Awards and mukansa

At the NBTHK

How he became mukansa: the scale

The NBTHK rules (無鑑査選任基準, mukansa sennin kijun, revised on 23 February 2006) require, in the tachi and katana section, fifteen prizes with at least eight special ones (特賞, tokushō) and two 高松宮記念賞 (Takamatsu-no-miya Kinenshō), or else a minimum of ten tokushō, with at least six in that section.

His count, with the years he gives: his special prizes in tachi and katana number ten (寒山賞, Kanzanshō, in 2003; 全日本刀匠会会長賞, Zen Nihon Tōshōkai Kaichōshō, in 2005; 薫山賞, Kunzanshō, in 2006; 会長賞, Kaichōshō, in 2008; 寒山賞, Kanzanshō, in 2009; 薫山賞, Kunzanshō, in 2010; and 会長賞, Kaichōshō, from 2011 to 2014). He has no 高松宮記念賞 (Takamatsu-no-miya Kinenshō): he came in by the second route. The June 2014 Tōken Bijutsu text translated by a dealer confirms it: with that year’s 会長賞 (Kaichōshō) “nun zehn Sonderpreise” (“now ten special prizes”), which gives him the mukansa title.

Kanemitsu, beside him, has five documented special prizes, one of them the 高松宮記念賞 (Takamatsu-no-miya Kinenshō) (see his awards).

Is he still mukansa?

• Article 4 of the rules obliges mukansa to exhibit every year “in principle”; article 5.1 allows the president of the NBTHK to withdraw the title from anyone who does not exhibit for three years in a row, except those over 75 and the sick.
• His last appearance is that of 2023. He is not among the mukansa who exhibit in 2024, 2025 or 2026: that makes three years in a row.
• The cause is probably the fire at his forge in October 2023.
• It is not on record whether he keeps the title, whether the NBTHK has granted him an exception or whether he has given it up. What he publishes and the 2022 Hyūga city record still say “mukansa”. Until it is on record, his standing is pending.

Other recognition

The Omamori-gatana are the Zen Nihon Tōshōkai’s competition for amulet tantō; its lists from 2011 to 2019 are online.