Major names in shinsa/kantei world

[Mark S.]

With the passing of Yoshikawa-sensei (NTHK) and Miyano-sensei (NTHK-NPO) and Tanobe-sensei not officially a part of NBTHK Shinsa (I could be 100% wrong about that, and if so, I humbly apologize), although he still does sayagaki attributions…. who are the current notable people in the Shinsa/kanei world whether in the above mentioned organizations or other?  Just wondering who the current and upcoming crop of leaders in the field are?

[O koumori]

Crickets...

[Bugyotsuji]

I’ve been wondering about crickets, but it could simply be tinnitus.

[Scogg]

The most knowledgable people in Nihonto that I’ve met were very humble and mostly keep to themselves.

 

In my very limited experience of course. 

 

Hopefully that’s the reason for the crickets. Maybe those high-up and highly knowledgeable individuals names aren’t well known outside their respective circles. 
 

Best,

-Sam

 

 

 

[Mushin]

Bless you, Sam—I admire the optimism. But I do think the question touches on something many collectors are fretting about: what happens after Tanobe Michihiro?

The answer is that we just don't know.

Since the end of the war, there has been a fairly clear intellectual lineage in the study and appraisal of Nihontō—from Hon'ami Kosson and Honma Junji, to Sato Kanzan, and then to Ogawa Morihiro and Tanobe-sensei. That continuity has provided a kind of anchor for the field.

What is certain now is that nobody seems to know who the next generation will be and how to access their chops. The NBTHK these days is, by most accounts, something of a black box, and it’s not clear who the torch will be passed to—or whether it will be passed in the same way at all.

I’ve heard some interest around figures like Hirosuke Sato at the Tokyo National Museum, but that’s a very different institutional lane from the appraisal world the market tends to care about.

It may be as Sam suggests that the next generation is being quietly groomed and hasn’t yet stepped forward publicly. But I keep hearing about a crisis in the Honbu which is shaking lots of peoples' confidence. From the outside, there appears to be no clear consensus on who carries that mantle next. And that uncertainty, for a lot of people, is unsettling. Maybe somebody here has heard of a potential rising star, but I certainly have not. Scary, actually. 

[Mark S.]

I guess this is all why I asked the question.  It seemed there was much more (relatively) discussion about the judges of the ‘Big 3’ organizations (NBTHK, NTHK, NTHK-NPO… as well as others) and they would list who the judges were and even some background provided about each judge like their history, affiliations, judgment experience, kantei contests and awards, etc.  I can also remember separate discussions about kantei contests, winners, awards, etc., etc.  Now that info seems to have completely dried up?  Maybe it is more common in Japan, but I’m wondering why that info no longer reaches the U.S.?  Or am I just imagining our ability to access such information previously??? 

[Mark S.]

It may also be that NMB Members here who had a little more insight or contact with these organizations no longer post or post less than previously?

 

Mike Y. or other NBTHK members - NBTHK
Toryu2020 - NTHK

Chris Bowen - NTHK-NPO

[Julien]

This is the list of board members of the NBTHK. While the board is separate from the shinsa, it is likely that some members also participate as judges.HP役員名簿2025.11.20.pdf

[Mark S.]

Here was some information I found regarding the NTHK (not NPO) 2024 Shinsa team at the Orlando show:

 

SWORD TEAM

OKADA MORIYOSHI:

Shinsa team member, director of the NTHK and Chief Editor of Token to Rekishi. Joined the NTHK in 1988, became a member of the board of directors for the Osaka-Kobe branch in 1993, became a permanent member of same in 1995, became a member of the board of trustees of the NTHK in 1996, became a researcher for the shinsa team in 1997 and participated in the New York shinsa in October of the same year under the late Yoshikawa Kentaro Sensei. Became the chief editor of Token to Rekishi in 1999 and a full member of the shinsa team in 2000. Became a director of the NTHK in 2001. His special area of interest is Yamato den.

