Kantei
Above, the paper rubbing of a short blade with its temper and its signature; below, the photos of both sides of the same blade on a black background.

Owari · shintō · 17th century

Masayasu (正全)

The name of the Bungo no Kami Masayasu of Owari: what the Yamada cutting list and Markus Sesko say of him, a blade with a cutting nickname and what remains to be known about his generations

Masayasu (正全) is the name of a swordsmith of Owari who signed with the title Bungo no Kami (豊後守). The Yamada cutting list records him among its swordsmiths of good cutting, and Markus Sesko cites a blade of his with a cutting nickname, “waterfall water”. Of his generations, if there was more than one, there are no data in the sources consulted.

Photo: dealer in Japan

Owari
Province
Bungo no Kami
Title
Listed, no grade
Cutting rank
No data
Generations
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Masayasu; signature 豊後守源正全 (Bungo no Kami Minamoto Masayasu) HD
Kanji and reading
正全 (Masayasu); Markus Sesko transcribes it Masamitsu AT
Period
Shintō, 17th century; Sesko places him in the Kan'ei era (1624-1644), a fact that could not be checked AT
Province
Owari (尾張, Owari) AT
School
Not recorded in the sources consulted PC
Master
Not recorded in the sources consulted PC
Title
豊後守 (Bungo no Kami), in his signature; the year he received it is not recorded HD
Generations
None of the sources consulted distinguishes generations: it is not recorded whether the name was carried by more than one swordsmith PC
Cutting rank
On the Yamada list, in the group of 65 swordsmiths whose grade (大業物, ō-wazamono; 良業物, yoki-wazamono, or 業物, wazamono) is not distinguished AT
Documented fact and tradition
His signature and his title are on his blades. His province, his period and his cutting nickname are given by Markus Sesko, and his rank by Japanese Wikipedia. His life is not documented in any scholarly source consulted. AT

In short

What we know. That he signed 豊後守源正全 (Bungo no Kami Minamoto Masayasu), as can be seen on the wakizashi in the photos. That he was from Owari, that the Yamada cutting list includes him and that a blade of his bears the cutting nickname 滝之水 (Taki no mizu).

How we know it. From Markus Sesko and from the cutting list recorded by Japanese Wikipedia.

What we do not know. When he was born and died, who his master was, whether there were other generations with the same name and what his exact grade in the cutting list is. No blade of his has been found in a museum or with a designation.

Sections

  1. Owari · Bungo no Kami · the generations Life and times The name and its reading, the period in which the sources place him and what is known of his generations.
  2. Gunome-midare · Taki no mizu Work and style His cutting rank, the blade with the nickname “waterfall water” and a signed wakizashi, in photos.
  3. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted on 4 October 2026, with their link where possible, and the credit for each image.