Kantei

His own Sōshū

Work and style

His father’s Sōshū-den, in the line of Shizu Kaneuji, with the goal of forging a Sōshū of his own.

On this page
  1. Style
  2. Notable works

Style

He follows the 相州伝 (Sōshū-den) in the line of 志津兼氏 (Shizu Kaneuji), of Mino and the Nanbokuchō period, which his father already cultivated; he seeks an elegant shape, a clear jigane and a soft hamon.

A tachi of his from 2002, 81.3 cm, with a sori of 3.0 cm, is described like this: a jihada of fine itame with masame towards the mune and a nioi-deki hamon in notare with gonome and plenty of kinsuji; it was presented at the 2002 new-sword exhibition. Of a katana from 2006, 75.5 cm, the descriptions mention a long kissaki, a nie-deki hamon in notare with marked kinsuji and sunagashi and a ko-itame jigane with dense ji-nie.

A whole tachi blade on a black background, with a detail of the point and both sides of the signed tang.
Tachi of 2002, 81.3 cm: the blade, the point and the tang. Photo: dealer in Japan

Notable works

A tachi from the autumn of 2000, 70.9 cm with a sori of 2.0 cm, signed 宮入小左衛門行平 (Miyairi Kozaemon Yukihira), with the gold inscription 城和泉守所持 正宗磨上 本阿 (Jō Izumi-no-kami shoji Masamune suriage Hon'a), that is, “owned by Jō Izumi-no-kami; Masamune, shortened; Hon'a”: the NBTHK chose it in 2019 for its second prize.

Sakaki holds a wakizashi of 57.0 cm from 1992, still signed 信濃住宮入恵作之 (Shinano-jū Miyairi Megumi kore o saku), and two tantō, from 1997 and 1998; the 1998 one, 24.0 cm, was made on the occasion of the Medal with Purple Ribbon of the actor Takakura Ken.