The Culture of Bundori Swords in the Sengoku Period: Post-Battle Sword Seizure and Warriors' Proof of Military Merit

Bundori (Bundori) Customs—The Honor Culture of Sengoku Warriors

In battles during the Sengoku period, victorious warriors seized spoils of war—swords, armor, horses, and other goods—from the defeated, a practice called "bundori" (bundori). Among these spoils, the seizure of swords held special significance. The sword was the very identity of a warrior, and seizing an enemy commander's sword meant not merely acquiring a valuable object, but symbolically taking possession of that warrior's prestige and power.

The bundori custom was an institutionalized practice established during the Sengoku period, clearly distinguished from mere plunder. Bundori on the battlefield was justified by the presence of witnesses and later confirmation, and was formally recognized as a military achievement only after being reported to and approved by one's lord. This institutional character gave rise to records of the provenance of bundori swords.

War Merit Recognition and the Social Function of Bundori Swords

In the households of Sengoku daimyo, the recognition of military achievement formed the basis for "chigyo"—land grants and promotions. After battles, warriors submitted to their lords "kubi-chumon" (reports of enemy heads taken) or "senkoku-oboegaki" (battle merit records) to report their military achievements. In this process, bundori goods—particularly swords—functioned as crucial physical evidence.

Seizing the heads and swords of renowned generals was recognized as the greatest military achievement. For example, slaying an enemy commander in battle and bringing his head and sword was the highest honor for a warrior. For this reason, warriors had an incentive to target enemy commanders who possessed particularly valuable swords.

Some bundori swords were later granted back as rewards by one's lord. That is, the spoils would first be offered to the lord, who would then grant them again to a warrior. This had ritualistic meaning in strengthening the bonds of the lord-vassal relationship, showing that swords functioned as a medium of trust and obligation between lord and vassal.

Famous Daimyo and the Provenance of Bundori Swords

Many of the renowned swords of the Sengoku period were transmitted through the cycle of bundori, offering, and bestowing. By tracing their provenance, the relationships and power structures among the daimyo of that time come to light.

The "Heshikiri Hasebe" is a sword said to have been used by Toyotomi Hideyoshi when slaying a daimyo of the time (though the origin of its name is debated), and was later granted by Hideyoshi to Fukushima Masanori, then passed through the hands of Kuroda Josui before being transmitted to later owners. It was not uncommon for a single sword to pass through the hands of several renowned daimyo, and the provenance itself enhanced the sword's value.

The "Honehami Toshiro" is known as a famous sword made by Awataguchioshikage Yoshimitsu, and this sword too changed owners in accordance with the succession of power among the Muromachi shogunate, the Toyotomi, and the Tokugawa. The phenomenon of meibustsu (celebrated swords) being transmitted through the hands of powerful rulers became the background for forming the value category of "meibustsu" among swords.

Oda Nobunaga, said to be particularly enthusiastic about sword collecting among Sengoku daimyo, gathered renowned swords through an aggressive collection activity called "meibustsu-gari" (hunting for celebrated swords). The fact that Nobunaga valued swords alongside tea utensils as political and cultural capital demonstrates the connection between bundori culture and meibustsu collecting culture.

Management and Distribution of Bundori Goods—The Sengoku Sword Economy

How were swords gathered on the battlefield through bundori managed and distributed? Let us consider this question from the perspective of the Sengoku sword economy.

After large-scale battles, large quantities of swords flowed from the defeated side to the victorious side. Particularly after large-scale sieges, armories within the castle became targets of seizure, and large quantities of swords sometimes entered circulation at once. Of the swords captured in this manner, some became offerings to the lord, some were redistributed as rewards to those who had earned merit, and the rest flowed to the market through sword merchants.

In this distribution process, the "wakizashi" (shorter sword) played a particularly important role. Although the primary weapons used in battles were still tachi (long swords), spears, and bows at that time, the wakizashi worn at the waist was a warrior's personal possession, and seizing a wakizashi from the body of a slain warrior was one of the most basic forms of bundori. For this reason, the wakizashi became the sword type with the highest circulation volume in the post-battle bundori market.

Transmission to the Edo Period—The Transformation of Bundori Culture

When the Edo period arrived and an age of peace under unified rule came, actual battles disappeared, and the opportunity for bundori also vanished. However, the spiritual legacy of bundori culture was inherited in various forms.

The most direct form of transmission was the recording of "swords that demonstrated military achievement." In Edo period samurai households, swords that ancestors had captured in Sengoku period battles were carefully preserved as family treasures, and their provenance was recorded in "kadens-sho" (family transmission records) or "yuisho-gaki" (provenance documents). Swords with a provenance such as "seized from [a certain general] in [a certain battle]" were regarded as the finest family treasures, evidence of the family's historical glory.

Even after the abolition of sword-wearing in the Meiji period, the narrative of bundori swords was transmitted as important provenance information among sword collectors. Even in today's sword market, swords with a documented provenance from Sengoku daimyo receive high valuations. Bundori culture was a unique sword distribution system created by the turmoil of the Sengoku period and became the source of the provenance of many celebrated swords that survive today.