This blade is accompanied by an appraisal certificate issued by Tōen-sha (刀苑社), dated July 13, Shōwa 50 (1975).
Tōen-sha was led by Murakami Kōsuke (村上孝介) — an early founding member of the NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai) and one of the most respected sword scholars and connoisseurs of his generation, the author of numerous authoritative works on Japanese swords. An appraisal bearing his name carries considerable weight among serious collectors.
| Mei (Signature) | Kaneharu (兼春) |
| School | San'ami School (三阿弥派), one of the Seki Shichiryū (Seven Schools of Seki) |
| Era | Late Muromachi Period — Sengoku era (c. 15th–16th century) |
| Province (Kuni) | Mino — Seki (present-day Gifu Prefecture) |
| Shape (Sugata) | Shinogizukuri, Iorimune |
| Material | Tamahagane |
| Jihada (Grain) | Itame-hada with distinctive shirake-utsuri |
| Hamon (Temper Line) | Gunome-midare with togariba (pointed elements) — abundant ko-nie, prominent shirake-utsuri |
| Blade Length | 55.6 cm (21.9 inches) |
| Curvature (Sori) | 1.2 cm |
| Moto-haba (Width at base) | 2.7 cm |
| Saki-haba (Width at tip) | 2.0 cm |
| Kasane (Thickness) | 0.5 cm |
| Weight (blade only) | 465 g |
| Mekugiana (Rivet holes) | 1 |
| Koshirae | Shirasaya (plain wooden storage scabbard) |
| Certificate | Tōen-sha (Murakami Kōsuke) — July 13, Shōwa 50 (1975) |
This wakizashi bears the signature "Kaneharu" (兼春), a swordsmith of the San'ami school (三阿弥派) — one of the celebrated Seki Shichiryū (関七流), the seven great schools of swordsmiths that flourished in Seki, Mino Province. Seki was one of the most productive and influential sword-making centers in all of Japanese history, and the San'ami school was an established lineage within it, with recorded work beginning around the Chōroku era (c. 1457) and continuing across multiple generations through the turbulent Sengoku (Warring States) period.
This blade is a work of the Muromachi-period Kaneharu — a genuine Sengoku-era sword forged in the age when Mino blades were prized above all others for their reliability in actual battle. Mino's swordsmiths supplied the warlords of the Warring States with weapons that combined superb cutting ability with practical durability, and this wakizashi embodies that martial heritage.
The most striking feature of this blade is its shirake-utsuri (白け映り) — a whitish misty reflection that hovers in the surface of the steel above the hamon. This is a defining characteristic of the Mino/Seki tradition, and it is important to note that it is visually distinct from the well-known Bizen utsuri: where Bizen utsuri appears as a warm, cloudy shadow, Seki's shirake-utsuri has a cooler, whiter, more austere quality. On this blade it appears prominently and clearly — a textbook example that makes it an excellent study piece for understanding this regional trait.
The hamon is a gunome-midare punctuated with togariba (尖り刃) — the sharply pointed elements that are the signature of the Mino tradition and rarely seen elsewhere. The temper is rich in ko-nie (fine martensite crystals), giving the hamon a bright, active quality. The jihada is Itame-hada, well-forged and clear.
The blade is in good condition, fully appreciable, and comes in a shirasaya (plain wooden storage scabbard) that protects the blade and displays it cleanly.
Blade: Good condition, fully appreciable. The Itame-hada jihada, the gunome-midare hamon with togariba and ko-nie, and the prominent shirake-utsuri are all clearly visible. No issues affecting enjoyment of the sword.
Koshirae: Shirasaya (plain wooden storage scabbard). No decorative mounting is included.
- ✅ Genuine late Muromachi (Sengoku-era) Mino blade — forged in the age of the Warring States
- ✅ San'ami school — one of the celebrated Seki Shichiryū (Seven Schools of Seki)
- ✅ Prominent, textbook shirake-utsuri — the defining Mino/Seki reflection, visually distinct from Bizen utsuri
- ✅ Classic Seki togariba in gunome-midare with abundant ko-nie
- ✅ Appraised by Murakami Kōsuke (Tōen-sha) — founding NBTHK member and leading scholar
- ✅ Good, fully appreciable condition — an excellent study piece for the Mino tradition
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We do not undervalue items or mark them as gifts. International government regulations prohibit such practices.
