Kantei
Curved wakizashi blade, with an openwork engraving near the base, resting on a white cloth in a dark display case.

Edo lineage · shinshintō · Bizen-den

Koyama Munetsugu (固山宗次)

Bizen-den in the Edo of the late shogunate: regular chōji, a clean edge and blades tested by the Yamada

Koyama Munetsugu (固山宗次) was born in 1803 in Shirakawa, in Mutsu province, and forged in Edo Bizen-den blades with a lively chōji and a clean edge; many carry on the tang the inscription of a cutting test. His son Sōichirō took the name as the second generation.

SLIMHANNYA, via Wikimedia Commons

1803
Born in Shirakawa (Mutsu)
1831-1834
Signs “in Edo”
1845
Title of Bizen no Suke
2
Generations
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Koyama Munetsugu; art names Issensai (一専斎) and Seiryōsai (精良斎) AT
Kanji and reading
固山宗次 (Koyama Munetsugu); with the title he signs 備前介藤原宗次 (Bizen no Suke Fujiwara Munetsugu) AT
Period
Shinshintō, late Edo period: dated work from the Tenpō era (1830-1844) into the early Meiji years AT
Province
Born in Shirakawa, in Mutsu (陸奥, Mutsu); works in Edo, in Musashi AT
School
Bizen-den and Mino-den, in the line of Suishinshi Masahide through Chōunsai Tsunatoshi AT
Master
Chōunsai Tsunatoshi (長運斎綱俊), younger brother of Katō Tsunahide, according to the Japanese Wikipedia AT
Title
Bizen no Suke (備前介), in 1845 (Kōka 2), as smith of the Kuwana domain AT
Generations
Two: Munetsugu and his son Sōichirō (宗一郎), about whom there is hardly any information AT
In the lists
He does not appear in Tomita Kiyama’s list of shintō smiths (1933) PC
Documented fact and tradition
Dates and signatures of his blades, his service in Kuwana and the Vienna sword, from the Japanese Wikipedia and the studies. Tradition: the challenge he is said to have sent to Kiyomaro. The year of his death is not recorded. AT

In short

Munetsugu trained in Edo under Chōunsai Tsunatoshi, of the school of Suishinshi Masahide, and by 1837 he was already working for the Kuwana domain, which in 1845 obtained for him the title of Bizen no Suke. He is associated with the sword testers, among them Yamada Asaemon: hence the many cutting inscriptions on his tangs. For the NBTHK, his chōji repeats a very regular pattern every three or four sun, one of the keys to recognising him. In 1872 he forged a sword for the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair.

Sections

  1. From Shirakawa to Edo Life and times Shirakawa, Kuwana, Edo, Meiji and the second generation.
  2. Kantei keys Work and style Sugata, jihada, hamon, nakago and horimono.
  3. Dated works and lists Famous works The documented works and their place in the lists.
  4. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted and the image credits.