相州伝の確立
Establishment of Sagami-den
In Sagami Province (modern Kanagawa), swordsmiths Shintōgo Kunimitsu, Masamune, and Sadamune synthesized Yamato and Bizen techniques to create the Sagami-den tradition, widely considered the most innovative and influential school in Japanese sword-making history.
Description
The Sagami-den (Sagami tradition) emerged in Kamakura, the seat of Japan's military government, where smiths synthesized techniques from Yamato and Bizen to create an entirely new aesthetic. Shintōgo Kunimitsu laid the foundation in the mid-Kamakura period. His successor Masamune revolutionized sword-making with dramatic nie-deki (coarse nie crystal) hamon, active ji-nie steel, and bold forms. Sadamune refined the style into a more elegant variant. The Sagami-den became the most widely emulated tradition in subsequent Japanese sword history, influencing smiths across all provinces through the Muromachi, Edo, and Meiji periods.
Caracteristiques de cette epoque
- Intense nie-deki hamon with abundant activity (kinsuji, inazuma, sunagashi, yubashiri)
- O-itame steel with coarse ji-nie covering the entire blade surface
- Shallow sori and extended kissaki reflecting practical warrior demands
- Synthesis of Yamato and Bizen traditions into a new unified aesthetic
- Most widely imitated tradition throughout subsequent Japanese sword history