Signed and dated to August 1514 (11th year of Eisho), this formidable wakizashi by swordsmith Bisshu Osafune Sukesada is celebrating its 500th birthday this month. What an incredible milestone…

The late Muromachi period was a time of continuous upheaval and war. The demand for swords was high and they needed to have excellent cutting ability. As such, many swords from this time have survived to this day.

Sukesada is a name forever synonymous with the Bizen region. The name spans over 60 generations.

Given the time period and analysis of the signature along with the qualities of the sword, it is highly likely that the respected Hikobei-no-Jo Sukesada forged the wakizashi.

The fact that the nioiguchi is lined with scattered ko-nie (tiny crystals) is a significant clue.

Fujishiro ranks Hikobei-no-jo as Saijo-saku (a grandmaster swordsmith) in their Nihon Koto Jiten reference book. His works are found from 1489-1519.

This sword is exactly what you would expect from the highest skilled smiths of the Sue Bizen School (Late Bizen). It is stout with a deep saki-sori (strong curvature at the top of the blade).

The hamon (temper line) is koshibiraki gunome midare, an eye-catching series of undulating waves that pops out from the blade.

Although technically a wakizashi with its cutting edge being 51cm, one must regard this sword as a shorter version of the atypical katana of the time, which was about 63cm.

It was crafted for a warrior that demanded this length of sword to comfortably fight with. Swords from this era were made for one-handed use as hand-to-hand combat was commonplace.

Sword is housed in a beautiful set of Edo-period koshirae (fittings) that has both a kozuka (utility knife) and kogai (hair pick). The chocolate brown coloured saya (scabbard) has a gorgeous ishime (stone-finish) design.

Scroll down for many high-quality images of sword along with insight to the qualities the sword possesses.

Please contact Unique Japan for further details.

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 300 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