Tachi Signed "Sakon-no-shogen Kageyori," Dated 1289
Among the swords of Kishu Toshogu in Wakayama City is a tachi that tells you almost exactly when it was born. The tang carries the maker's name, Kageyori, with his court title Sakon-no-shogen, and a date: the eleventh month of Sho-o 2, which is 1289. A blade that is signed, dated, and still ubu, meaning its tang has never been shortened, is an unusually firm anchor in time. Most surviving Kamakura tachi were cut down in later centuries; this one keeps its full original length and its date in the same breath.
Kageyori was a Bizen smith, working in the province that produced more of Japan's swords than any other, in the closing decades of the thirteenth century. The court title he records, Sakon-no-shogen, was the same rank held by the celebrated Osafune master Nagamitsu, a sign of the standing a leading Bizen smith could reach. The blade runs about 75 centimeters with a deep waist curve, carries a groove worn through at the tip, and is tempered in a small choji pattern, the clove-shaped clusters that are a Bizen signature.
Why a Dated Blade Matters
For students of the sword, a reliable date is gold. It lets every other feature, the shape of the curve, the width of the clove temper, the finish of the steel, be tied to a fixed point and used to judge undated blades by comparison. The 1289 inscription places this tachi in the mature phase of Kamakura sword-making, when Bizen workshops were at their height and the long, graceful tachi was the weapon of the mounted warrior.
The blade is dressed in an itomaki tachi koshirae, the silk-wrapped court-and-battle mounting, with fittings in shakudo bearing paulownia crests and a scabbard worked in gold ikakeji with chrysanthemum-and-paulownia motifs. The sword was listed under the prewar national-treasure system and confirmed as an Important Cultural Property on 29 August 1950. The accompanying mounting is registered with it.
How and When to See It
Kishu Toshogu owns the blade, but the shrine's thirteen dedicated swords are held in trust at the Wakayama Prefectural Museum. The Kageyori tachi was a centerpiece of a 2024 exhibition that brought the full set together for the first time in thirty-five years, and the museum keeps a dedicated image of this very blade among its records.
One timing point needs flagging. The Wakayama Prefectural Museum is closed for renovation and is scheduled to reopen on 31 July 2026, so the deposited swords are off view there during the closure. Special exhibitions are the realistic way to see this tachi, so watch the museum's schedule after it reopens. Meanwhile the shrine itself is open: climb the 108-step Samurai Slope to the carved, gilded main hall above Wakanoura bay, a minute from the Gongen-mae bus stop and a short ride from central Wakayama.
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Questions and Answers
- What does the inscription say?
- It gives the smith's name and court title, Sakon-no-shogen Kageyori, and a date corresponding to the eleventh month of 1289. The tang is unaltered, so the signature and date survive in full.
- Who was Kageyori?
- A Bizen swordsmith of the late Kamakura period. His recorded court rank, Sakon-no-shogen, matched that of the famous Osafune master Nagamitsu, marking him as a smith of high standing.
- Why is a dated, ubu blade special?
- Most Kamakura tachi were shortened over the centuries, losing their original tang and any inscription. This one keeps its full length and a firm 1289 date, making it a reference point for judging other blades of the era.
- Can I see it now?
- Not at present. It is deposited at the Wakayama Prefectural Museum, which is closed for renovation until 31 July 2026. It appears in special exhibitions, so check the museum's schedule after it reopens.
- What is there to see at the shrine?
- The 1621 main hall with its carvings and Kano- and Tosa-school paintings, the vermilion gate, and the bay view from atop the 108-step Samurai Slope. The shrine is reachable by bus from central Wakayama.
Basic Information
| Name | Tachi, signed Sakon-no-shogen Kageyori, dated 1289 (with accompanying itomaki-tachi mounting) |
|---|---|
| Category | Important Cultural Property (crafts); designated 29 August 1950 |
| Count | One blade |
| Period / Smith | Kamakura period, dated Sho-o 2 (1289); Kageyori of Bizen Province |
| Dimensions | Length about 75.0 cm (unaltered tang); curvature about 3.0 cm; small choji temper |
| Owner | Kishu Toshogu, Wakanoura, Wakayama City |
| Custody / Access | Deposited at the Wakayama Prefectural Museum (closed for renovation; reopening 31 July 2026); shown in special exhibitions |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/6300
- Wakayama Prefectural Museum, special exhibition "Treasured Swords of Kishu Toshogu"
- https://hakubutu.wakayama.jp/exhibit/toushougu-houtou2024/
- Kishu Toshogu official site
- https://www.kishutoshogu.org/
Last verified: 2026.06.23