Q: Yamaguchi area smiths (and book references)?

[kaigunair]

I'm beginning my search for a nihonto related to my family's history. As a starting point in my research, I am attempting to identify smiths / major schools that were from present day Yamaguchi in Hagi prefecture. From my understanding, this area was formerlly known as the Nagato province. The time period in question is when the Mori clan was in charge. Part of the story is that the family came up from kyushu (possibly the fukuoka area), somehow got connected with the Mori clan and our name was given by Motonari (although that has yet to be verified through offical records - I highly doubt we go back that far but there are connections with another family in kyushu).

 

From my limited research, it looks like there's only one major school related to this area - the Sa school. There are several branches or possibly styles of the SA school due to them moving around, Nagato Sa, Chikuzen Sa and Aki Sa. Given what is my possible family history, I'm thinking either a Nagato Sa or Chikuzen Sa (kyushu connection) would be appropriate? I don't know the dates of when the Sa moved around, but those would be helpful. In an ideal world, maybe I'd find a dai-sho with Sa Nagato & Sa Chikuzen blades ...

 

Other schools around the area could include the Suo (Suwo) school smiths, aka the Nio school. Choices could also be expanded to smiths of the san-yodo road, but really, I'd like to try for something as close to the ancenstral area of Nagato if possible.

 

If anyone could provide any corrections to this preliminary research, that would be much appreciated. Also, please let me know if there are other smiths or schools with a Nagato or Mori clan connection. Finally, if there is any good books with pictures on Nagato Sa blades, info on those would be much obliged. (I'm not even sure what a typical hamon or ha looks like from these schools)

 

At some point in the late 19th century, the family moved up to the Yamanashi-ken area outside of Tokyo. But that is research for another time....

[runagmc]

You may find something of interest here... http://sho-shin.com/sai2.htm

[kaigunair]

Thanks Adam. Had come across that great site during my research. Still looking for better pics to make out the details. But the basic info there was very helpful.

[Jussi Ekholm]

You will want to get Nihonto Koza Koto III.

 

 

Pages 65 - 96 will feature information about Nagato area smiths. Pages 1 - 96 will feature information about Chikuzen & Nagato.

 

Sa lived in Nagato Toyoura from around Shitoku (1384-1387) to Oei (1394-1428)

Akikuni around Oei (1394-1428)

Akiyoshi around Oei (1394-1428) and Shocho (1428-1429)

Yukitoshi no comment

Akinaga around Kakitsu (1441-1444)

 

Another version of family tree has a lot more names. There is more information and explanation about the 2 variances in the book. But it's a middle of the night here so I don't have time for proper write up.

 

Yasuyoshi around Kenmu (1334-1336)

Akikuni around Jowa (1345-1350)

Akikuni around Oei (1394-1428)

Akiyoshi around Eitoku (1381-1384)

Akinaga around Ekikyo (1429-1441)

Yasuyuki

Kakunaga

Akiyoshi around Oei (1394-1428)

Nobushige

Shigekuni

Yukikuni

Iekuni

Yukitoshi around Oan (1368-1375)

Yukiaki

Yukisuke

Nagahiro

 

I recommend getting a copy of the book as there is a lot of information about the Nagato smiths, alongside with oshigata & some pictures.

[kaigunair]

Thank you Jussi! I've been up to my ears in tosogu books, and forgot to even check the small library of nihonto books I accumulated a few years ago. Just pulled out Koto III and the info is golden! Pics are still not good, mostly oshigata, but definitely a better place to start. Thank you for the heads up, much appreciated.