鯰尾藤四郎

The catfish (namazuo) occupies a unique place in Japanese folklore as a creature associated with earthquakes — a giant catfish was thought to dwell underground and cause tremors when it moved. The naming of this sword after a catfish's tail is purely visual — the blade's graceful taper resembles the fluid, tapering shape of a catfish's tail — but the cultural associations of the catfish with deep-earth power and unpredictable force give the sword an extra layer of mythic resonance. The blade's history brushes against one of the most dramatic moments in Japanese history: the Honnōji Incident of 1582, when Oda Nobunaga was surrounded and killed. Many of his famous swords were lost or damaged in the fire. Namazuo Tōshirō's connection to this disaster — whether it survived intact, was remade, or was recovered from the ashes — remains a subject of scholarly debate, adding an air of mystery to its already compelling story. The sword eventually reached Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who treasured it for its unique form and pedigree. Today, as a character in the game Touken Ranbu, it has gained a passionate new following that has dramatically increased attendance at exhibitions of the real blade.