An Unshortened Ichimonji Tachi
The Tachi (inscribed Yoshifusa) (太刀〈銘吉房〉) is a long sword made in the Kamakura period (13th century) by Yoshifusa of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school, held by the Fukuyama Museum of Art in Nishimachi, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and designated a National Treasure on February 2, 1955. The blade is 73.9 centimetres long, with a tang of 20.8 centimetres, according to the museum.
The museum explains that Yoshifusa lived at Fukuoka-no-sho next to Osafune in Bizen (today's Osafune, Setouchi City, Okayama). The early Fukuoka Ichimonji smiths worked in a sober, mainly straight style, but from the mid-Kamakura period they turned to flamboyant choji temper lines, led by Yoshifusa, Norifusa and Sukezane. The sword was first designated under earlier law in 1931.
The Komatsu Yasuhiro Collection, 14 Japanese swords, 7 of them National Treasures and 6 designated as an Important Cultural Property, was assembled by the late Komatsu Yasuhiro, founder of the Fukuyama-based company FP Corporation, and donated to Fukuyama City by Komatsu Keiko in November 2018, according to the museum.
Why It Is a National Treasure
According to the museum, the blade has its original, unshortened tang (ubu-nakago) and preserves its powerful original shape. Its temper line of bag-shaped and layered-flower choji is flawless, standing out even among works signed Yoshifusa.
An unshortened tang preserves the length and shape the sword had when it was made. That the original form survives together with such a showy hamon is what makes this tachi so valuable.
What to Look For
Look closely at the bag-shaped choji and the layered-flower choji in the temper line, running on without a break.
Its history is clear. According to the museum, the sword was handed down in the shogun's house; an inscription on its scabbard shows that the fourth shogun, Ietsuna, gave it in 1676 for the coming-of-age of Tokugawa Tsunatoyo of Kofu, the future sixth shogun Ienobu. A black-lacquered uchigatana mounting accompanies it.
Seeing the Sword
The Fukuyama Museum of Art shows the swords of the Komatsu Yasuhiro Collection in rotation through its collection displays and special exhibitions; they are not on permanent view, so check the museum's Komatsu Yasuhiro Collection display schedule before going.
The museum opens from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closes on Mondays (or the following day when Monday is a holiday) and over the New Year. Collection displays cost ¥310 for adults and are free for high school students and younger. Photography is not allowed in the galleries. The museum is about 400 metres west of the north exit of JR Fukuyama Station, at 2-4-3 Nishimachi, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture (084-932-2345).
Q&A
- When was the Tachi inscribed Yoshifusa made?
- In the Kamakura period, in the 13th century.
- When was it designated a National Treasure?
- On February 2, 1955.
- What is an ubu-nakago?
- An original tang that has never been shortened; this tachi preserves its powerful original shape.
- What is distinctive about the Yoshifusa tachi's temper line?
- A flawless, flamboyant choji line of bag-shaped and layered-flower cloves.
- How did the Yoshifusa tachi pass down?
- It was handed down in the shogun's house; Ietsuna gave it in 1676 for the coming-of-age of the future shogun Ienobu.
Basic Information
| Name | Tachi (inscribed Yoshifusa) (太刀〈銘吉房〉) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-4-3 Nishimachi, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture (Fukuyama Museum of Art) |
| Designation | National Treasure (Fine Arts and Crafts: Crafts) |
| Year Designated | National Treasure 1955/2/2 (Showa 30); earlier designation 1931/12/14 (Showa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 sword |
| Dimensions | Blade length 73.9 centimetres, tang length 20.8 centimetres |
| Owner | Fukuyama City |
| Public Access | Shown in rotation in the museum's collection displays and special exhibitions (not permanent) |
References
- About the Komatsu Yasuhiro Collection (Fukuyama Museum of Art)
- https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/site/fukuyama-museum/194068.html
- Komatsu Yasuhiro Collection display schedule (Fukuyama Museum of Art)
- https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/site/fukuyama-museum/201121.html
- Visitor information (Fukuyama Museum of Art)
- https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/site/fukuyama-museum/2912.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04