A Long Kamakura Tachi Attributed to Sanenaga, with Tokugawa-Crested Mounting
Of the swords kept by Kishū Tōshōgū, one stands out for its length and for the splendour of the mounting that accompanies it. This tachi is attributed by tradition to Sanenaga of Bizen Province, and unlike several of its companions it retains its original tang, never shortened. Its scabbard and fittings are scattered with the hollyhock crest of the Tokugawa house, binding the blade visibly to the family that treasured it.
The blade is long: about 79.7 centimeters along the edge, with a deep curvature of roughly 3.3 centimeters, and a straight suguha temper line. Because the tang is original, the sword keeps the full proportions it had when it left the forge, a relatively uncommon survival for a work of this age. The fittings are described as a black-toned copper alloy worked with a fine fish-roe ground and gold rims, and the scabbard as gold pear-skin lacquer strewn with hollyhock crests in maki-e.
Sanenaga worked at Osafune in Bizen, the area of present-day Setouchi City in Okayama, during the late Kamakura period. He is counted, by tradition, among the celebrated trio of early Osafune masters together with Nagamitsu and Kagemitsu, the three remembered for their command of the demanding art of tempering the very tip of the blade.
Why the Blade Was Designated
This sword was named an Important Cultural Property on 29 August 1950, registered as a single item in the crafts category, with the attribution recorded as Sanenaga of Bizen. The cautious wording reflects that the maker is given by tradition rather than by a fully legible signature.
Several things make the blade notable. Its survival with the original tang preserves the smith's intended shape, which is itself uncommon among Kamakura blades that were so often cut down for later wear. Sanenaga belonged to the Osafune school, the largest lineage in the history of Japanese swords, and his place among the early Osafune masters marks him as a maker of the first rank. Finally, the mounting is part of the designated object, not a later afterthought: the Tokugawa hollyhock crests on the lacquered scabbard tie the blade to the Kishū branch of the family and document how a treasured sword was dressed and displayed by a great warrior house.
The designation therefore protects an unusually complete object, in which an old and well-attributed blade still wears mounting that records its later life among the Tokugawa.
What to Look For, and Where
This sword, like the others held by the shrine, is not on permanent view. The thirteen dedicated blades are deposited at the Wakayama Prefectural Museum and appear in occasional special exhibitions. Check the museum calendar if you hope to see this particular tachi.
The shrine remains worth the visit in its own right. Kishū Tōshōgū, founded in 1621 above Wakanoura Bay, is reached by a stairway of 108 stone steps and is celebrated for its lacquered and brilliantly painted halls, several of them Important Cultural Properties in their own right. Standing before the carved gate gives a sense of the setting in which the domain's lords gathered the swords now kept in their name.
When this blade is shown, two things deserve attention. First, the long, deeply curved shape with its original tang, which lets a viewer read the smith's full intention without the abbreviation that shortening imposes. Second, the mounting: the fish-roe ground of the metal fittings and the gold pear-skin lacquer strewn with hollyhock crests turn the sword into an object of display as well as a weapon, and show how the Tokugawa presented the blades they offered to their ancestor's shrine.
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Q&A
- Why is the maker given as "attributed to" Sanenaga?
- The attribution rests on tradition and connoisseurship rather than a fully legible signature, so it is recorded with appropriate caution as a traditional attribution.
- What does "original tang" mean here?
- The tang was never shortened, so the blade keeps its full original length of about 79.7 centimeters and the shape the smith intended, an uncommon survival for a Kamakura blade.
- What are the hollyhock crests on the scabbard?
- They are the crest of the Tokugawa house, applied in gold maki-e lacquer, marking the sword's place among the treasures of the Kishū Tokugawa.
- Can I see the sword at the shrine?
- No. It is deposited at the Wakayama Prefectural Museum and shown only in periodic special exhibitions, so check the museum schedule before visiting.
Basic Information
| Name | Tachi, signed Bizen Province (remainder illegible) (attributed to Sanenaga) |
|---|---|
| Category | Craft (sword) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (designated 29 August 1950) |
| Quantity | One |
| Period | Kamakura period |
| Maker | Attributed to Sanenaga (Bizen Province) |
| Dimensions | Edge length approx. 79.7 cm (original tang); curvature approx. 3.3 cm; straight temper line; mounting with hollyhock crests in gold maki-e |
| Owner | Tōshōgū (Kishū Tōshōgū), Wakayama Prefecture |
| Viewing | Deposited at the Wakayama Prefectural Museum; shown only in occasional special exhibitions |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/6303
- History of the Osafune smiths (Touken World, Japanese)
- https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/7827/
- Kishū Tōshōgū (Wikipedia, Japanese)
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/紀州東照宮
Last verified: 2026.06.23