After the Muromachi era

A school called "a small curve" in Bizen country played an active part in the days of Muromachi in the early days. The main swordmaker is Masamitsu Osafune, Hidemitsu, teacher light. Assistant, in the Oei era year to follow, passed through Bizen Shigeru Osafune light, Yasumitsu, a family, and the master craftspersons such as houses came. Because there are many things made in the Oei era year, these are called "Oei era Bizen" in the world.
 There is the characteristic of Oei era Bizen at the point that is the elegant figure which the waist curve that aimed at the sword of the Kamakura era points out. In addition, of the Kakitsu era because is strange, and the sword which 鎬作 Rino has a short was bought for indoor battles, the point performed the production of so-called short sword is an important point.
 It is just this time that a long sword, cooking with two spits-style of the short sword were born from a sword. A figure was very good, and the long sword (two the shakus 3 back where is just before) of Oei era Bizen, the short sword (one the shaku 5 back where is just before) were valued high so that a daimyo made beautiful attire in the Edo era. It is said that one step たたら iron manufacture technology progressed these days, and large-scale iron manufacture ground trace comes to be seen.

(the Japanese sword lowers a blade and I hit long sword (佩 (does a blade from a) く sword upward, and to put in a waist and, after the Muromachi middle, take place of) which is to a waist.) In addition, it is common that an aspect to become a sword / the long sword outward when I wore it cuts a swordmaker signature in the aspect by the list of the sword blade. Therefore, there are many cases that the long sword can be distinguished from a sword by a position cutting a signature, but cut it in engravings on the reverse side of the sword blade; the swordmaker is, too;).

A sword： 備前長船祐定 (青貝螺鈿拵).
The sword of the Muromachi era.
Because the peaceful times began, the home demand of the sword deteriorated, but the production as the light への important trade product came to be performed. And 粗製濫造品 called bad "number casts" such as the "sword (a lent sword) for rent" for farmer soldiers came to appear to the common soldiers in large quantities to meet enormous demand when the world of the war began by Onin War again. When the age of civil strife begins, sword production is performed in each place, and the Mino country where a swordmaker giving the Bizen country where a little over 60 was prepared and a 兼 "certain person" played an active part in only the swordmaker giving 祐定 in particular is the two excellent things of the production base. Alternatively, Bungo, Mihara, Yamato, Kaga, Ecchu, Suruga Province are known. From the Kansho era year to the Tensho era that matchlocks spread, there are many swords (two shaku front and back) of the single closing a bargain. In addition, there was able to be the thing that the military commander spending all its time ing battle orders the sword which oneself entrusts with fate specially. "An order touches" these, and being similar has celebrated swords. I bake the eyes disorder of each other with a compromise blade from the inside to the point from the cause to the middle whether the product reflects the sense of beauty of the Kuriyama certain person of the orderer in Eisho era one-year term of "長船與三左衛門祐定" appointed to important cultural property, and it is the unique celebrated sword of the conventional sense. For the well-known swordmaker of the same period Norimitsu of Bizen, a living-in-light, light, Yuuko, 勝光, sect light, Kiyomitsu, Harumitsu, Osamu light, Yukimitsu who congratulate it. 兼定 of Mino, Kanemoto, 兼常, Kanefusa, 兼先, Kanemichi, Kanenori, 兼若, 氏貞等 are given. In the other district, wide Sagami rope; Muramasa Sengo high Tenjin Kaneaki, Bungo flat Shizu religion, flat Anjo Chokichi, 手掻包真, State of California line light, Uda country sect, Namihira certain person. In addition, it seems that there was more number of swordmakers than World War II time when I include a nameless swordmaker.

However, by the transmission of the gun by the Western trade, I will greet rapid switch from the form of the battle to the figure of the sword. At first 甲冑 was reinforced to be opposed to a gun. In addition, because large-scale battles increased, it was fighting for the long time with the figure which grasped a handle with both hands from conventional single closing a bargain in order to bear it, and width of the body was wide, and I repeated it, and I was thick, and a sword of the large chop ahead has begun to appear. This figure was inherited after the world unification by Hideyoshi Toyotomi and became the soil which produced magnificent "Keicho era maiden sword" positions.