Kantei
A long, curved, bare blade, resting on a white cloth in a dark display case.

Bizen · Fukuoka Ichimonji · mid-Kamakura

Yoshifusa (吉房)

The showiest swordsmith of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school of Bizen, in the mid-Kamakura, with five tachi that are National Treasures: his period, his style, his famous works, three videos and his sources

Yoshifusa (吉房, Yoshifusa) worked in Bizen, present-day Okayama, in the mid-Kamakura period, in the 13th century. He is the showiest swordsmith of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school, for his chōji temper, and five of his tachi are National Treasures.

SLIMHANNYA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

5
National Treasure tachi
3
Important Cultural Properties
1955
The Okada-giri, National Treasure
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Yoshifusa; also Fukuoka Ichimonji Yoshifusa, after his school HD
Kanji and reading
吉房 (Yoshifusa), a two-character signature; 福岡一文字吉房 (Fukuoka Ichimonji Yoshifusa) HD
Period
Mid-Kamakura, 13th century; the dates of his birth and death are not known, and none of his blades is dated AT
Province
Bizen, in present-day Okayama: Fukuoka, on the banks of the Yoshii River HD
School
Fukuoka Ichimonji (福岡一文字) HD
Master and lineage
Son of 助房 (Sukefusa), according to the Japanese Wikipedia AT
Generations
Perhaps more than one Yoshifusa: the Japanese Wikipedia distinguishes two by their given name; Ogasawara Nobuo believes there was only one AT
Documented fact and tradition
Documented: his signed tachi and their designations. Tradition: his family, his exact period and how many swordsmiths signed Yoshifusa. AT

In short

What we know. That he signed 吉房 (Yoshifusa) a number of Bizen tachi with a showy chōji: five are National Treasures and three, Important Cultural Properties.

How we know it. From those blades, described in the records of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and of the Tokyo National Museum.

What we do not know. Exactly when he lived and whether he was a single swordsmith or several with the same name.

Sections

  1. Fukuoka · Sukefusa · one or several? Life and times The school, his family and the doubt over whether there was more than one Yoshifusa.
  2. Jūka-chōji · midare-utsuri · ikubi-kissaki Work and style Sugata, jihada, hamon, bōshi, nakago and signature: the kantei keys, with the details of three National Treasures.
  3. Five National Treasures · Okada-giri Famous works The Okada-giri, his other four National Treasures and his three Important Cultural Properties.
  4. His tachi on display Videos Three videos of his tachi on display in Tokyo and in Fukuyama.
  5. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted on 4 October 2026, with their links, and the credit for each image.