For any one who is keen to start collecting, one needs to know the Gokaden, which is the five basic style of Japanese sword. However, in reality, one can often see mixed signs as well.
Gokaden***Five basic style of Japanese Sword***
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From ancient times, five areas where produced numbers of great swordsmiths were equally blessed with several good conditions, such as in political aspect, in business and rich in raw materials for making sword. No wonder many smiths flew in these core part continuously from all over the country and brought about a great advance in research and development. Each producing district established their own style and initiated their technique into posterity and also influenced local smiths a great deal. These are the five main districts where they showed distinctive competency above all. "Soushu-den", "Bizen-den", "Mino-den", "Yamashiro-den", and "Yamato-den". These were named generically "Gokaden" in Edo period and judge of swords are basically relied on each of these style.
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相州伝
| Soushu-den started in late Kamakura period under the effect of Kamakura Shogunate and completed by smith in Nambokucho period as Akihiro and Hiromitsu and so on. Generally nie, chikei, kinsuji, inazuma are typically seen inside the blade. |
| Prominent swordsmiths : Hiromitsu / Akihiro / Hasebe Kuninobu / Masakage / Tametsugu / Samonji / Rai Kunimitsu / Taima / Naoe Shizu / Kanemitsu / Nagayoshi / Hiromasa / Masahiro / Yoshihiro / Shimada / Nobukuni / late Hasebe | |
備前伝
| The most numerous swordsmiths existed in Bizen. Number of schools flourished for centuries that it is hard to explain collecively. So it can classify into several ways as ko-Bizen, ko-Osafune, Ouei Bizen, Sue Bizen. "Koshi-zori" is conspicuous as it gets older. "Jigane" is pliable and "utsuri" appears like shadow between "shinogi" and "hazakai". These are remarkable features of Bizen. "Hamon" is mainly "chouji-midare" but it has transformed to "gunome-midare" as time go by, also "nie-deki" changes to "konie" then "nioi-deki". |
| Prominent swordsmith : <Ko-Bizen>Tomonari / Masatsune / Sukehira / Kanehira / Yoshikane / Norimune / Sukemune / ko-Ichimonji / ko-Aoe <ko-Osafune>Mitsutada / Nagamitsu / kagemitsu / Mori'ie / Sanemori / Masanaga / Chikakage / Katayama Ichimonji / chu-Aoe <others>Kanemitsu / Motoshige / Nagayoshi / Morikage / Morimitsu / Yasumitsu / Norimitsu / Moromitsu / Tsuneie / Iesuke / Sukesada / Kiyomitsu / Katsumitsu / Norimitsu | |
美濃伝
| The forging pattern on hiraji is mainly itame and mixed with "masame" and "mokume", "shinogi" is "masame". This forging style is a technique to make blade solid and extremly sharp. Inside the blade, unique "hataraki" called "seki-utsuri" is appeared faintly white with "jinie". Tempering pattern is formed by "nioi" basic "nie" entangled. After the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, so many swordsmiths spread all over the country from Mino ,because of its functionality, that Mino-den became standard way of making swords in Edo period. |
| Prominent swordsmiths : Kaneuji / Naoe Shizu / Jumyou / Yoshisada / Akasaka Senjuin / Kanemoto / Kaneusa / Ujifusa / Kanetsune / Kanesada / Daidou / Muramasa / Sanjou Yoshinori / Fujishima / Unshu Yoshii / Naotsuna / Takada / Doutanuki / Heianjou Nagayoshi | |
山城伝
| The tradition of Yamashiro swordsmiths have started from Sanjou Munechika in late Heian period. Typical figure of those times is narrow bladed Tachi which line is beautifully curved with small kissaki. Well forged "jigane" is mostly "koitame" and "komokume" but some are "nashijihada", and the uniformed "nie" appears finely. Fundamental "hamon" are "suguha" and "komidare", tanto of "suguha" is the most strong point of Yamashiro's. |
| Prominent swordsmiths : Sanjou Munechika, yoshi'ie / Gojou Kanenaga, Kuninaga / Awataguchi / Ayanokouji Sadatoshi / Rai Kuniyuki, Kunitoshi, Kunimitsu, Kunitsugu / Ryoukai / Nobukuni / Heianjou Nagayoshi / Shintougo Kunimitsu / Yukimitsu / Chiyozuru Kuniyasu / Inshu Kagenaga / Bungo Sadahide / Yukihira / Bungo Ryoukai / Enju | |
大和伝
| Yamato-den derived from five big schools. They are Senjuin, Tegai, Taima, Houshou and Shikkake. The source of their names are all from temples that swordsmiths belonged exclusively to each temple. Common style of these schools are Tachi with high "shinogi" and wide "shinogiji". Tempering pattern are "masame" and "itame" incline to "masa". Hamon is "suguha" with strong "nie", mixed with several "hataraki" as "hotsure" which looks like loose thread and many "sunagashi" inside hachu. "Yakihaba" becomes broad as it gets to "kissaki" and "yakizume" at the top. |
Source:
http://world.choshuya.co.jp/gokaden/
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