Two stretches of a blade on a black background; the temper line rises and falls in large, rounded waves.

Photo: dealer in Japan

Sōshū-den · tōran-ba · Sukehiro

Work and style

A vigorous style of the Sōshū tradition, with the tōran-ba as his hallmark: large waves breaking along the edge.

On this page
  1. His style
  2. The tōran-ba
  3. A katana of 1978
  4. Another katana, whole

His style

The Gifu branch of the NBTHK sums up his speciality as a tōran-ba with a bright edge that recalls the genius of shintō, Sukehiro. He is described as having a vigorous style of the Sōshū-den (相州伝, Sōshū-den) and as a specialist in the tōran-ba, the temper of large breaking waves created by 津田越前守助広 (Tsuda Echizen no Kami Sukehiro).

One katana of his is described thus: a shintō shape of the Kanbun era, shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune, wide and with a medium kissaki; jihada of well-forged itame, with thick ji-nie and chikei; hamon of gunome and notare with ashi, kinsuji and sunagashi. His son inherited the same temper.