Kantei
A man with a white cloth on his head, seated in front of the fire of a hearth.

Swordsmith of Honjō (Saitama)

Keiun Naohiro (慶雲直弘)

Keiun Naohiro, the fifth of his name, a swordsmith in Honjō (Saitama) since 1989: a lineage that goes back to Taikei Naotane and blades that seek the chōji

Keiun Naohiro (慶雲直弘) is the fifth swordsmith of the name Naohiro (五代目直弘, godaime Naohiro) and uses the art name Keiun (慶雲); he signs his tachi 慶云直弘 (Keiun Naohiro). Since 1989 he has forged in Honjō, in Saitama prefecture, where he makes his own steel and teaches visitors how to look at a sword.

Photo: Saitama prefecture

1957
Born, on 22 January
1989
Moves his forge to Honjō (Saitama)
2017
A tachi and a tsuba of his, accepted by the NBTHK
5th
Of the name Naohiro
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Keiun Naohiro HD
Kanji and reading
慶雲直弘 (Keiun Naohiro); signs 慶云直弘 (Keiun Naohiro), with 云 (un) HD
Birth
22 January 1957 PC
Where he forges
Honjō, in Saitama prefecture, since August 1989; before that, in Tokorozawa HD
Master
The third and the fourth Naohiro PC
School or tradition
The lineage of the Naohiro, which comes from Taikei Naotane (大慶直胤) PC
Licence
Independent since 1981 PC
Rank
Works accepted (入選, nyūsen) at the 2017 NBTHK exhibition; not a mukansa II

In short

  • Saitama prefecture presents him as the fifth Naohiro: he forges the tamahagane (玉鋼, tamahagane) and makes some two swords a month.
  • At the 2017 NBTHK exhibition a 78.2 cm tachi of his and a tsuba signed 小平 (Kodaira) were accepted.
  • It is said that he passed the name Naohiro on to a pupil and that today he signs only Keiun; the prefecture still calls him the fifth Naohiro.

Sections

  1. The Naohiro and their names Life and forging The lineage of the Naohiro, his move to Honjō and the doubt about the name he uses today.
  2. Tachi · chōji · utsuri Work and style His competition tachi and what those who know his work say about his style.
  3. In the NBTHK lists Prizes His works accepted at the NBTHK exhibition of 2017 and that of 2018, with its prize yet to be confirmed.
  4. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted on 4 October 2026 and the credit of each image.