Nihonto Club

History [1]

It was named arami as it closely resembles Osaka Arami.

This blade was handed down in Ashikaga Shogunate until Ashikaga Yoshiteru (1536-1565) borrowed money from Ishiyama Honganji temple in Osaka and left the sword there as a collateral. It was then obtained from the temple by Kimura Hitachi no Suke, a retainer of Kampaku Hidetsugu, for 70 mai of gold. He presented the sword to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

However Kyōhō Meibutsu Chō also mentions that after being in the temple the sword went to Karasumaru. Ōsaka gyobutsu meibutsu tōken oshigata (1619) also mentions Karasumaru Arami Tōshirō (烏丸新身藤四郎) with nagasa of 9 sun 5 bu (same as Edo Arami Tōshirō). Reference to Karasumaru is unclear and requires further research. It would be also interesting to know if there's any connection with another sword by Yoshimitsu associated with this clan - Karasumaru Tōshirō.

The blade was then passed to Toyotomi Hideyori who presented it to Tokugawa Hidetada on the 7th of February of Keichō 6 (1601).

Maeda Toshinaga received this sword from Hidetada after the Osaka battle when he called at the Edo castle for the first time.

Workmanship and style

Shape and construction

Length is 9 sun 5 bu.

Horimono

Gomabashi on omote and ura, with the one on the ura being a little shorter.

Hamon

Boshi

Jitetsu and hada

Nakago

References