SHIGENORI (重載) → MASAYOSHI (正吉), Genji (元治, 1864-1865), Chikuzen

MASAYOSHI (正吉), Genji (元治, 1864-1865), Chikuzen – “Chikushū-jū Nobukuni Minamoto Masayoshi” (筑州住信国源正吉), Chikuzen-Nobukuni line, it is said that he also signed with “Nobukuni Shigenori” (信国重載)

Kyo Nobukuni

The lineage of Nobukuni swordsmiths has its roots in the Nanbokuchō period and carries a prestigious pedigree. Shodai Nobukuni is traditionally said to have been a pupil of the great Sōshū master Sadamune. Working around the Kenmu era (1334–1336), this first Nobukuni smith was based in Yamashiro Province but forged in the style of the Sōshū school. In fact, Shodai Nobukuni is counted among the “Sadamune Santetsu” in some records. Although very few signed works survive from this founder, his influence was significant. The early-generation Nobukuni blades exhibit strong Sōshū-den characteristics: a standing-out itame/mokume kitae with profuse ji-nie and chikei, and hamon tending toward gorgeous midare in gunome or notare with deep ko-nie, kinsuji and inazuma activity. This Sōshū style and superior workmanship made the first two generations of Nobukuni highly esteemed.

Notably, from the very beginning the Nobukuni school became renowned for its horimono carving. Early sources emphasize that “everyone in this group was skilled at horimono.” Even the first and second generation Nobukuni smiths, working in the late 14th century, adorned blades with expertly carved grooves and figures – a tradition that would continue through the centuries. The second and third generation Nobukuni carried on in Yamashiro, with the third generation’s work extending into the Ōei era (1394–1428). By the Ōei period, two master smiths in the school stood out: Minamoto Saemon-no-Jō Nobukuni (often called Genzaemon Nobukuni) and Minamoto Shikibu-no-Jō Nobukuni, who were active in the early 15th century. These smiths likely represented the 5th and 6th generations of the line and were possibly brothers. They continued producing excellent blades in the Sōshū/Yamashiro fusion style – for example, midareba hamon often featuring the distinctive yahazu-gokoro pattern as a kantei point of later Nobukuni work. Both Saemon-no-Jō and Shikibu-no-Jō used the honorary Minamoto title in their signatures and are noted to have carved horimono with great skill, maintaining the school’s reputation for fine carvings. The kuni (国) character on Genzaemon Nobukuni’s signature was even chiselled in a unique “hidari-ji” (mirrored) style as an artistic flourish.

By the mid-Muromachi period, the original Yamashiro Nobukuni line started to wane in prominence as the tumult of the Ōnin War (1467–1477) and other upheavals disrupted Kyōto. However, the Nobukuni tradition did not die out – it was transplanted and re-rooted in new locales. One branch moved south to Kyūshū in the 1440s (the Usa Nobukuni group in Buzen), and later another significant branch moved in the late 1500s, as discussed below. Through all these transitions, hallmarks of the Nobukuni style persisted: a preference for wakizashi and tantō with elegant shape, Sōshū-derived metallurgical features, and exceptional decorative carving. In summary, the early Nobukuni lineage established a reputation for gorgeous Sōshū-style blades and top-tier horimono artistry, a legacy that subsequent generations in new regions sought to uphold.

The Chikuzen Nobukuni Line in the Edo Period

In the late 16th century, during Japan’s unification, the Nobukuni lineage found new life in Kyūshū. The pivotal figure in this transition was Nobukuni Yoshisada, who is regarded as the founding smith of the Chikuzen Nobukuni school (Chikuzen is an old name for Fukuoka area). Yoshisada was originally based in Kyoto as a descendant of the earlier Nobukuni (by his own count, he considered himself the 12th generation of the line after the Nanbokuchō founder). In 1602 (Keichō 7), Yoshisada entered the service of Kuroda Nagamasa, the daimyō of the Fukuoka domain. Lord Kuroda, having received Fukuoka after the Battle of Sekigahara, invited skilled craftsmen to his new domain. Yoshisada moved to Chikuzen (Fukuoka) and became Nagamasa’s principal swordsmith, effectively transplanting the Nobukuni tradition to Kyūshū.

