Tsuchiura's National Treasure: A Medieval Masterpiece
The Tsuchiura City Museum houses one of Japan's 122 National Treasure swords—a short blade forged by Yukihiro in August 1350 during one of medieval Japan's most turbulent moments. This tantō represents the only known signed and dated work by this master swordsmith of the Chikuzen Samonji school, making it invaluable both as art and historical documentation. The sword is displayed annually during special autumn exhibitions (late October through mid-November), alongside an exceptional collection of 83 samurai swords from the Tsuchiya daimyo family, all housed in a modest municipal museum with remarkably affordable admission of just ¥200.
A blade forged in crisis: The Yukihiro tantō and its creation in 1350
The national treasure short sword bears the inscription 銘筑州住行弘／観応元年八月日 (Mei Chikushū jū Yukihiro / Kannō gannen hachigatsu hi), translating to "Yukihiro, residing in Chikuzen Province, August of the first year of Kannō [1350]." This 23.5 cm blade was created at a pivotal historical moment—just as the Kannō Disturbance erupted, splitting the Ashikaga shogunate in civil war. Brothers Ashikaga Takauji and Tadayoshi turned against each other in October 1350, with Tadayoshi joining the rival Southern Court. The timing of the sword's creation—the 8th month of 1350—places it at the precipice of this devastating conflict that would reshape medieval Japan.
The blade exhibits exceptional technical mastery with hira-zukuri (flat construction) and uchi-zori (slight inward curve). Its forging displays itame-hada (wood-grain pattern) with flowing tendency and ji-nie (martensite crystals) throughout the steel. The hamon (temper line) features notare (gentle undulating pattern) mixed with gunome (clove-shaped pattern), with pronounced sakagakari (reverse direction activity) in the striking area. The nioi-guchi is described as "akaruku saete" (bright and crisp) with kinsuji (golden streaks like lightning) visible in the crystalline structure. The bōshi (tip pattern) shows the distinctive "okina no hige" (old man's beard)—nie particles spilling into the blade surface—a signature characteristic of this smith. After 674 years, the blade remains in exceptional condition, described as "jiba kenzen" (steel and edge in excellent health), which significantly contributed to its National Treasure designation on February 19, 1957.
The Samonji lineage: From Masamune's teachings to Kyushu mastery
Yukihiro belonged to the Chikuzen Samonji school (筑前左文字派), founded by Ō-Sa (大左), also known as Saemon Saburō Yasuyoshi. Ō-Sa traveled from Kyushu to Sagami Province to study under Gorō Nyūdō Masamune (c. 1264-1343), considered Japan's greatest swordsmith. He became one of the Masamune no Jittetsu (Masamune's Ten Great Disciples). According to legend, when Yasuyoshi completed his training and prepared to return to Chikuzen, Masamune was so moved by their bond that he tore off his left sleeve as a keepsake, saying it represented half of himself. Deeply touched, Yasuyoshi adopted "Sa" (左, meaning "left") as his signature and school name.
The Samonji school uniquely fused traditional Kyushu craftsmanship with Masamune's revolutionary Sōshū-den techniques, creating blades characterized by well-compacted itame-hada, notare-based hamon with strong nie, bright crisp nioi-guchi, and distinctively high bōshi with deep return. Yukihiro, believed to be Ō-Sa's son or most prominent student, inherited this sophisticated tradition. The Tsuchiura tantō represents the only surviving signed work by Yukihiro, making it invaluable for research on the Sa school and for establishing attribution standards for other works. Only three National Treasure swords exist from the entire Samonji school: the famous "Kōsetsu Samonji" and "Taikō Samonji" tachi at Fukuyama Museum of Art, and this Yukihiro tantō at Tsuchiura.
The Tsuchiya family treasure: How a daimyo collection became public heritage
The sword's documented history centers on the Tsuchiya family, who ruled Tsuchiura domain for approximately 200 years across 11 generations. The blade was given to Tsuchiya Masanao (土屋政直), the second domain lord, by his father-in-law Matsudaira Yasunobu when Masanao married his daughter Kiuko. Masanao served as rōjū (senior councillor) for 30 years under four Tokugawa shoguns—Tsunayoshi, Ienobu, Ietsugu, and Yoshimune—making him one of the most politically influential daimyo of his era. Through his service, the Tsuchiya domain grew to 95,000 koku, and the family accumulated an exceptional sword collection through shogunal gifts and political exchanges.
In 2002, Tsuchiura City purchased 82 swords from the Tsuchiya collection for approximately 297 million yen (one additional sword was donated), making this one of the few complete daimyo sword collections to remain intact and accessible to the public. The collection includes 1 National Treasure, 4 Important Cultural Properties, and 6 Important Art Objects—11 nationally designated cultural assets in total from approximately 85 swords. The Important Cultural Properties include a short sword by Shintōgo Kunimitsu, a tachi by Nobufusa (Ancient Ichimonji school), a tachi by Moriie (Bizen Hatada school gifted by Shogun Tsunayoshi in 1694), and a tachi by Tsunetsugu (Ancient Aoe school).
