Kantei
A swordsmith with glasses and a towel tied round his head, in a black T-shirt, beside a power hammer.

Swordsmith of Bizen Osafune · Bizen-den

Andō Hiroyasu (安藤広康)

A Bizen Osafune swordsmith who forges in his city’s sword museum, with two Kanzan Prizes and the official utsushi of the Sanchōmō: his life, his work, his prizes and his videos

The swordsmith who forges in public view at the Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum: two Kanzan Prizes, in 2022 and 2023, and the official utsushi of the Sanchōmō.

Photo: dealer in Japan

1979
Born
1998
Apprenticed to Andō Hirokiyo
2003
Licence
2022 and 2023
Kanzanshō (寒山賞)
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Andō Hiroyasu (安藤広康); signature 備州住長船広康作 (Bishū-jū Osafune Hiroyasu saku), and since 2024 also with 長舩 (Osafune) HD
Birth
1979, in Okayama prefecture AT
Where he forges
At the forge of the Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum (備前長船刀剣博物館, Bizen Osafune Tōken Hakubutsukan), in Setouchi (Okayama) HD
Master
Andō Hirokiyo (安藤広清, Andō Hirokiyo), from 1998 AT
School
Bizen-den (備前伝, Bizen-den), in Osafune HD
Licence
2003 AT
His highest prize
寒山賞 (Kanzanshō), the Kanzan Prize, for tantō in 2022 and for tachi in 2023 HD

In short

Andō Hiroyasu was born in 1979, became an apprentice of Andō Hirokiyo in 1998, obtained his licence in 2003 and since 2004 has worked in public view at the Osafune sword museum.

He enters the NBTHK competition every year, the 新作名刀展 (Shinsaku Meitōten) until 2017 and the 現代刀職展 (Gendai Tōshokuten) since 2018, in two sections, tachi and tantō: since 2017 he has won a prize every year, with the Kanzan Prize in 2022 (tantō) and in 2023 (tachi).

In November 2022 he finished the utsushi of the Sanchōmō (山鳥毛, Sanchōmō) commissioned by the city of Setouchi.

Close-up of a swordsmith wearing glasses, lit by the sparks of the forge.
Still from the short film 「刀鍛冶 安藤広康」 (Katanakaji Andō Hiroyasu), 2019 Still: Takatsu Jun'ya, Nippon Teshigoto Zukan · © Takatsu Jun'ya, Nippon Teshigoto Zukan · source

Sections

  1. Osafune, the tatara and the Sanchōmō Life and forging His training, his master, the forge at the Osafune museum, the tatara and the utsushi of the Sanchōmō.
  2. Tachi and tantō from Osafune Work and style The Bizen-den of Osafune, the works shown in the NBTHK catalogues from 2017 to 2026 and their photos.
  3. Two Kanzan Prizes Prizes His NBTHK prizes from 2017 to 2026, year by year and section by section.
  4. Portraits, forging and a prize-winning work Videos Five videos: two short portraits, the engraving of a mei, forging at the museum and the tachi of the 2023 Kanzan Prize.
  5. Bibliography Sources The NBTHK catalogues, the public sources of Okayama and Setouchi, the press and the credit for each image.