Kantei
A tantō without mounts, with a gilt habaki and the rusted tang with two holes, on a stand covered with light-coloured cloth.

Swordsmith of Kyoto · Awataguchi · Kamakura period

Tōshirō Yoshimitsu (藤四郎吉光)

Awataguchi Yoshimitsu, the great master of the tantō: a Kyoto swordsmith of the Kamakura period, one of the three greats of the Kyōhō meibutsuchō, with four National Treasures

Yoshimitsu (吉光), called Tōshirō, worked at Awataguchi, in Kyoto, in the Kamakura period. He is the great master of the tantō: almost all his work is tantō, with a ko-itame so dense that it is called nashiji and a suguha of nie. Toyotomi Hideyoshi placed him with Masamune and Gō Yoshihiro among the three great swordsmiths, and the Kyōhō meibutsuchō credits him with 34 famous swords. Four of his blades are National Treasures.

Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

4
National Treasures
9
Important Cultural Properties
34
Swords in the Kyōhō meibutsuchō
1
Tachi with his signature
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Yoshimitsu, common name Tōshirō; also Awataguchi Yoshimitsu; he signed 吉光 (Yoshimitsu) HD
Kanji and reading
藤四郎吉光 (Tōshirō Yoshimitsu); 粟田口吉光 (Awataguchi Yoshimitsu) AT
Period
Middle or late Kamakura period, around the 13th century; no dated blades AT
Province
Yamashiro (山城, Yamashiro): Awataguchi (粟田口, Awataguchi), in Kyoto AT
School
Awataguchi, of the Yamashiro tradition; for the NBTHK, its last great master AT
Lineage
Son of 則国 (Norikuni) or of 国吉 (Kuniyoshi), or pupil of Kuniyoshi: the sources do not agree AT
What is documented
His blades signed 吉光 (Yoshimitsu): four National Treasures and nine Important Cultural Properties in the official database of the Agency for Cultural Affairs HD
The tradition
The legends of his tantō, such as that of the Yagen Tōshirō, which would not wound its owner, and the custom of the daimyō of keeping one of his as an amulet AT

In short

Yoshimitsu worked at Awataguchi, in Kyoto, in the second half of the Kamakura period. There are no dated blades of his: his period is deduced from the work of his father or master and from that of his brother. He made mostly tantō, and only one tachi of his is known, the Ichigo Hitofuri (一期一振, Ichigo Hitofuri), shortened.

Hideyoshi placed him among the three great swordsmiths of the realm with 正宗 (Masamune) and 江義弘 (Gō Yoshihiro), and the 『享保名物帳』 (Kyōhō meibutsuchō) records it so. The NBTHK holds his signatures to be the finest of the Japanese sword.

His four National Treasures are three tantō, the Atsu Tōshirō, the Gotō Tōshirō and that of the Tachibana, and a ken of the Hakusan-hime shrine.

Sections

  1. Awataguchi, Kyoto, Kamakura Life and times His dates, his father or master, Hideyoshi’s three greats and the blades that burned.
  2. Tantō · nashiji · suguha of nie Work and style Sugata, jihada, hamon, bōshi, nakago and mei: the keys to recognising him.
  3. The named Tōshirō Famous works His National Treasures, his Important Cultural Properties, the blades of the imperial collection and the lost ones.
  4. His tantō on display Videos Five videos of his blades in museums and exhibitions.
  5. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted and the image credits.