Kantei
Whole katana blade, long and with little curvature, with its tang, standing on a black background.

Chikuzen, Tosa and Edo · end of the Edo · shinshintō

Sa Yukihide (左行秀)

The Masamune of Tosa: from Chikuzen to Kōchi and to Edo, his style, his works and his sources

Sa Yukihide (左行秀) was born in Chikuzen in 1813 and was domain swordsmith of Tosa, in Kōchi and at its residence in Edo. The lord of Tosa, Yamauchi Yōdō, called his swords “a Masamune of today”, hence his nickname, Tosa Masamune.

Kyūshū National Museum, via ColBase

1813-1887
Birth and death
1840-1870
Dated works
1856
Domain swordsmith
1 in 2020
NBTHK Jūyō Tōken
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Sa Yukihide; in his last years, Tōko (東虎) AT
Kanji and reading
左行秀 (Sa Yukihide), as signed on the katana of 1851 in the Kyūshū National Museum: 筑州住左行秀鍛之 (Chikushū jū Sa Yukihide kore o kitau) HD
Period
End of the Edo period and beginning of Meiji (shinshintō) AT
Province
Born in Chikuzen (筑前); worked in Tosa (土佐) and in Edo AT
School
He claimed descent in the 39th generation from Samonji (左文字), of Chikuzen AT
Master
Shimizu Hisayoshi, a student of Hosokawa Masayoshi; the line goes back to Suishinshi Masahide AT
Title
No honorary title is recorded. From 1856, domain swordsmith of Tosa. PC
Nickname
Tosa Masamune: Yamauchi Yōdō (山内容堂) called his swords 今様正宗 (imayō Masamune), “a Masamune of today” AT
Rank
He does not appear in the wazamono lists. In his time he was placed on a level with Inoue Shinkai, Nagasone Kotetsu and Minamoto Kiyomaro. PC
Documented fact and tradition
Documented: the katana of 1851 in the Kyūshū National Museum, with a local designation, and a katana of 1853 designated Jūyō Tōken by the NBTHK in 2020. Tradition: that he was in contact with the assassins of Sakamoto Ryōma is a conjecture of Tani Tateki, without proof. HD

In short

He began in the Bizen manner and arrived at that of Sagami: long, robust blades with little curvature, bright steel with ji-nie and a wide suguha with kinsuji and sunagashi. He forged for Yamauchi Yōdō, Yoshida Tōyō and Itagaki Taisuke. His katana of 1851 in the Kyūshū National Museum shows another side of his work, a notare with ō-gunome and an ō-kissaki point.

Sections

  1. From Chikuzen to Tosa and to Edo Life and times Chikuzen, Tosa, Edo, the Bakumatsu and his last years.
  2. From Bizen to Sagami Work and style Sugata, jihada, hamon, bōshi, signatures and who he is confused with.
  3. Jūyō Tōken and the Kyūshū katana Famous works His katana in the Kyūshū National Museum, his Jūyō Tōken and the swords of his clients.
  4. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted on 5 October 2026, with their link, and the credit for each image.