About the Blade
Swordsmith
Gojou Kuninaga (五条国永)
Forge Date
1053 CE
Inscription
国永
Kuninaga
Kuninaga
Current Sword Length
78cm
Current Blade Hamon (Historical)
?
Sheath
Current Location
Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Museum), Tokyo
Public Viewing
No
Blade Appearance
History
- Born into the Yamashiro Gojo school in the late Heian period, Tsurumaru was forged by the grandson and theorized disciple of Sanjou Kokaji Munechika of the Yamashiro Sanjou school, Gojo Kuninaga.
- His owner was Sadayasu of the Adachi Clan during the Kamakura period, who was drawn into the political rivalry between his clan of samurai and the regent of Shogunate, Hojo Sadatoki (which resulted in the Shimotsuki Incident). Because of the Shimotsuki Incident his owner was killed by Hojo Sadatoki, who was 14. Tsurumaru was supposed to sleep in his owner's grave but Hojo Sadatoki desired this beautiful sword and he dug him out of Sadayasu's grave to take him.
- Tsurumaru stayed on in the Hojo family, but the Kamakura Shogunate reached its downfall during the reign of Sadatoki's son, Takatoki. Sadatoki's grandson Tokiyuki, the last in line of the Hojo Clan, was killed by Ashikaga Takauji, who formed the new Muromachi Ashikaga Shogunate.
- Tsurumaru went into unknown hands after the extermination of the Hojo Clan until he was presented to Oda Nobunaga, who then passed Tsurumaru to one of his most-valued retainers: Mori Yoshinari.
- As time went by, Tsurumaru was passed around by owners until he was finally placed in a shrine. However, (surprise) Koudeki of the Honami Clan of sword polishers and connoisseurs got enchanted by his beauty and took him from the shrine.
- The Honami Clan gave Tsurumaru to the Date Clan of Sendai Domain (1716), who later presented Tsurumaru to the Meiji Emperor (1901), and he remains in the Imperial Collection to this day, alongside Ichigo Hitofuri, Uguisumaru and Hirano Toushirou.
Miscellaneous
- Tsurumaru keeps talking about him looking like a crane in some of lines. This is because his name (鶴丸) is written with the Kanji for crane (鶴). The crane was also the crest of Mori Yoshinari (Odagumi period).
- There are many theories of where Tsurumaru's name first originated, although no one has been able to come up with a concrete starting point as where he first began to be called "Tsurumaru."
- Although Tsurumaru's symbol (crane) is a traditional sign of fortune and longevity, he brought the opposite to his chain of masters.
- Tsurumaru says that he hates boredom and always seeks for surprises to while away his endless longevity, being the best preserved blade from the Heian period despite his turbulent history.
- Tsurumaru's history as a descendant of the Sanjou school is not referenced in-game, to the extent that his school is not listed (possibly because he is the only Gojo in the game); however, other works in the franchise tend to give him a close relationship with Mikazuki Munechika, who was forged by Sanjou Munechika, likely as an allusion to his origins.
- Along with the theory that Tsurumaru's swordsmith was a direct disciple of Munechika, there are also some theories that Tsurumaru was created by Kuninaga using the Mikazuki Munechika as a reference due to their similar appearances.
- The collaborative exhibition "Learn about Japanese Swords and the Future through Touken Ranbu" is the first work directly connected to the browser game (not a spin-off or other type of adaptation written by a different writer) to acknowledge Tsurumaru's origins as a descendant of the Sanjou school, as it explains his schools origins.
- Fanworks sometimes depict Tsurumaru with Ookurikara, Shokudaikiri Mitsutada and Taikogane Sadamune. This is due to Mitsutada having been owned by Date Masamune, Ookurikara is speculated to have been a sword of Masamune's, or his son Date Tadamune, Taikogane was owned by Tadamune, whereas Tsurumaru himself was a gift from Date Tsunamura to Yoshimura Date. Together, these four TouDan are known as the Dategumi for having been at the service of the Date Clan of Sendai Domain, although at different points in history.
- Tsurumaru is the only Dategumi sword with no direct connection to Date Masamune due to entering the Date clan several decades after his death. Some adaptations get this fact wrong and make him a fellow sword owned by Date Masamune himself, however.
- Tsurumaru’s crest resembles the crest of the Mouri clan, although redesigned to look more like a crane.