The two sides of a steel tang with the engraved signature and date, with their transcription in English at the sides.

Photo: dealer in Japan

Miyairi Akihira · Sakaki · Kiyomune

Life and forging

He learned from his elder brother, set up on his own in 1948 and forged in Sakaki until his death, in 2003.

On this page
  1. Biography, year by year
  2. The Miyairi house

Biography, year by year

  • 1924. Born on 1 May (Taishō 13). The town’s page places him in Sakaki-machi, in the Hanishina district (Nagano).
  • 1941. Begins learning forging from his elder brother, Miyairi Akihira, whom the page already calls Yukihira.
  • 1948. Sets up on his own.
  • 1959. On 31 January he receives the approval to forge (作刀承認, sakutō shōnin). He submits work for the first time to the 5th 作刀技術発表会 (Sakutō Gijutsu Happyōkai), and is selected (入選, nyūsen).
  • 1965. 努力賞 (Doryokushō) at the 1st NBTHK 新作名刀展 (Shinsaku Meitōten) exhibition.
  • 1989. From February (Heisei 1) he signs 清宗 (Kiyomune).
  • 2000. In May, the governor of Nagano honours him for his merits in art and culture (芸術文化功労賞, geijutsu bunka kōrōshō).
  • 2003. Dies on 26 May (Heisei 15).

The Miyairi house

  • His elder brother, 宮入昭平 (Miyairi Akihira) (1913–1977), who later signed 行平 (Yukihira), was a Living National Treasure. The Japanese Wikipedia, in his brother’s article, names him as 宮入清宗 (Miyairi Kiyomune), also a swordsmith.
  • His son is the mukansa 宮入法廣 (Miyairi Norihiro), who learned the Sōshū tradition from him; his nephew, 宮入小左衛門行平 (Miyairi Kozaemon Yukihira), is Akihira’s son.
  • After Yukihira’s death, in 1977, Kiyomune became the head of the Miyairi school. The 宮入一門 (Miyairi ichimon), which brings together the pupils of Akihira and those of his master Kurihara Akihide, also includes the Living National Treasure Amata Akitsugu, a pupil of Kurihara.
The two sides of a steel tang with the engraved signature and date, with their transcription in English at the sides.
The signature, 信濃國住宮入清平作 (Shinano no Kuni-jū Miyairi Kiyohira saku), and the date, 昭和五十二年二月吉日 (Shōwa gojūni-nen nigatsu kichijitsu): February 1977. Photo: dealer in Japan