Kantei
Two curved blades, one above the other, resting on white cloths, with the undulating temper and a label on the right.

Edo smith · shinshintō · Sōshū-den

Minamoto Kiyomaro (源清麿)

The “Masamune of Yotsuya”, one of the three great smiths of Edo: Sōshū-den with an aggressive point and a short life

Minamoto Kiyomaro (源清麿) was born in 1813 in Shinano and is, with Suishinshi Masahide and Taikei Naotane, one of the three great smiths of Edo (江戸三作, Edo sansaku). He was called the “Masamune of Yotsuya” (四谷正宗, Yotsuya Masamune) after the district where he forged in his last years; he took his own life at the age of 42.

SLIMHANNYA, via Wikimedia Commons

1813
Born in Akaiwa (Shinano)
1830
First dated work
1846
Takes the name Kiyomaro
About 5
Known naginata by him
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Minamoto Kiyomaro HD
Kanji and reading
源清麿 (Minamoto Kiyomaro); the Japanese Wikipedia notes that the original reading is Sugamaro, although today it is said Kiyomaro. Earlier signatures: 一貫斎正行 (Ikkansai Masayuki), 秀寿 (Hidetoshi) and 山浦環正行 (Yamaura Tamaki Masayuki) AT
Period
Shinshintō, late Edo period: the dated works cited here run from 1830 to 1852 HD
Province
Born in Shinano (信濃, Shinano); forges in Edo, in Musashi, for about two years in Hagi (Nagato) and in Komoro HD
School
Trained in Bizen-den, he develops a Sōshū-den of his own and creates his school, that of Kiyomaro AT
Master
Kawamura Toshitaka (河村寿隆), smith of the Ueda domain, with his elder brother HD
Title
None known PC
In the lists
One of the three great smiths of Edo: the NBTHK devoted the 2025 exhibition to him with Masahide and Naotane HD
Documented fact and tradition
Documented: his signatures and dates, the support of Kubota Sugane and his death, in the NBTHK panels. Tradition: the “flight” to Hagi, Koyama Munetsugu’s challenge and the legends about the reasons for his death. AT

In short

He learned under Kawamura Toshitaka in the Bizen tradition, reached Edo in 1835 and there found a patron in Kubota Sugane (窪田清音). After about two years in Hagi he returned to Edo, settled in Yotsuya and in 1846 changed his name to Kiyomaro. For the NBTHK, his Sōshū-den, with gunome-midare touched with chōji, sunagashi and kinsuji, cannot be mistaken for that of any other smith, and his short career makes his works very rare. His pupils included Kurihara Nobuhide, Saitō Kiyondo (斎藤清人) and Suzuki Masao (鈴木正雄).

Sections

  1. From Shinano to Yotsuya Life and times Toshitaka, Kubota Sugane, Hagi, Yotsuya and his death.
  2. Kantei keys Work and style Sugata, jihada, hamon, bōshi, nakago and mei.
  3. In museums, shrines and lists Famous works His designated works and those of the 2025 exhibition.
  4. Two exhibitions Videos The one of 2014 at the Nezu Museum and the one of 2025 at the Japanese Sword Museum.
  5. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted and the image credits.