明治〜大正

The Haitōrei (Sword Abolishment Edict) of 1876 was the greatest turning point in Japanese sword history. Demand for weapons vanished entirely, forcing many smiths out of business. However, calls grew to preserve Japanese swords as art and cultural property. In the 1890s, the Imperial Art Craftsman (Teishitsu Gigeiin) system was established, and Gassan Sadakazu I and Miyamoto Kanenori were appointed. They continued the kotō revival spirit while presenting works through the modern exhibition system, asserting the artistic value of the Japanese sword. Gassan Sadakazu preserved the distinctive ayasugi-hada (Gassan-hada) forging pattern and was highly regarded as a comprehensive smith also skilled in carving. Sakurai Masatsugu forged tachi for Emperor Meiji as an Imperial Household smith, and Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu maintained the Shinshintō tradition in Edo/Tokyo. In the Taishō era, Kurihara Akihide (son of Nobuhide) continued his father's techniques, and Horii Toshihide carried on fukko-tō production in Osaka. This period laid the foundations for sword preservation and research, with organizations that would become the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords (NBTHK) beginning their activities. Works by smiths who preserved tradition through post-Haitōrei adversity are being re-evaluated as precious witnesses to modern Japanese sword history.