Kantei
The point of the two faces of a katana, with a temper line of broad waves, on a black background.

Swordsmith of Fukuoka · Sōshū tradition

Sō Masachika (宗昌親)

A swordsmith of Fukuoka, son of the mukansa Sō Tsutomu, Takamatsu-no-miya Prize in 2005 and mukansa since 2006: his life, his work, his prizes and his sources

Sō Masachika (宗昌親, Sō Masachika) forges in Fukuoka, in the old province of Chikuzen. The son of the mukansa swordsmith Sō Tsutomu, he studied metallurgy before learning under his father; he won the Takamatsu-no-miya Prize in 2005 and has been an NBTHK mukansa since 2006.

Photo: dealer in Japan

1958
Born in Fukuoka (or in 1954, according to Sesko)
1989
Swordsmith’s licence
2005
Takamatsu-no-miya Prize
2006
NBTHK mukansa
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Sō Masachika HD
Kanji and reading
宗昌親 (Sō Masachika) HD
Birth
In Fukuoka; in 1958 according to most sources, in 1954 according to Markus Sesko AT
Where he forges
Fukuoka; he signs 筑州住 (Chikushū jū, “resident in Chikuzen”) HD
Master
His father, 宗勉 (Sō Tsutomu), from 1983 or 1984 AT
School or tradition
The Sō family forge; above all the Sōshū tradition AT
Licence
1989, from the Agency for Cultural Affairs AT
Rank
NBTHK mukansa since 2006 AT

In short

What we know. The NBTHK diploma of June 2005 gives him the Takamatsu-no-miya Prize for a katana of February that year, and the 2019 NBTHK catalogue exhibits a katana of his from February 2008. Markus Sesko gives him as a mukansa since 2006.

How we know it. His life and most of his prizes are attributed facts: there is no entry for him in Wikipedia or in Kotobank, and the NBTHK lists of those years are not online.

What we do not know. His year of birth for certain, whether he began with his father in 1983 or in 1984, and whether there are works of his in museums.

Sections

  1. Sō Tsutomu · metallurgy · Fukuoka Life and forging A family of swordsmiths, his studies in metallurgy, his apprenticeship with his father and his role in the swordsmiths’ association.
  2. Sōshū · Sukehiro · Kiyomaro Work and style Steel, his old models and his blades in the NBTHK catalogues.
  3. Takamatsu-no-miya · mukansa Prizes His prizes year by year, from his debut in 1990 to the rank of mukansa in 2006.
  4. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted on 4 October 2026, with their link where possible, and the credit for each image.