly valued item.

It is our PROMISE to address all your questions to the best of our ability. It’s important to us that you feel completely confident that the sword you choose (and that chooses you) is destined for you and your family.

You can also take reassurance that ALL swords from Unique Japan are GUARANTEED AUTHENTIC and come with a 3-DAY WORRY FREE inspection period upon arrival to your home.

Yes, it is completely legal to own a genuine antique Japanese sword (even those that are several hundreds of years old). Unique Japan specialises in all proper legal compliances so that swords can be exported from Japan.
All required paperwork is provided free of charge for clients.

Unique Japan has safely sent well over 200 swords FROM Japan to immensely proud owners in the United States, Canada, Europe and around the world.

We look forward to making your dream of owning an authentic Japanese sword a reality for you.

→ 7 Points to Consider when Choosing your Japanese Sword
→ 5 Steps to Owning an Authentic Japanese Samurai Sword
→ Download catalogue of currently available Japanese swords
→ Building your own custom koshirae and daisho, recommended!
→ PARTS of a Japanese Sword and Mountings (High-quality images)
→ 7 reasons WHY I love Japanese swords
→ Resource Information on Japanese Swords
→ NBTHK Certification Paper Ranking for Japanese Swords
→ NTHK-NPO Certification Paper Ranking for Japanese Swords