Shintō of the Edo Period: The Aesthetic Revolution in Swords Nurtured by Genroku Culture

The Dawn of the Shintō Era: Transformation After Keichō

In the periodization of Japanese sword history, "shintō" (literally, "new swords") refers to blades made from the Keichō era (1596–1615) through the early 19th century. The defining difference from kotō (old swords) lies in social context: where kotō were forged to meet the demands of warfare, shintō were born in the era of peace established by the Tokugawa shogunate (following the "Genna Enbu" pacification declaration of 1615).

What happens to swords when there are no wars? One possibility would be gradual irrelevance as their practical function diminished — but Edo-period sword culture chose a different path: deepening as art. For the samurai, the sword remained a symbol of status, and competing in its beauty became a mark of cultivation. Swordsmiths, responding to a changed market, continually innovated to produce more refined and beautiful work.

Formation of Shintō Production Centers: Edo, Osaka, and Echizen

Where the classic kotō tradition had been concentrated in the "Five Traditions" of Bizen, Yamashiro, Yamato, Mino, and Sōshū, the shintō era saw Edo, Osaka (Settsu), and Echizen (Fukui Prefecture) emerge as new centers.

Edo (Bushū): As the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, Edo attracted superior smiths from across the country. Smiths in the Bushū tradition, influenced by Sōshū techniques, produced refined blades suited to Edo's warrior culture. Nagasone Okisato — better known by his art name Kotetsu — was the foremost representative of this center, active in the early Edo period.

Settsu (Osaka): Sword production flourished in Osaka even after power had shifted from the Toyotomi to the Tokugawa. Masters such as Inoue Shinkai and Tsuda Sukehiro produced technically accomplished and aesthetically elegant works, establishing a distinctive style known as "Osaka shintō."

Echizen (Hokuriku): Under the patronage of the Echizen Matsudaira domain, Echizen Yasutsugu became active, establishing the "Echizen-mono" tradition.

Kotetsu: The Supreme Master of Edo Shintō

Nagasone Okisato, universally known as "Kotetsu" (active 17th century, exact dates uncertain), remains the most celebrated smith of the shintō era. Tradition holds that Okisato began as an armorer and switched to swordsmithing after age forty, a story of late-blooming genius that has been passed down through generations.

The characteristics of Kotetsu's work:

• Hamon: Mostly dynamic nōtare (undulating) and gunome patterns, with vigorous ji-nie (surface crystalline activity) and rich hataraki (activity within the hamon).
• Jigane: Well-worked ko-itame (small wood-grain) skin with a characteristically dark, deep tone.
• Sugata (profile): Unlike the long-kissaki forms of the Keichō period, Kotetsu's blades tend toward well-proportioned, graceful profiles.

Kotetsu is also famous for the enormous number of forged signatures attributed to him. It was said even in the Edo period that "most Kotetsu swords are fakes," and today the number of pieces certified as genuine by the NBTHK is limited. The paradox — that the prevalence of forgeries attests to the height of his fame — leaves Kotetsu's reputation unshakeable to this day.

Tsuda Sukehiro and the Aesthetic of Osaka Shintō

If Kotetsu represents Edo, then Tsuda Sukehiro (1638–1682) of Settsu represents the pinnacle of Osaka shintō. Sukehiro is known for the distinctive hamon called tōran-midare — a bold, wave-cresting irregular pattern evoking crashing sea waves, unprecedented before Sukehiro.

Osaka's commercial culture generated an aesthetic standard that was neither the courtly refinement of Kyoto nor the martial severity of Edo — it was meritocratic beauty measured by impact. Sukehiro's swords are its ultimate expression: technical completion fused with visual force. His signatures range from the single-character "Sukehiro" to the longer "Tsuda Echizen-no-kami Sukehiro," with the latter more common in his earlier works.

The Flourishing of Sword-Fitting Culture: Genroku Opulence

The Genroku era (1688–1704) under Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi witnessed the full flowering of townsman culture. Samurai aesthetic sensibility evolved accordingly, and demand grew for lavish koshirae made for display and ostentation rather than practical use.

The metalworkers of this era — successors to the Gotō school such as Yokoya Sōmin and Yanagawa Naomitsu — elevated the uchigatana koshirae to a kind of total artwork. Yokoya Sōmin in particular is considered a revolutionary of kinkō (metal carving), boldly applying nunome-zōgan (fabric-weave inlay) and high-relief carving to tsuba and menuki. His works regularly command several million yen at auction today.

The Genroku period also saw the complete establishment of the daishō ("large and small") system — the samurai custom of wearing both a katana and a wakizashi at all times. This generated demand for matched "daishō-soroi" (paired fittings) with unified designs for both swords, greatly expanding the sword-fitting market and energizing Edo's craft industries more broadly.

Art Born of Peace: The Legacy of Shintō

Shintō swords are sometimes criticized as "peace-time swords" that prioritized visual beauty over cutting performance and strength. In reality, shintō smiths did not sacrifice cutting ability — they pursued the higher goal of maintaining functional performance while simultaneously achieving beauty.

Modern research confirms metallurgically that top Edo-period shintō works are functionally comparable to the best kotō. It was no coincidence that Kotetsu's swords were favored by the late-Edo swordsman Kondō Isami: as commander of the Shinsengumi who faced real combat, Kondō judged Kotetsu to be the best choice — a sword that united beauty and cutting performance.

The greatest legacy the Edo period left to the Japanese sword is the establishment of a culture of purely aesthetic appreciation — a culture that survived even through the Meiji-era sword ban and became the direct foundation of the modern world of sword collecting and connoisseurship.