慶長新刀

The Keichō era (1596-1615) was a tumultuous time as power shifted from the Toyotomi regime to the Tokugawa shogunate following the Battle of Sekigahara (1600). Positioned at the boundary between kotō and shintō, this period produced a distinctive transitional style called 'Keichō Shintō.' Smiths from across Japan began migrating to major cities—Kyoto, Osaka, Edo—laying the foundations for the production centers of the later shintō era. Horikawa Kunihiro, originally from Hyūga Province, moved to Kyoto and fused the scholarly education he acquired at the Ashikaga School with Sōshū tradition techniques, earning recognition as the founder of Keichō Shintō. From his school emerged Dewa Daijō Kunimichi, Echigo-no-kami Kunitomo, and Izumi-no-kami Kunisada, who spread shintō techniques nationwide. Umetada Myōju, an iconoclastic Kyoto smith renowned for his carving, mentored both Echizen-no-kami Yasutsugu I and Hizen Tadayoshi I. Keichō Shintō works retain some kotō forging methods while beginning to incorporate new steel sources, often showing characteristics of both eras. These works occupy a pivotal position in sword history, carrying significant academic and collecting value.