豊臣秀吉

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who rose from peasant origins to become the supreme ruler of Japan, was one of history's greatest sword collectors. He amassed famous blades as symbols of power, chief among them Ichigo Hitofuri by Awataguchi Yoshimitsu — widely regarded as the finest tachi ever made. His Sword Hunt edict of 1588 confiscated weapons from the peasantry, while he himself built an unparalleled collection. Other famous swords associated with Hideyoshi include Honebami Tōshirō and Nihon-gō. He patronized the Hon'ami family as the ultimate authority on sword appraisal, helping to establish the formal system of origami certification. The sword collection housed at Osaka Castle was without equal in both quality and quantity, but the loss and scattering of many blades during the Siege of Osaka remains one of the great tragedies of Japanese sword history.