Japanese Sword Culture in the Horeki-Tenmei Era (1751-1789): How the Tanuma Period Transformed Samurai Etiquette and Sword Aesthetics

What Kind of Era Were the Hōreki and Tenmei Periods?

The period from Hōreki 1 (1751) to Tenmei 9 (1789) corresponds to the rule of the 9th shogun Tokugawa Ieshige through the 10th shogun Tokugawa Ieharu, and is known as the "Tanuma Era" under the leadership of senior councilor Tanuma Okitsugu. During this period, the shogunate pursued financial recovery through commercial promotion and active fiscal policy. At the same time, the townspeople's culture reached its height of refinement, and subtle changes occurred in perspectives on swords within samurai society.

In contrast to the previous Kyōhō Reforms (1716-1745), which adopted frugality and simplicity as their banner, the Tanuma period emphasized the activation of economic activity, and interest in "display swords" increased within samurai society. The significant refinement of sword fittings (tsuba, menuki, fuchigashira, kogai) during this period was not unrelated to this historical context.

The Flourishing of the Sword Fittings Industry—From the Gotō Family to Individual Artists

The Gotō family, which had held the apex of sword fittings since the Muromachi through early Edo period, maintained its privileged position as official kinkōshi (metalworkers) for the shogunate, but during the Hōreki and Tenmei periods was being relativized by the rise of independent metalworkers outside official circles.

After the death of Tsuchiya Yasuchika (1670-1744), a metalworker from Nara, his disciples continued to work in Edo and Osaka, creating works that combined traditional casting and chasing techniques with their own original designs. In particular, the Higo metalwork tradition (Kumamoto)—the four schools of Hayashi, Nishigaki, Hirata, and Shimizu—reached its peak during this period, establishing a unique aesthetic that applied simple openwork and restrained gold and silver inlay to sturdy iron tsuba.

This was also a period of diversification in tsuba materials, and works skillfully combining shakudō (dark copper alloy), shibuichi (copper-silver alloy), gold, silver, and iron were highly prized among wealthy merchants and daimyo in Edo.

On the Eve of Shinshintō—The Accumulation of Forging Culture

In blade forging technique as well, the Hōreki and Tenmei periods constituted an important period of accumulation directly preceding the shinshintō movement. While Suishinshi Masahide authored the "Tōken Hakuron" in 1841 (Tenpō 12), its intellectual seeds lay in the experimental efforts of swordsmiths during the Hōreki and Tenmei periods.

Most swordsmiths during this period, while inheriting the customs of the shintō period—the system where smiths from Sagami and Settsu worked from Edo and Osaka bases—began exploring a return to the techniques of the older "kotō." The momentum toward kotō revival (kotō fukko) flowed from the cultural austerity and revivalism that heightened during the Kyōhō reform period and was shared among intellectuals and samurai of the Tenmei period.

Changes in the Positioning of Swords in Samurai Etiquette

Entering the mid-Edo period, swords had largely lost their meaning as practical weapons, and the aspect of the sword as a ritual tool indicating samurai identity came to the fore. It was also during this period that the manner of wearing swords (haitō etiquette), the handling of swords at audiences, and the ceremonies surrounding the bestowal and reception of swords became refined.

What is particularly interesting is how the practice of "dentyūsa" became established and standardized. When entering Edo Castle, the bringing of long swords was prohibited, and only wakizashi of a certain length or less were permitted. This regulation gave rise to the culture of a short sword type called "dentyūsa," which accelerated the sophisticated artistic development of sword fittings.

The Tenmei Famine and Its Impact on the Sword Industry

The great Tenmei famine, which began in Tenmei 3 (1783), brought severe damage, particularly to the Tōhoku region, and dealt a serious blow to shogunate finances. This economic blow also affected the sword industry, reducing orders for expensive commissioned blades and putting a brake on the increasing luxury of sword fittings.

However, paradoxically, this economic hardship also contributed to the technical deepening of swordsmiths. With fewer commissions, smiths gained the opportunity to devote time to "experimental works that honed their techniques" rather than "commercially viable mass-produced items," deepening the technical inquiry that would lead to the later shinshintō revival movement.

While the Hōreki and Tenmei periods, lacking dramatic political incidents or major foreign wars, tend to be overlooked in sword history, they represent an indispensable period for understanding Japanese sword culture as the era in which the transformation of swords from practical tools to works of art and ritual implements was completed.