Tsuchiura City Museum: Castle-style architecture housing samurai heritage
The museum opened on July 2, 1988, succeeding an earlier folk museum established in 1975, representing the first large-scale museum in southern Ibaraki Prefecture. Located at 1-15-18 Chuo, Tsuchiura City, the building stands on the former Ni-no-maru (second bailey) of Tsuchiura Castle, adjacent to Kamejo Park where castle ruins remain. The architecture deliberately echoes castle design with stone walls, earthen walls, and sloped roofs, harmonizing with the historic surroundings. The reinforced concrete structure comprises three floors above ground plus one basement floor, with a total area of 2,482.9 square meters, built at a cost of approximately 1.2 billion yen entirely funded by the city.
The museum's central theme is "Lives of People Nurtured by Lake Kasumigaura," reflecting Tsuchiura's development as a strategic hub where the Tone River/Kasumigaura water system intersected with the Mito Highway. The first floor exhibition rooms showcase "Culture of the Daimyo Tsuchiya Family" with monthly rotating displays from the sword collection. The second floor features "Lives Nurtured by Lake Kasumigaura" with seasonal exhibitions changed quarterly (spring, summer, autumn, winter), displaying materials about the Oda clan (regional power from Kamakura to Sengoku periods), a 1/5 scale replica of a takasebune cargo boat, a complete scale model of Tsuchiura Castle, historical documents, and archaeological finds. Interactive areas include the "Old Life Corner" where visitors can touch historical tools and a research learning corner with traditional weaving looms.
The autumn spectacle: When national treasures emerge from storage
The museum holds an annual special exhibition in autumn, typically from late October through mid-November, when the National Treasure and all four Important Cultural Properties are displayed together. The most recent exhibition ran October 26 - November 17, 2024, titled "Tsuchiya Family Swords - Exhibition of National Treasure and Important Cultural Properties," featuring 13 distinguished swords. This timing coincides with the Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition, held on the first Saturday of November, one of Japan's most prestigious fireworks festivals. The 2024 exhibition attracted significant attention, continuing the museum's pattern of special autumn displays that began years ago.
Throughout the rest of the year, the museum maintains monthly rotating displays from the 80+ sword collection, meaning regular visitors can see different pieces each month. This rotation strategy, unusual for museums with nationally designated treasures, provides repeated viewing opportunities. Even more remarkable, photography is generally permitted in the exhibition areas for personal use—a rarity for sword exhibitions. The combination of monthly changes, annual special exhibitions, and permissive photography policies makes Tsuchiura exceptional among museums housing National Treasures. Based on historical patterns, the 2025 special exhibition will likely occur in late October through mid-November 2025, with exact dates typically announced in autumn.
Where water met warriors: Tsuchiura's strategic history
Tsuchiura's location on the western shore of Lake Kasumigaura, Japan's second-largest lake, made it a vital transportation and commercial hub. Evidence of habitation dates to the Jomon period (14,000-300 BCE), with the spectacular Kamitakatsu Shell Midden (designated National Historic Site in 1977) preserving a 4,000-3,000 year old archaeological treasure. Tsuchiura Castle, also called "Turtle Castle" (亀城), was constructed during the Muromachi period (1338-1573) as a strategic stronghold. The castle became particularly important during the Sengoku period as a vital center for the Mito clan, one of the three main branches (Gosanke) of the Tokugawa family.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), Tsuchiura flourished as a castle town and market center on the main route connecting Edo (Tokyo) and Mito. The intersection of lake transport with highway commerce brought sustained prosperity. The town received official municipal status on April 1, 1889, railroad service in 1895, and city designation on November 3, 1940. The city suffered damage in air raids on June 10, 1945, as it hosted a major Imperial Japanese Navy Air Corps base. Today, with a population of approximately 142,000, Tsuchiura preserves its heritage through Kamejo Park (designated Prefectural Historic Site and #111 of the "Continued 100 Famous Castles of Japan"), the reconstructed East Turret, and historic merchant buildings along the old Mito Highway.
Beyond the national treasure: The museum's broader cultural collections
The Tsuchiura Castle East Turret, reconstructed in 1998 and located in Kamejo Park adjacent to the museum, serves as an auxiliary exhibition facility displaying excavated artifacts from the castle ruins. Admission is included in the museum ticket. Inside the museum, visitors can view the "Blue-Eyed Doll" (青い目のお人形), gifted by the United States in 1927 as a symbol of friendship, and an umbrella-type terrestrial globe "Kontengi" created by Numajiri Boksen, a local townsperson and geographer, reflecting Tsuchiura's connection to geographical scholarship.
The museum holds Prefectural Designated Cultural Property status for the Ikegawa Sanchū Related Historical Materials (designated 2016), including the "Ikegawa Bunko" collection and diary "Kataha Zakki" with records of the Black Ships and domain criticism. Tea ceremony implements from the Tsuchiya family complement the sword displays. The museum received the "Ohori Satoru Memorial Museum Management Promotion Award" for excellence in management and curation. Recent updates include publication of Museum Bulletin No. 35 (April 2025), new design of Tsuchiura Castle seal for sale (April 2025), and an online exhibition commentary "Tsuchiura Historical Figures" launched in November 2024.
