Sakurai Manji Masatsugu

Sakurai Masatsugu is also known as “Manji” Masatsugu due to his inclusion of the character in his signature more commonly referred to as a “swastika” (but facing left instead of right). This symbol is greatly associated with Buddhist temples in Japan, and in fact is used as a mark to show the location of them on Japanese maps to this day.

Masatsugu was the student of Katayama Hirotsugu, the son of the famous Katayama (or “Koyama”) Munetsugu. He is listed among a rare few smiths that were able to not only continue making swords through the Meiji and Taisho eras, but indeed devoted themselves to the craft through education thus preventing the complete loss of the craft after the Hatorei edict prohibiting the wearing of swords. His son, Hirotsugu continued this effort and established a forge at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, where Sumitani Masamine (Seiho) was a student, became a deshi, and eventually himself was elevated to Ningen Kokuho (Living Treasure) swordsmith. This proves the dedication that was instilled in Masatsugu by his illustrious teachers which he in turn, passed on to his students thus continuing a line of quality smiths spanning two centuries and five generations.

It’s important to note that Fujishiro Yoshio published the Shinto Hen in 1938. Masatsugu was at that time a contemporary modern smith, so his inclusion in this book along with the favorable nature of Fujishiro’s description, illustrates the magnitude of his importance to the re-emerging sword world, and places him in a level of importance as other contemporaries such as Gassan Sadakatsu, Horii Toshihide, Kasama Shigetsugu, Shibata Ka and others.

Fujishiro writes:

He was in the Katayama Munetsugu Ha and in the Hirotsugu Mon, and had the honor of being acquainted with Arushigawa Miya. He was nominated to the Nipponto Tenrankai in Showa Juichinen (1936), and has been a man of meritorious service in the Gendaito sword world. His works are gunome ashi iri with nioi deki, and a shadow of Munetsugu is seen in them.

His other achievements also include becoming a swordsmith to the Imperial Household. His works were listed by Kurihara Hikosaburo as Jojo Saku, which were second only to works by smiths in the top Saijo category like Gassan Sadakatsu.

This sword definitely shows the flavor of the Koyama school of forging. It has fine itame/komokume hada, with a hamon of gently undulating nioi deki suguba with tiny gunome and lovely ashi reaching to the edge. The nioi has lovely depth into the yakiba and nice brightness. The boshi is komaru that crosses the koshinogi at a short shallow angle. I suspect the polish on this sword is the first and original to it. I have seen other similar works from the period and the polishes on these “new” swords was neither the example of advanced polishes today, nor the top polishes of the time. One must remember that the sword world of that day was sparsely populated and that included polishers. What polishers were available, were professionals working in restorations and these new swords would not have been of much professional priority or interest. Therefore, the work would have been done either by the smiths on their own, or by lesser polisher craftsman or deshi honing their skills (pardon the pun J ) on them. Though all the features of this sword are visible, the enjoyment of it would be magnified with an improved polish, which because the groundwork is well done, would not require going back to the coarser stones.

The condition of the Nakago is pristine. Usually even a small amount of patina start to develop after a few decades but this one bright, clear, and excellent as the day it was finished.

The omote is signed: Showa kyu nen hachi gatsu kichi jitsu, Kingosai Manji Masatsugu

(A fortunate day in August, 1934, Kingosai Manji Masatsugu)

On the Ura: Hono Kashii-gu Iwasaki Tsurukame (alternatively Tsuruhisa)

(Dedicated to the Kashii-gu Shrine by Iwasaki Tsurukame)

Apparently this sword was originally made for dedication to the Kashii-gu shrine located in present day Fukuoka.

The tachi style habaki is solid silver and I suspect it also, along with the shirasaya, are original to the blade since it was made.

Nagasa: 67.9 cm (26 ¾ inches)

Motohaba: 2.9 cm (1 1/8 inches)

Kasane: 5.5 mm

Medium depth torizori

This is a wonderful opportunity to own a work by an important figure to the world of Gendaito, and an artist that indeed contributed great effort to keep Japanese sword craft from disappearing completely. With the increased study and popularity of Gendaito, rare examples such as this are important platforms of study and understanding.

 

Price: $6500.00 SOLD

My special thanks to Koichi Moriyama and Guido Schiller on the Nihonto Message Board for their gracious help in translating the ura mei on this sword.
 
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