Miyairi Akihira
宮入昭平 (Miyairi Akihira)
A smith from Sakaki in Nagano (1913-1977) who signed Akihira and from 1973 Yukihira; a living national treasure from 1963 and teacher of a generation of smiths.
Profile
Miyairi Akihira was born in 1913 at Sakaki into a family of smiths. In 1937 he entered Kurihara Akihide's forging centre in Tokyo, and from 1940 he won prizes at the new-sword exhibitions. He forged sacred swords for the Ise shrine, and from 1955 he took the special prize at the first five NBTHK technical exhibitions. He was made mukansa in 1960 and a living national treasure in 1963. He blended the iron of old helmets and nails to make his own steel, and studied Shizu Kaneuji and Minamoto Kiyomaro, from his own region. In 1973 he changed his smith name to Yukihira. His pupils included Ōsumi Toshihira, Kawachi Kunihira and Fujiyasu Masahira, and his son is the smith Miyairi Kozaemon Yukihira.
Monograph
Miyairi Akihira (宮入昭平)
His quick profile and the essentials, with the level of evidence of each fact.
Read the monograph
Notable works
- Tachi: plate 1 of the Gendaitō Meisaku Zukan (p. 3).
- Wakizashi: plate 2 of the Gendaitō Meisaku Zukan (p. 5).
- Tachi: plate 3 of the Gendaitō Meisaku Zukan (p. 7).
- Tachi: plate 4 of the Gendaitō Meisaku Zukan (p. 9).
- Chokutō: plate 5 of the Gendaitō Meisaku Zukan (p. 11).
Rankings
- Mukansa since 1960
- Living National Treasure since 1963