Who was the best maker of Japanese Swords in history? Grandmaster series, issue 1.

[Hoshi]

Hello everyone,

 

Thank you for the positive support on the first article, I sincerely appreciate it. I've decided to test the waters and gauge interest in a series of in-depth articles on the grandmasters of Nihonto. 

 

This ties into a contentious question which is endlessly engaging for enthusiasts. 

 

Who was the greatest maker of Japanese swords in history?

 

Of course, there are many valid answers to this question, but reaching an informed perspective requires knowledge. Much of that knowledge is rather arcane and not readily available in the West. 

 

As for the format, it's an attempt to strike a delicate balance between casual storytelling and academic rigor. As you can imagine, collecting data and sources for these articles is a tremendous effort, and this work wouldn't have been possible without the invaluable help of many friends in the field. You know who you are, thank you.

 

I'll be refining the format over time, so if you find it borderline impenetrable or confusing, please let me know, and I'll tune the style going forward. 

 

This is a first draft, and I plan to keep it as a living document, updating it as needed. If you have high-quality material on Mitsutada blades—such as beautiful photos—to share and enrich the article, feel free to send me a PM. I'll be sure to credit you as the source. In the same spirit, there are bound to be mistakes that need corrections, along with typos and the like. Any help with polishing is most welcome.

 

Here's the article: https://nihontology.substack.com/p/grandmaster-mitsutada

 

If you're genuinely interested, share with friends in the hobby and encourage them to subscribe, it will encourage me to move forward with this work! 

 

I sincerely hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed researching,

 

Hoshi

[Rivkin]

I actually really liked this one!

[Scogg]

Amazing work! It was a pleasant surprise to find this in my inbox this afternoon, and a great read. 
 

These posts of yours are a real benefit to the forum and community. Thank you so much, and I look forward to the next one! 

-Sam 

[Schneeds]

Can't imagine how long it took to create this; it's excellent.

 

As a professional  I am jealous of some of that photography, from what I believe is Yuhindo; basically perfection. 

[C0D]

Excellent article with great pictures, must have taken a lot of time and effort to create it

[Brian]

That's an incredibly detailed, comprehensive, well written and well presented article. Well done, well worth saving. 

[nulldevice]

About half way through so far and it's a wonderful read just like the last article. Thanks Hoshi!

[Alex A]

Nice read.

[Lewis B]

Another seminal document from Hoshi and Sesko. Looking forward to the next instalments. 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Amazing 

[Kanenaga]

Thank you for this scholarly gift.

You are carrying on Darcy's tradition.

[dimitri]

Congratulations ☺️☺️👏👏👏

[Grevedk]

What is knowledge if nor shared  - thank you 🙏 

 

PS  - love those anecdotes 🤗

 

/Soeren

[Gakusee]

Dear CH

 

Thank you for the very extensive and carefully researched treatise, a fruit of long hours of labour. You have not only valuably collated and summarised some of the pre-eminent existing research on the topic, but also combined it with your own research and personal study of several impressive Mitsutada blades in hand (very few are blessed to have done so, as blades by MItsutada are so very rare and precious) and have thus synthesised some interesting hypotheses and conclusions. A lot of this hitherto not so accessible material on the topic has been in Japanese but you have offered a glimpse into several of these sources with detailed explanations and interpretations. 

 

People need to evaluate in its appropriateness the thoroughness of the approach, the study material and also that actually this shared knowledge has been so generously shared rather than protected and preserved by the custodians of the said blades. So very often subject blades like these are inaccessible in private collections and yet here you offer a window into this very special realm of blades. 

 

So thank you very much for creating this - people actually need to re-read it several times to fully grasp the depth and scope and appreciate it.

 

Very well done and I can discern the partially scientific approach (you just can't help your background:) you have taken to this but also the love and appreciation for the subject!

[Lewis B]

There is a Mitsutada tachi in the latest YT video from Paul Martin @8:10

 

[Benjamin]

I learned so mutch reading this! thanks a lot!!

 

a few commentaries :

 

Maybe I'm romanticizing but I was touched by an untold story of father and son's relationship with mutual admiration forged in steel for centuries between Mitsutada and Nagamitsu. Each one recognizing the master in each other.

 

This type of publication is not only an important intellectual contribution to our, as well intellectual (let's not be afraid of words), field of knowledge. It's moreover a step to save objects of art. Let me explain myself : Nihonto will not survive without people taking care of them, there is a lot of pieces to take care and our community could decrease in Japan and out of Japan as well. Your generosity and the form of work you produce should convince more people to join us. Nihonto field has to be as welcome as you are. Nihonto need it!

 

That's an impressive work, and one day, I hope being myself able to contribute like you and other here, but I knows it will take years for me.

 

If you allow me a question, that's an impressive production, for how many time are you working on it?

[Nihonto student]

I don't have much to add to what has already been said, one of the best insights I've ever read... full of excellent content (Almost inaccessible to ordinary mortals) the quality of the photos is superb... I honestly have no suggestions for improvement... I can only say thank you  and look forward to the next article.

 

Giordy

[Hoshi]

Hi all, 

 

You're welcome, thank you for the kind words.

 

It's a labor of love I undertook a few months ago, working on and off. I'm happy with the results. 

 

Which grandmaster should I do next?

 

I have Masamune in mind. We barely ever see his work up close in high quality format, just whispers on NMB of his existence...

 

I would like to cover the production costs (~250$/video from which I get pictures also, translations costs, probably totaling ~1000$ per long form article). If we can reach together reach 10x80$/y pledges on Substack, that will give me the confidence that there is an audience for this kind of work. All proceeds will be re-invested into our dear friend Markus's translation and consultant work, and the studio that handles videography. If you care deeply, you can spare a coffee per month, or a sayagaki per year. 

 

My time is free of course, it comes from a place of appreciation and desire to share with the community. 

 

Best,

 

Hoshi

 

[Rayhan]

@Hoshi i am really enjoying these reads and thank you! 

 

 

 

For your next would you consider a focus on the greatest tanto makers, one from each of the Gokaden, kamakura period specifically?

 

 

 

Or

 

 

 

Bungo Tomoyuki?

[Legatus]

Truly an amazing, beautifully written,  engaging and educational article.

Makes me want to see some of these blades in person! 

 

Thank you sincerely for sharing your work.

 

Leon

[Mister Gunto]

Excellent article!!!