Izumo Daijō Fujiwara Yoshitake Wakizashi
出雲大掾藤原吉武 脇指
Period: Shinto Period (1600s)
Mei (Signature): 出雲大掾藤原吉武 Izumo Daijō Fujiwara Yoshitake Wakizashi
Designation: Tokubetsu Hozon
Nakago - Ubu
Nagasa - 43.5cm
Sori: - 0.6cm
Motohaba - 3.05cm
Sakihaba - 2.1cm
Kissaki - 3.2cm
Motokasane - 0.79cm
Nakago - 13.3cm
Price: ¥ 580,000
Son of Horikawa Kunitake - Descendant of Sanjo Yoshinori
Fujiwara Yoshitake (出雲大掾藤原吉武) was a distinguished swordsmith of the early Edo period, celebrated for the sharpness of his blades and ranked among the wazamono—smiths renowned for producing swords with excellent cutting performance. He was the son of Horikawa Kunitake, a direct disciple of Horikawa Kunihiro, and thus inherited the refined techniques and stylistic traditions of the Horikawa school, one of the most influential movements in the Keichō Shintō period. Through his father’s line, Yoshitake was also a descendant of Sanjō Yoshinori, placing him within a prestigious lineage of Yamashiro-based craftsmen.
Originally active in Yamashiro (Kyoto), Yoshitake later relocated to Edo, where he was awarded the honorary court title Izumo Daijō, and subsequently promoted to Izumo no Kami. His works show a rich synthesis of styles—retaining the graceful hada and active jigane of the Horikawa tradition.
Yoshitake’s clientele included prominent figures of the Tokugawa regime. Notably, Hasegawa Shigeaki, a senior hatamoto serving in a high post within the shogunate, commissioned both a katana and wakizashi from Yoshitake in the nie-rich style that was highly fashionable in Edo at the time. One of these blades was later featured in the Shōwa Tōken Meibutsuchō under the name "Hasegawa Yoshitake."
This blade by Fujiwara Yoshitake (出雲大掾藤原吉武) embody the highest standards of early Edo craftsmanship: robust and exceptionally well-forged. The kasane is very thick for a Wakizashi.
The jigane is a striking combination of itame-hada mixed with mokume-hada, showcasing a beautifully flowing grain structure. The hada is prominent (肌立つ / hada-tatsu), meaning the surface texture stands out, lending the blade a rich tactile and visual quality. The steel displays a blackish, rugged appearance (zanguri)—a slightly coarse but well-textured surface—reminiscent of the classic Horikawa school aesthetic. The hamon is a dynamic gunome-midare, featuring abundant nie, sunagashi, and kinsuji throughout the blade.
this blade is accompanied by a sayagaki by Tanobe-sensei, the former head researcher of the NBTHK. In his inscription, Tanobe-sensei praises the work and remarks that it bears a strong resemblance to that of Kotetsu, one of the most revered swordsmiths of the Edo period. This comparison underscores the exceptional quality and character of this piece.