01/24/2026
ICHIMONJI KODACHI - JUYO TOKEN - SESSION 48
Hōryō (measurements)
Nagasa 58.05 cm.
Sori 1.3 cm.
Motohaba 2.55 cm.
Sakihaba 1.6 cm.
Kissaki nagasa 2.9 cm.
Nakago nagasa 14.3 cm.
Nakago sori 0.2 cm.
Keijō (form)
Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, slightly hosomi (narrow), width tapers from the machi to the yokote, funbari, shallow sori, koshizori, chu-kissaki.
Kitae (forging)
Tight itame mixed with ō-hada here and there.
Abundant ji-nie, narrow chikei, midare-utsuri.
Hamon (temper pattern)
Choji-midare mixed with gunome, with suguba in the monouchi. Ashi, yo, ko-nie, kinsuji, sunagashi with bright and clear nioi.
Boshi (point temper)
Sugu with ko-maru feeling kaeri with hakikake.
Nakago (tang)
Ubu, kuri-jiri, yasurime unclear, three mekugiana, mumei.
Setsumei (commentary)
The two most important lineages of Bizen swordmakers in the Kamakura period were the Ichimonji and Osafune. The Ichimonji line flourished until the Nambokucho period in Fukuoka, Yoshioka and Iwato and produced many outstanding smiths. It is known as the Ichimonji line because existing mei is either solely Ichi (the character meaning one) or with Ichi followed by the smiths name or occasionally with only smith’s name. Ichimonji swords are characterized by choji-midareba, especially the Fukuoka Ichimonji group, which features flamboyant juka chojiba
during the mid-Kamakura period.
This particular blade is ubu mumei. It is slightly narrow bodied with chu-kissaki and has the form of a kodachi with koshizori. The forging is tight itame-hada with
midare-utsuri, hamon of choji-midare mixed with gunome and includes ashi and yo.
It displays the typical characteristics of Ichimonji work in the mid-Kamakura period. With it’s bright nioi-guchi hamon, and distinct utsuri, the workmanship is outstanding. The fact that it is an ubu kodachi is particularly pleasing.
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