His Sanchōmō (山鳥毛)

The public evidence

He has made several interpretations of the Sanchōmō and has exhibited them in public. Each year, with its evidence:

• 2020. At the 現代刀職展 (Gendai Tōshokuten) of the Sword Museum in Tokyo, from 5 September to 18 October, a Sanchōmō signed 肥後國八代住兼光作 / 令和二年初春 (Higo no Kuni Yatsushiro-jū Kanemitsu saku / Reiwa ninen shoshun) was exhibited. It was photographed by 中村圭佑 (probable reading: Nakamura Keisuke) on his note blog. The same blog adds that “木村兼光さんは月一で山鳥毛チャレンジをされているそうです” (“they say Kimura Kanemitsu takes on the Sanchōmō challenge once a month”), and in October 2020 he himself writes: “ノルマとして月一、山鳥毛チャレンジをしております” (“I have set myself the task of a Sanchōmō challenge a month”).
• 2021. At the 2021 現代刀職展 (Gendai Tōshokuten), ふなっしー (Funasshī), a visitor with a large following on X, posted a video of “肥後国八代兼光さんの山鳥毛写し” (“the Sanchōmō utsushi by Kanemitsu of Yatsushiro, in Higo”). Kanemitsu replied “わお、嬉しいなぁ” (“wow, how lovely!”) and pinned the post on his profile: he accepts the description.
• 2024. In the Sasebo talk, at minute 45:49, he presents a sword of his: “これはあの私が制作した作品なんですけど… こういう形のあの古い刀が山鳥毛っていう岡山で作られた…日本刀があるんですけど、それを模して制作したやつですね… これは偽物じゃなくて、あの写してるっていうか、習って制作した作品ですね” (“this is a work I made… there is an old sword with this shape, made in Okayama, called the Sanchōmō, and I made this imitating it… it is not a fake: it is a work that copies it, or rather, that is made in its manner”). In the automatic subtitles, the name comes out as “山丁毛” (yama-chō-ke).

The two made for a shop

A shop commissioned two Sanchōmō from the family and published them with their measurements:

• The joint one of 2019, by father and son: “写 山鳥毛” (utsushi Sanchōmō) / “肥後國住赤松太郎兼嗣兼光合作” (Higo no Kuni-jū Akamatsu Tarō Kanetsugu Kanemitsu gassaku) / “本三枚鍛” (honsanmai-gitae) and, on the reverse, the name of the shop / “以自家製鉄鍛之” (jika seitetsu o motte kore o kitau) / “令和元年七月吉日” (Reiwa gannen shichigatsu kichijitsu). It measures 79.6 cm, with a sori of 3.2 cm and a high koshizori; 37.5 mm wide and about 9.5 mm thick at the base, and about 24 mm wide and 6.4 mm thick at the yokote; chū-kissaki ikubi and a bōhi running to the end of the nakago. Hamon “重花丁子” (jūka-chōji) and “大丁子乱れ” (ō-chōji midare) over itame, and a koshirae in the manner of the Uesugi.
• A variant of the same commission, of about 80.5 cm, 37.2 mm wide and 9.5 mm thick at the base, with a nakago of about 24 cm: the bare blade weighed 1,219 g at the intermediate polish. The width at the base and at the yokote is about 2 mm greater than the original’s, at the client’s request. The shop dates it to 2022.

Against the original and against Kawashima II

• The joint one of 2019 comes close to the original in length and curvature: 79.6 cm and 3.2 cm of sori, against the official 79.1 cm and 3.3 cm of the Sanchōmō (see The Sanchōmō). In width it departs from it: 37.5 mm at the base, against 35 mm.
• Kawashima Kazuki has had the Sanchōmō as his declared goal since 2018 and, in July 2026, says he has not yet finished his utsushi. Kanemitsu exhibited interpretations in 2020 and 2021 and talks about his own in 2024. They are two smiths of the general section with the Sanchōmō as a model, one in Osafune and the other in Yatsushiro.
• For a practice sword, what these blades show is that he is at ease with wide, thick and long blades, with a high sori and a bōhi.