大和守吉道

Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi

Description

Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi was active in early to mid-Edo period Osaka (Settsu Province), representing the Osaka Yoshimichi school and celebrated as the inventor of the "sudare-ba" — the signature blade pattern that made the Yoshimichi name immortal in Japanese sword history. The sudare-ba ("bamboo blind blade") is a complex interlocking gunome-midare pattern in which the elements are arranged with a beautiful, curtain-like regularity that is both visually striking and technically extraordinary. The sudare-ba requires precise control of clay placement during yakiire to produce its characteristic overlapping, curtain-like pattern of gunome. Each element must be precisely positioned to create the visual effect of a hanging bamboo blind — rows of regularly spaced, interlocking notches — while the overall composition maintains artistic harmony. The hamon features large, gleaming nie particles (ara-nie) that catch light brilliantly, amplifying the visual impact of the complex pattern. Yoshimichi's jihada is ko-itame with clear, bright jigane typical of Osaka new swords, with fine ji-nie throughout. The jigane's luminous quality complements the dramatic hamon, creating a blade of exceptional visual presence. The Osaka swords of the early Edo period represent a unique chapter in Japanese sword aesthetics — a period when commercial prosperity and an open urban culture encouraged innovation and individual expression. Yoshimichi's sudare-ba was the most striking product of this creative environment, establishing a new standard of visual innovation in hamon design. His surviving works, designated as Important Cultural Properties, continue to amaze viewers with the intricacy and beauty of his technical achievement. DATEKATANA presents Yoshimichi as the most innovative voice in Osaka's rich Shintō sword tradition.

Famous Works

• 刀（重要文化財）
• 脇差（重要美術品）