About the Blade
Swordsmith
Awataguchi Yoshimitsu (粟田口吉光)
Forge Date
?
Inscription
吉光
Yoshimitsu
Yoshimitsu
Current Sword Length
25.1cm
Current Blade Hamon (Historical)
Suguha
Sheath
?
Current Location
Missing
Kenkun Shrine (replica)
Kenkun Shrine (replica)
Public Viewing
Pending (replica)
(Past Exhibitions: Kenkun Shrine, 19th-28th October, 2018
Kenkun Shrine 2nd-10th November, 2019)
(Past Exhibitions: Kenkun Shrine, 19th-28th October, 2018
Kenkun Shrine 2nd-10th November, 2019)
Blade Appearance
History
- Originally owned by the Ashikaga shoguns, it was later given to the Hatakeyama clan and then returned back.
- It was taken by Matsunaga Danjou after Ashikaga Yoshiteru was killed in 1565, and presented to Oda Nobunaga in 1573.
- It is presumed to have burnt alongside Nobunaga at the Honnoji Incident in 1582.
Miscellaneous
- He gets his name from a legend of Hatakeyama Masanaga. In 1493, Masanaga attempted to use the tantou to commit seppuku, but it would not pierce through his stomach. Angry, he threw the tantou which pierced through a yagen (a mortar for grinding medicinal herbs), and thus it gained the reputation of being sharp, but would never harm its master.
- Interestingly, Meitokuki states that there was a sword called 薬研徹し (Yagentooshi) that was worn by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1391. Due to the nature of the name, it can be assumed that they are the same sword. This predates the legend of Hatakeyama Masanaga by around a hundred years.
- He is frequently referred to within the fandom as 兄貴 ("aniki", big brother) or ニキ ("niki") for short because of his masculinity.
- His fans are called 柄ラー (hilters).