 

OGINO MITSUAKI:

1971 joined the Hyaku-tô-kai. Around 1990, he joined the Katana-Yoroi-Kai and studied under Iida Kazuo Sensei. After that, he also studied with the NTHK, the Harugasumi-kai and other sword clubs. He is particularly interested in Kotô, especially Kamakura period works of the major schools. He also has a fondness for the works of Kotetsu and Shinkai. Mr. Ogino’s other interests are in collecting porcelain and in all kinds of other Japanese antiques.

 

TAKEMOTO FUKUKAZU:

Takemoto san is assistant editor of the NTHK publication, To-ken to Rekishi and a longtime collector.

 

KAWAKAMI YOICHIRO:

Shinsa team member, a third generation sword polisher, he was a student of Yoshikawa Eiichi Sensei. In January 2017 he was a featured craftsman at the Seikado special exhibition, “Perfect Guide to the Japanese Sword,” where he demonstrated the art of sword polishing. For a time he worked at To-ken Matsumoto and now is the only independent polisher trained in the Yoshikawa style.

 

FITTINGS TEAM

PROFESSOR GORDON ROBSON:

Gordon Robson became the translator and interpreter for the NTHK in 1985. He became a trustee, and a researcher for the shinsa team in 1999. In 2000 he was made an assistant to the shinsa team, and an editor for the journal Tôken to Rekishi in 2001. He became a full member of the shinsa team and a director in 2002. In 2014, Gordon was made a shinsa team member for both swords and fittings. Professor Robson has written extensively on the Kanabô School of Yamato and on Sengo Masazane. He has also written on the iron sukashi tsuba of Kyoto, Owari, Kanayama and Ko-Shôami as well as the fittings of the Ko-Gotô, Ko-Kinkô and Ko-Mino Schools. In addition to his translations for the NTHK, he has translated for the JSSUS, producing such works as The Art and the Sword series as well as the two-volume set Sue-Kotô, and the Kyomono no Ko-Meisaku. His areas of interest include the works of the Sue-Bizen School, Sue-Tegai School, the Kanabô and Fujiwara smiths of Nara, the Muramasa School of Sengo, the Shitahara School of Musashi and the Shimada School. Professor Robson will also be consulting with the sword team as needed.

 

IWAMOTO NORIHISA:

Mr. Iwamoto studies fittings under his father, Iwamoto Toshiki. He has a particular interest in iron tsuba and koshirae. From 2015, together with Inada Kazuhiko sensei, honorary member of the Kyoto National Museum, he has been surveying the swords and fittings in shrine museums beginning first of all with Itsukushima Shrine. Osaka Bijutsu Club, Youth Group, Assistant Director. Lecturer, Osaka Yomiuri Cultural Center’s Nihon-tô Program. During his 20s, he traveled extensively in Ukraine, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

 

IWAMOTO TOSHIKI: (FOR REFERENCE)

Owner of the Iwamoto Sword Shop in Osaka. In 1991 he took over as head of the Namihana Kodôgu Kenkyû-kai (Sword Fittings Research Society). The Namihana Kodôgu Kenkyû-kai was originally the Nihon Tôken no Gaisô no Kenkyû-kai (Japanese Sword Fittings Research Society) established by Dr. Suenaga Masao in 1955.

[Mushin]

At least with the NTHK list, you get an idea of the folks directly involved in the Shinsa process. That said the names don't ring out. Moriyoshi has been around for a while but with all due respect, not he or anybody else on that team had the gravitas of Yoshikawa Koen, or even Miyano-sensei from the other NTHK group. The NBTHK board list doesn't tell us much either about the direction of the organization especially in regards to research. I think if there are any hints it will be in the authors of articles in the Token BuJitsu magazine. To be honest, I rely on the brief summary translations provided on the NBTHK's website. Maybe somebody who reads them more closely and more deeply will have noted an up and coming star. But when I ask my friends in Japan or key collectors and players in the West the same question that Mark is asking -- especially about the NBTHK -- all I get is a shrug or somebody confirming that it's a really good question. This sense that there is no recognizable grownup at the helm when it comes to shinsa might have a lot to do with declining trust in recent papers. I personally don't trust them. In fact, the last sword I bought from Japan about six moths ago had 2024 Hozon papers to a very desirable Bizen smith from the mid-Nanbokucho. The price was reasonable but not cheap. Like the old adage says about something looking too good to be true, I refused to pay the full asking price until Tanobe-sensei confirmed the attribution, which he did, and more actually. I am not sure I would have bought the blade had he not be around as a reality check. I can understand how an organization might eschew a single expert who is loved by the market and scholars alike, preferring that the organization as a whole was seen that way, but without more transparency that trust will be hard to regain. 

