Kantei
The long blade of a spear, with a carved dragon, displayed on a white cloth next to a museum label.

Swordsmith of Mattō (Ishikawa), 1921–1998 · the Sumitani chōji

Sumitani Masamine (隅谷正峯)

The engineer from Ishikawa who took the Bizen of Kamakura to a chōji of his own: three Masamune Prizes and Living National Treasure from 1981. His life, his work, his prizes and his sources

A mechanical engineer by training, he learned forging at Ritsumeikan University and worked in his home town, Mattō, today Hakusan. He studied the Bizen of Kamakura until he created a hamon of his own, the Sumitani chōji; he won the Masamune Prize three times, was a Living National Treasure from 1981 and forged for the Ise shrine and for the imperial household.

SLIMHANNYA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1956
Opens his forge in Mattō
1965
First Masamune Prize
1981
Living National Treasure
1998
Dies
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Sumitani Masamine; he signed 傘笠正峯 (Sanryū Masamine) and 両山子正峯 (Ryōzanshi Masamine) AT
Kanji and reading
隅谷正峯 (Sumitani Masamine) HD
Birth
24 January 1921 (the 14th, according to the English and French Wikipedias), in Tatsumi-machi, Mattō (today Hakusan, Ishikawa) PC
Death
12 December 1998, in Mattō, aged 77 AT
Where he forged
Mattō (松任, Mattō), today Hakusan (白山, Hakusan), in Ishikawa: his forge 傘笠亭 (Sanryūtei) from 1956 and 両山亭 (Ryōzantei) from 1965 AT
Master
桜井正幸 (Sakurai Masayuki), at the forging institute of Ritsumeikan University AT
School or tradition
Bizen of the Kamakura period; his own hamon, the 隅谷丁子 (Sumitani chōji) AT
Licence
1954, from the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Properties AT
Rank
Mukansa (無鑑査, mukansa) from 1966 or 1967, depending on the source; Living National Treasure (重要無形文化財保持者, jūyō mukei bunkazai hojisha) from 1981 AT

In short

The eldest son of a family of soy sauce makers, he took an interest in the sword at secondary school and graduated in mechanical engineering from Ritsumeikan University in 1941; there he entered the forging institute and became a pupil of Sakurai Masayuki. After the war he returned to forging and in 1956 opened his forge in Mattō. At the first edition of the NBTHK competition for new swords, in 1965, he won the Masamune Prize, and he won it again in 1966 and 1974. He was a Living National Treasure from 1981, forged for the Ise shrine and the protective swords of three princesses, and researched iron and the ancient knives of the Shōsōin. He died in 1998.

Sections

  1. From Ritsumeikan to Mattō Life and forging His training as an engineer, his forge in Mattō, his research on iron and his commissions for Ise and the imperial household.
  2. Kamakura Bizen · Sumitani chōji Work and style His own chōji, the copy of the Nihongō spear and his works in museums.
  3. Three Masamune Prizes Prizes His prizes year by year, from the NBTHK technical competition to the title of Living National Treasure.
  4. His blades and those of Miyairi Akihira Videos A video with his blades alongside those of Miyairi Akihira.
  5. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted on 4 October 2026, with their link, and the credit for each image.