Type: Katana

Item No.: ujka004

Swordsmith: Naminohira Yukimitsu (Nami means ‘wave’, hira means ‘flat’. This means ‘to travel on calm seas’. A sword that was very popular with Japanese Navy. Swordsmith is signed on nakago, tang.

Period: Mid Edo, just before 1700.

Length: 71.0cm, beautiful curve, atypical of the period

Included: Katana sword, saya (WWII scabbard as shown on this page), beautiful Japanese silk material bag, maintenance kit, and all documentation to legally and safely export this sword from Japan.

Price: ¥400,000

Swords in the Mid-Edo period were quite rare because it was a long period of peace, especially in Satsuma province in Kyushu which was at the extreme southern end of the Japanese archipelago. Still traditions were handed down despite being the darker years of sword making.

The Naminohira swordsmiths, who worked only for the Satsuma clan, were an ancient and very conservative group of swordsmiths that has roots back to the Late Heian period (794-1184). They adhered to a rule known as Isshi-soden, which meant that the secrets of their trade could only be transmitted to one son or a single student.

The blade is in excellent condition, polished beautifully despite being used during conflicts after the Meiji period in 1868. It was very common that soldiers use their own family swords and change its Koshirae (mounting) when they went off to war. Therefore, it was not unusual to see a Gunto (WW2 sword scabbard) with an antique blade within it. Notice the beautiful sakura (cherry blossoms) that adorn the mountings that contain this blade.

A 4% discount can be offered for payments by direct bank transfer or in cash (dollars or yen). Layaway plans are also available, please contact Unique Japan for further details. Dealers welcome.