Planning your visit: Access, admission, and insider tips
The museum is open 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM (last entry 4:00 PM), closed Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday), the day after national holidays (except weekends), and December 29-January 3. Admission costs ¥200 for adults (¥150 for groups of 20+) and ¥50 for students through high school, with children receiving free admission on Saturdays and all visitors on Ibaraki Citizens' Day (November 13). The joint ticket includes the East Turret, making this one of Japan's most affordable National Treasure viewing opportunities.
From Tokyo, take the JR Joban Line from Ueno Station—70 minutes by local train or 50 minutes by limited express to Tsuchiura Station. From the station's west exit, walk 15-20 minutes or take bus route 4 or 5 to "Kamejo Park" stop (1 minute walk from bus stop). By car, the museum is 10 minutes from either Tsuchiura-kita IC or Sakura-Tsuchiura IC on the Joban Expressway. Parking is free with 13 spaces in the first lot (museum visitors only) and 38 spaces in the second lot (shared with park visitors). Large buses must contact the museum at least one day in advance at 029-824-2928.
The facility is wheelchair accessible with barrier-free restrooms, ramps, and elevators. While there's no dedicated museum shop or café, publications and catalogs are sold at reception, including the new Tsuchiura Castle seal book available since March 2025. Recommended visit duration is 60-120 minutes (1-2 hours), with thorough visits including the East Turret taking 2+ hours. Best viewing strategy: Visit during late October through mid-November for the comprehensive national treasure exhibition; weekday mornings offer the quietest viewing conditions. The museum is rarely crowded except during special exhibitions, providing an intimate viewing experience unusual for institutions housing National Treasures.
The Nanboku-cho crucible: When civil war forged masterpieces
The sword's creation year, 1350, fell during the Nanboku-chō period (1336-1392), when Japan split between rival Northern and Southern imperial courts. This 56-year period of intermittent civil war began when Ashikaga Takauji turned against Emperor Go-Daigo, installing Emperor Kōmyō in Kyoto (Northern Court) while Go-Daigo maintained his court in Yoshino with the Imperial Regalia (Southern Court). The constant warfare created unprecedented demand for weapons while simultaneously pushing swordsmiths to perfect techniques balancing beauty with battlefield functionality.
August 1350 marked the eve of the Kannō Disturbance (1350-1352), one of the period's most devastating conflicts. This internal shogunate civil war pitted Shogun Ashikaga Takauji against his brother Tadayoshi over influence from deputy Kō no Moronao. In October 1350, Tadayoshi fled Kyoto and joined the Southern Court, temporarily reinvigorating their military position. The disturbance eventually cost both Kō no Moronao and Tadayoshi their lives, while Takauji consolidated power but faced a strengthened Southern Court. This atmosphere of maximum political instability and military necessity created ideal conditions for sword craftsmanship innovation.
The Nanboku-chō period is considered a golden age of Japanese sword-making. Blade styles evolved dramatically: tachi grew longer with extended kissaki (blade points), became wider and proportionally thinner, and achieved magnificent grand appearance suitable for high-ranking warriors. Some tantō increased to 30-43 cm (sunnobi tantō or "extended knives"), while enormous ōdachi with 120-150 cm blades were forged for battlefield use. The Sōshū tradition, perfected by Masamune shortly before his death around 1343, spread nationwide during this period through his ten great disciples. Swordsmiths incorporated the best features of earlier traditions (Yamashiro, Bizen, Sōshū) while maintaining the strength required for sustained combat. The constant warfare paradoxically drove both technical innovation and artistic refinement—master smiths created works of supreme beauty even amid chaos.
Conclusion: A 674-year journey from battlefield to museum
The Yukihiro tantō embodies multiple layers of Japanese cultural heritage. As the only signed and dated work by this Samonji school master, it provides an irreplaceable chronological anchor for sword research and attribution. Forged during the Kannō Disturbance's eruption, it witnessed medieval Japan's most turbulent moments. Its preservation through 674 years, first as a Tsuchiya family treasure symbolizing 95,000-koku domain prestige, then as Tsuchiura's public cultural asset, demonstrates the continuity of Japanese cultural values across centuries.
For visitors, Tsuchiura offers extraordinary accessibility to one of Japan's 122 National Treasure swords at remarkably modest cost (¥200). The museum's monthly rotating displays, annual autumn exhibitions, and unusual photography permissions create multiple opportunities for engagement. The blade represents not just metalworking excellence but the fusion of Kyushu traditions with Masamune's innovations, the warrior culture of the Nanboku-chō period, and the aesthetic refinement that characterizes Japanese craftsmanship. Standing before this 23.5 cm blade, viewers connect directly with August 1350—a moment when civil war raged, master craftsmen maintained artistic standards, and Japanese sword-making achieved technical and aesthetic heights that endure as national treasures today.