Late Edo Period Shinshinto (New New Swords) — The Revival Movement Beginning with Suishinshi Masahide and the Sword Flourishing of the Bunka-Bunsei Era

What Era Do Shinshinto Refer To?

In the periodization of Japanese swords, "shinshinto" refers to blades produced from the Kansei era (1789) through the early Meiji period (the Sword Abolition Edict of 1876). As the period following the shintō (new swords, Keichō–Kansei), shinshinto reached their peak during the late Edo period, centered on the Bunka (1804–1818), Bunsei (1818–1830), and Tenpō (1830–1844) eras.

Despite this being a peaceful era in which the practical utility of swords had significantly declined, paradoxically, sword culture flourished greatly. Among the samurai class, sword appreciation, collecting, and the study of sword techniques became popular pastimes, and sword smiths underwent a transitional period in which their social position shifted from mere producers of practical goods to artisans of fine craftsmanship.

Suishinshi Masahide's Revival Philosophy — The Standard-Bearer of Return to Old Swords

The most important figure who opened the era of shinshinto was Suishinshi Masahide (ca. 1750–1825). A native of Dewa Province (present-day Nanyo, Yamagata Prefecture, in the Yonezawa domain), Masahide came to Edo and became a sword smith, serving as the intellectual pillar of the shinshinto movement from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

Masahide's principal work, the *Tōken Jitsuyōron* (On the Practical Application of Swords), criticized the excessive hardening and decorative blade patterns practiced during the shintō period and argued that practitioners should learn from the material selection, forging techniques, and quenching temperatures of old swords—particularly those from the Heian and Kamakura periods. Specifically, he emphasized the following points:

Masahide also authored the *Tōken Bengi* (Disputation on Swords), in which he critically discussed the excessive hardening and degradation of materials that had become prevalent during the shintō period (Keichō–Kansei). Where the *Tōken Jitsuyōron* presented constructive guidelines for revival, the *Tōken Bengi* served as its counterpart, recording as historical documentation the technical decline of the era. Reading both works together reveals that Masahide was not merely an idealist but also possessed the aspect of a practical technical critic of his time.

The Purity and Selection of Tamahagane — He recommended the use of high-quality tamahagane (steel produced through traditional tatara smelting) from Izumo, rather than cheap iron or imported Portuguese iron. Masahide argued empirically a point that would seem self-evident: that steel purity directly determines the quality of blade patterns and grain structure.

The Restoration of Forging Techniques — To recreate the fine grain patterns and reflective qualities characteristic of old swords, he attempted to bring the number of folding cycles and temperature control in the forging process closer to classical methods. This research was passed down to his disciples and contributed to the overall elevation of shinshinto technical standards.

The Return to Classical Blade Pattern Elegance — Rather than the excessively elaborate blade patterns seen in late Edo shintō (such as irregular patterns or showy scalloped designs), he idealized straight patterns and classical clove-like forms. This direction was strongly inherited by disciples such as Taikei Naotane.

In Masahide's own sword-making, the grain structure was characterized by a small wood-grain pattern with evenly distributed surface particles, and his blade patterns featured primarily scalloped, undulating, and clove-like forms while incorporating the large-scale particles characteristic of the Soshu tradition. His sword forms—predominantly katana and wakizashi—were conscious of classical elegance, and his consistent approach prioritized functional beauty and refinement over decoration. Masahide's greatest legacy was organizing, through written documents and theory, the techniques that had been transmitted orally and as secret teachings from master to apprentice. The evaluation that he "elevated the empirical techniques of craftsmen to a theoretical culture" stems from this achievement.

The Sword Boom of the Bunka-Bunsei Period and Its Background

Behind the wide acceptance of Masahide's philosophy lay the intellectual climate of the Bunka-Bunsei period. This era saw a flourishing of native studies and historical scholarship, with heightened interest among intellectuals in ancient Japanese culture and techniques. In the sword field as well, this momentum toward "revival" provided impetus, and research into and imitation of old swords became actively pursued.

A patron culture had been established in which daimyō and hatamoto-class samurai commissioned bespoke work from prominent sword smiths. Prominent Edo-based smiths could thus devote themselves to research and creation while securing stable incomes. In particular, the sword smiths of Masahide's school were dispersed throughout the domains as "retained smiths" in various daimyō households, promoting the spread of shinshinto in regions beyond the capital.

Representative Shinshinto Smiths — Parallel Currents to Masahide's School

The most famous direct disciple of Suishinshi Masahide was Taikei Naotane (1778–1857). While inheriting his master's revival philosophy, Naotane developed his own distinct approach and became the representative Edo shinshinto smith, celebrated for the beauty of his grain structure and the elegance of his blade patterns.

On the other hand, there was Minamoto no Kiyomaro (1813–1854), a smith who worked in his own independent style during Masahide's era. Though Kiyomaro's life was short, his blade patterns possessed a distinctive force even among shinshinto blades and continue to receive high regard in modern times. In modern sword research since the Meiji period, Kiyomaro is regarded as a "prodigy."

Additionally, smiths such as Hosokawa Masayoshi of Dewa Province and other Hizen-lineage smiths left important marks throughout the regions during the shinshinto period. Thus shinshinto was never a monolithic movement centered on Edo, but rather a nationwide movement with distinct regional characteristics.

How to Appreciate Shinshinto — Where They Differ from Old Swords

There are several key points for distinguishing shinshinto from old swords and shintō.

Regarding grain structure, many shinshinto blades were deliberately forged with attention to wood-grain and wavy-grain patterns as a result of admiration for old swords, but the deep reflective quality characteristic of old blades rarely appears. The fine grain patterns that Master Suishinshi Masahide sought as a virtue are, in practice, difficult to reproduce.

As for blade patterns, straight-pattern blades were relatively common except among those following the Kiyomaro style, reflecting the master's teachings. However, there were also smiths who specialized in irregular and scalloped patterns, so generalizations cannot be made.

The finish of the tang reveals period-specific characteristics in the fineness of the file marks and the shape of the file itself. Tangs finished with what was called a "cosmetic file"—a careful finish unique to shinshinto—demonstrate the high level of craftsmanship consciousness among smiths of that era.

The Sword Abolition Edict (1876) and the End of Shinshinto

With the Sword Abolition Edict of 1876 (Meiji 9), the carrying of swords was prohibited, and Japanese swords lost their social utility entirely. This edict marked a historical turning point that ended the shinshinto period, forcing many sword smiths into retirement.

However, the abolition edict did not mean the extinction of Japanese swords but rather prompted their redefinition as "art swords." The Meiji government exhibited Japanese swords as important craft objects in exhibitions and introduced them to the world. This development led to the revival of contemporary sword-smithing in the subsequent Showa period.

The legacy of shinshinto lies in the revival spirit and the methodology of technical research that has been passed down to contemporary sword smiths. The stance of "learning from old swords," which Suishinshi Masahide advocated, continues to live on today as a fundamental philosophy of Japanese sword-making.