Top Yasukuni Shrine blades are getting hard to find for sale as there is a strong demand by ever increasing number of Yasukuni Shrine collectors. Among the Yasukuni Shrine blades, this sword must be a very special one, because it was made by one of the three leading sword smiths, Yasunori (often called Yasutoku to discern from his disciple, Yasunori, though the Kanji character is different 靖憲).
According to Modern Japanese Swordsmiths, 1868 – 1945, by John Scott Slough, Yasunori is a High to Superior Grade Gendaito smith, and won the 1941 Exhibition Special Honor Noted Seat. The following is a quote of his background from the same book, page 188. “His real name is Kajiyama Tokutaro, and he was born in Hiroshima prefecture on February 16, 1881. He studied under his father 1st generation Kajiyama Ujihisa (aka Tomohira), and also became a student of Yokoyama Sukeyoshi. In July, 1933, he received an appointment as a master swordsmith for the Nihonto Tanren Kai and was given the Tosho name of Yasunori. He passed away on January 8, 1957.”
This blade has a signature of two character, 靖徳、Yasunori, and dated 昭和十一年五月吉日 Lucky Day in May, 11th Year of Showa, 1936. This sword is in very good Japanese polish, stored in a nice Honoki Shirasaya, with a habaki. The blade has a nice shape with a well grained koitame hada with ji nie. The Hamon is a nie based suguha temper line with a mixture of gunome midare, choji midare with ashi and yo. Sunagashi and fine kinjuji is also present. |