[eternal_newbie]

1 hour ago, Mushin said:

I refused to pay the full asking price until Tanobe-sensei confirmed the attribution, which he did, and more actually. I am not sure I would have bought the blade had he not be around as a reality check. I can understand how an organization might eschew a single expert who is loved by the market and scholars alike, preferring that the organization as a whole was seen that way, but without more transparency that trust will be hard to regain. 

 

Ironically, Tanobe-sensei continuing to do sayagaki might help with that in the long run, if there's a pretty good correlation between his attributions and what the shinsa team give out (or in fact if the shinsa team's attributions turn out to be more conservative than his, on average). But that would be something for the "big data" folks in here to look at.

[Mushin]

1 hour ago, eternal_newbie said:

Ironically, Tanobe-sensei continuing to do sayagaki might help with that in the long run, if there's a pretty good correlation between his attributions and what the shinsa team give out (or in fact if the shinsa team's attributions turn out to be more conservative than his, on average). But that would be something for the "big data" folks in here to look at.

LOL. Yes! And that is exactly what Tanobe did: his judgement on this particular work was much less conservative than the NBTHK , and the sayagaki was given to the master, not the student, raising its fortunes considerably. From a 50,000 ft view, Tanobe-sense simply validated the NBTHK's call suggesting the blade was a top-work in a top lineage from a remarkable time, which was reassuring. I was very grateful. I would like to say it restored my faith in NBTHK attributions but I have since seen other calls have left me deeply perplexed and even more distrustful. The fact that I felt I need in the first place for a known outside expert to validate the validators is the problem we are dealing with. When Tanobe is gone, I do not know where we will turn. Who has the gravitas and confidence of the majority of the collectors and market players to take his place? That is the answer we all want to know. 

 

[Lewis B]

It would have helped if someone was handed the torch when Tanobe retired as Head of the Appraisal Dept. An anointing of the chosen one so to speak. That would have provided an air of continuance and a feeling of confidence for those looking in. Was no-one worthy? Contrary to previous generations it seems that this time a committee-style leadership approach has been adopted and I think to the detriment of the appraisal process. 

Edited April 17 by Lewis B

[eternal_newbie]

Kanzan, Kunzan, Tanzan...

 

Clearly, what we need is another great scholar of nihonto with a pen name ending in 'zan'

[Shugyosha]

Tarzan? 

[eternal_newbie]

9 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

Tarzan?

 

"ああええあああ あああええあ" is the new "chin chin, cho cho"

[Soshin]

On 4/17/2026 at 11:27 AM, eternal_newbie said:

Ironically, Tanobe-sensei continuing to do sayagaki might help with that in the long run, if there's a pretty good correlation between his attributions and what the shinsa team give out (or in fact if the shinsa team's attributions turn out to be more conservative than his, on average). But that would be something for the "big data" folks in here to look at.

 

I have done something similar with my Japanese coin collection last year. I used an app on my iPhone that IDs the Japanese coin and gives me an idea of the appoxiamate grade and value. I submit the top value gold and silver coin regarded by the app using AI from the Edo Period and both passed and came back with a high grade from the PCGS and they were also able to narrow it down to the specific Era in the Edo Period when the coins were minted by the Tokugawa government via the Goto family. I think international Japanese sword collecting in general could learn a thing or two from the international coin collecting hobby.