HIZEN TADAYOSHI

HACHIDAI (8^TH GEN.)

CHUJOSAKU (RANKING BY FUJISHIRO)

NTHK PAPERED

SUGATA: SHINOGI-ZUKURI

MEI: HIZEN TADAYOSHI (SHUMEI)

          MORITAKA with KAO (SHUMEI)

DATE: NONE

NAGASA: 48.28cm (19″)

OVERALL: 62.23cm (24.5″)

MIHABA: 2.86cm (1.125″)

KASANE: 0.63cm (0.25″)

SORI: SLIGHT

NAKAGO: SURIAGE

MEKUGI ANA: TWO

YASURIME: KIRI

MUNE: IORI

HADA: KO-ITAME with JI-NIE

HAMON: SLIGHT KO-NOTARE BASED ON SUGUHA

BOSHI: KOMARU

HORIMONO OMOTE: NONE

HORIMONO URA: NONE

HABAKI:  2 PC.

KOSHIRAE

The Hizen Tadayoshi school of sword smith’s needs no introduction and are highly prized worldwide.

 It all began with the Shodai Tadayoshi who was born in 1572 and known as Hashimoto Shinsaemonjo. Shodai Tadayoshi at age 25 became an apprentice to Umetada Myoju in Kyoto, who is known as the founder of the Shinto Sword. The “Tada” character was given to him by Umetada. After a three-year apprenticeship Tadayoshi returned to his home in Hizen Province, where he set up the Hizen Tadayoshi Kaji. The Hizen Tadayoshi Kaji extended through nine mainline generations, ending with the death of the 9th generation Hizen Tadayoshi in 1880.

This Wakizashi is attributed by the NTHK to the Hachidai or eighth generation Hizen Tadayoshi. Hachidai Tadayoshi was born in 1801 and known as Hashimoto Shunichiro. He was the son of Rokudai (6th gen) Tadayoshi’s daughter. He was adopted by the Nanadai (7th gen) who had no children, to continue a legitimate blood heir ship.  The 6th and 7th generations both died when the Hachidai Tadayoshi was around sixteen years old, and apparently deshi Tadayuki not only ran the school but mentored the Hachidai Tadayoshi until he was old enough to manage the school on his own. Hachidai Tadayoshi and Tadayuki maintained a close relationship until the death of Tadayuki in1844. Hachidai Tadayoshi was also known to have produced guns and cannons at the request of the Daimyo Nabeshima Naomasa.

Hachidai Tadayoshi, at the Daimyo Nabeshima Naomasa’s request performed a sword making demonstration in 1851. He was one of only two Tadayoshi smith’s to ever demonstrate the art of sword forging to such a high-ranking samurai as the Daimyo. Not only were the works of the Hachidai Tadayoshi recognized and revered by the Daimyo during his lifetime, but his reputation as an exemplary sword smith continues today.

Roger Robertshaw, author of the book “The School of Tadayoshi”, is one of the foremost authorities and collectors of the Hizen Tadayoshi School. Without his diligence most of this information would be unavailable to non-Japanese readers.

In his book “The School of Tadayoshi”, Mr. Robertshaw states, “One of the favorite swords in my collection is by the Hachidai (8th gen) Tadayoshi. Such a sword attests to the enduring quality of even such a late generation smith, as this talented artist undoubtedly was”.

From Markus Sesko’s, Swordsmiths of Japan:                                                           TADAYOSHI (忠吉), 8th gen., Ansei (安政, 1854-1860), Hizen – “Hizen no Kuni Tadayoshi” (肥前国忠吉), “Hizen no Kuni Shinzaemon no Jō Fujiwara Tadayoshi” (肥前国新左衛門尉藤原忠吉), “Hizen no Kuni Hashimoto Shin- zaemon Fujiwara Tadayoshi” (肥前国橋本新左衛門藤原忠吉), real name Hashimoto Shinzaemon (橋本新左衛門), he changed his first name later to Kuranosuke (内蔵允) and Shun ́ichirō (舜一郎), second son of Furukawa Yohei Michihiro (古川与兵衛道弘), he was adopted by the 7th gen. Tadayoshi as his successor, he did not receive any honorary title and died on the 26th day of the fifth month Ansei six (1859) at the age of 59, we know date signatures from the eighth year of Tenpō (天保, 1837) to his year of death Ansei six (1859), jō-saku.

This sword was shortened at some point where the mei was lost.  One can only speculate, but it is most likely that it was shortened by the swordsmith Moritaka.  The nakago has had a shumei applied. Shumei, being an attribution done in red lacquer. The shumei states, Hizen no Kuni Tadayoshi on the omote. On the Ura, it is signed Moritaka with Kao also in shumei. Again, as Moritaka put his name and kao on the sword along with the attribution, the probability is high that he performed the shortening of the nakago and replaced the mei with shumei.  Placing his name was his way of legitimizing the work.

The sword comes in Koshirae. The koshirae is nothing fancy but it is intact and fits tight. It looks to have had some minor repairs to the saya.

The polish is brand new, as sword was polished just prior to shinsa.

It was papered and attributed to the 8^th generation Tadayoshi by the NTHK at the San Francisco Token kai in August of 2022.  It takes several months to receive the papers. If someone purchases this blade before the papers are received, they will be forwarded to the new owner ASAP.

$3950 plus S/H.

*If you are interested in purchasing this sword, contact me via email at: Yakiba.com@gmail.com