Kantei
An older man in a white T-shirt and a work glove talks beside a lit furnace from which sparks fly.

Swordsmith of Osafune (Okayama) · his own tatara steel

Ueda Sukesada (上田祐定)

A swordsmith from Osafune, born in Kōchi in 1947, who makes his own steel in a small tatara with iron sands from Japan: his life, his forge, his work, his prizes and his videos

Ueda Sukesada was born in 1947 in Kōchi Prefecture and forges in Osafune, in the city of Setouchi (Okayama), the cradle of the Bizen school. He bears the name Sukesada (祐定), one of the great historical names of Osafune, and his hallmark is making the steel himself in a small tatara furnace, with iron sands from different regions of Japan.

Photo: the smith himself

1947
Born in Kōchi Prefecture
3
Masters; the last, Kawachi Kunihira
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Ueda Sukesada AT
Kanji and reading
上田祐定 (Ueda Sukesada) AT
Birth
1947 (Shōwa 22), Kōchi Prefecture AT
Where he forges
Osafune, in Setouchi (Okayama Prefecture) AT
Masters
今泉俊光 (Imaizumi Toshimitsu) and 河内國平 (Kawachi Kunihira) AT
School or tradition
Osafune (Bizen); the name Sukesada (祐定) is that of a historical Osafune lineage HD
Swordsmith’s licence
The year is not on record PC
Rank
No NBTHK prizes in the catalogues from 2019 to 2026 HD

In short

What we know. Sukesada (祐定) is a name borne by many Osafune smiths from 1492 until the Edo period. Ueda bears it today; by his own account, he was born in 1947, trained with three masters and makes his own tamahagane in a small tatara, only with Japanese iron sands.

What we do not know. The year of his smith’s licence, and his life as told by an independent source: almost everything known about him is told by himself. He does not appear in the lists or catalogues of the NBTHK competition from 2019 to 2026.

Sections

  1. From Kōchi to Osafune Life and forging From salaried employee and iaidō practitioner to swordsmith, his three masters and the tatara in which he makes his steel.
  2. Steel from Japanese sands Work and style What he is after in steel, his blades and his knives, with a gallery of his work.
  3. What is on record and what is not Prizes No NBTHK prize in the catalogues from 2019 to 2026, and the only distinction on record.
  4. Television and reports Videos Three videos: a report by American public television, a talk about forging and a report about his knives.
  5. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted on 4 October 2026 and the credit of each image.