Working in the Keichō–Kanei period (circa 1596–1620s), Yoshisada “melded Nobukuni style with the new Momoyama Kyushu power to found the Shintō Chikuzen Nobukuni school.” In other words, he combined the classical Nobukuni techniques (learned in Yamashiro) with the robust Higo/Saga styles prevalent in Kyūshū at the time, creating swords that were both artful and sturdy – ideal for an era of constant warfare followed by the peace of Tokugawa rule. Yoshisada’s works (and those of his immediate successors) continued to feature the Sōshū-influenced traits: we see sun-nobi hira-zukuri wakizashi and tantō with modest sori and thick bodies (a style very much like the o-dampira shape), often with mitsu-mune (triangular triple-faceted spine) and rich jihada activities. He maintained the tradition of fine horimono as well. Nobukuni Yoshisada’s legacy in Chikuzen includes being the father of two notable smiths, Nobukuni Yoshimasa and Nobukuni Yoshitsugu, who carried the school forward into the mid-17th century.

Throughout the Edo period, the Chikuzen (also called Tsukushi) Nobukuni line thrived under Kuroda patronage. The family of smiths produced generation after generation of swords, many of which are signed simply “Nobukuni” (two-character mei) or with personal names. For example, records note a Nobukuni Yoshisuke and a Nobukuni Heishirō Yoshikane active around the Kanbun era (1660s) alongside the above Yoshisada and Yoshimasa. The school’s output in the 17th–18th centuries remained high-quality: blades often have a bright, well-forged jigane (sometimes with bo-utsuri or other jihada effects) and hamon ranging from suguha to midare in the Bizen Ichimonji-influenced style, reflecting how the Nobukuni school assimilated broader trends of Shintō swordcraft. An Edo-period Nobukuni wakizashi might show a small gunome-midare hamon with active ashi and sunagashi, for instance, combined with the characteristically thick, wide shape. The reputation for horimono continued as well – many Edo-period Nobukuni works feature carved grooves (hi) and decorative motifs. A mid-Edo master of the school, Nobukuni Shigekane (not to be confused with the later Shigekane discussed below), became famous for his skill and even won a sword-forging contest held by Shōgun Tokugawa Yoshimune in the 18th century. This indicates the Nobukuni in Chikuzen were counted among the elite smiths of their time.

By the late Edo period (19th century), the Chikuzen Nobukuni group was one of the few old swordmaking traditions still active, adapting to the Shinshintō movement. The Shinshintō era saw swordsmiths reviving ancient styles and techniques, often traveling to learn from one another. The Chikuzen Nobukuni were no exception: for instance, Nobukuni Yukikuni, a prominent late-Edo smith of the school, studied in Edo under the famous Suishinshi Masahide (the leader of the revivalist movement). Yukikuni’s lineage is illustrative – his personal name was Nobukuni Mataza, and after training with Masahide around 1804–1808, he received the character “Masa” from his teacher and temporarily took the name Masayoshi. He later adopted other names (Sadakuni, Hisakuni, and finally Yukikuni) as his career progressed, a testament to how Shinshintō smiths often changed art-names to mark milestones or benefactor honors. Yukikuni continued working up to the end of the Edo period – he died in 1865 (Keiō 1) at age 77, still holding the role of a swordsmith for the Kuroda lord until swordmaking was disrupted by the Meiji Restoration. The Nobukuni Shigenori (Masayoshi) who made this featured wakizashi can be seen as Yukikuni’s contemporary or successor, active during this very end of the samurai era (the Genji era of 1864–1865). In fact, “Shigenori” likely belonged to the same workshop or family – it was common for Nobukuni smiths to use “Shige–” or “Yoshi–” in their names, and the name Masayoshi suggests a link to Masahide’s lineage (due to the “Masa” character) just as with Yukikuni’s early name. It is recorded that Nobukuni Shigenori signed blades in the Genji era and that he also used the art-name Masayoshi, indicating that he too underwent training or received patronage involving the “Masa” character, possibly from the same Masahide school or one of its offshoots. In essence, Shigenori/Masayoshi was one of the final torch-bearers of the Nobukuni tradition – a smith working in the turbulent 1860s who upheld the lineage’s hallmark craftsmanship while also being influenced by the broader Shinshintō revival.

Thus, from Shodai Nobukuni in Nanbokuchō to Nobukuni Shigenori in late Edo, the Nobukuni line demonstrates remarkable continuity. It began with Sōshū-inspired masterpieces carved by Sadamune’s disciple, evolved through medieval times with unique hamon innovations and constant excellence in horimono, and then saw a resurgence in a new land (Chikuzen) under daimyo patronage. By the time of Shigenori, the lineage had produced swords for over five centuries. Despite changes in location and era, certain threads remained consistent – notably the dedication to artistic carving and superior workmanship that made the name Nobukuni respected among daimyo, samurai and collectors alike.