Shikoku's Sword Culture—The Blades of an Unsung Island

When Japanese swords are discussed as production centers, the five major regions (the Five Traditions: Yamashiro, Yamato, Bizen, Soshu, and Mino) are all located on Honshu. Shikoku—Awa (Tokushima), Sanuki (Kagawa), Tosa (Kochi), and Iyo (Ehime)—has lower historical recognition of its swordsmiths compared to these major production centers, and research has lagged. However, each region possessed its own forging traditions and distinctive swordsmiths, and while maintaining influence relationships with Bizen and Yamashiro through the Seto Inland Sea's transportation networks, they cultivated their own unique sword culture.

Awa (Tokushima)—The Lineage of Tokushima Domain's Official Swordsmiths

Awa Province (present-day Tokushima Prefecture) was the territory of Tokushima Domain, ruled by the Hachisuka clan, and during the domain period, official swordsmiths supplied swords and blades. The Awa swordsmiths known as the "Awa no Masakiyo" lineage produced many swords that inherited techniques from the Bizen tradition.

Awa was known as a production center for Tokushima indigo, and its economic prosperity supported the demand for samurai culture. The demand for swords came not only from domain lords and samurai, but also from wealthy merchants such as indigo traders who began collecting swords as art objects. Extant Awa swords are often inscribed with "Ashu-ju" (resident of Awa Province), showing that a culture of pride in regional origin was established.

During the Northern and Southern Courts period, there was a time when demand for military swords surged because generals supporting Emperor Go-Murakami made Awa an important military stronghold. The Awa swordsmiths of this period raised their profile by supplying swords to the Southern Court faction.

Sanuki (Kagawa)—Kompira Shrine and the Culture of Dedicated Swords

Sanuki Province (present-day Kagawa Prefecture) was since ancient times an economic and cultural center as a strategic point in maritime transportation. Particularly noteworthy in Sanuki's sword culture is the tradition of dedicating swords to Kompira Shrine (Konpira-san).

Kompira Shrine, where sailors and merchants from across the nation dedicated swords for safe passage, houses numerous dedicated blades, including works by Sanuki swordsmiths. Recorded Sanuki swordsmiths are a group who inscribed "Sanshu-ju" (resident of Sanuki Province), with many works from the mid-Edo period onward. Works by swordsmiths who sought unique jigane expression while strongly influenced by neighboring Bizen remain extant. Some swordsmiths trained under the official smith system of Takamatsu Domain (Matsudaira clan) later went to Sendai and Edo in the later domain period to refine their skills.

While Sanuki is known as the symbol of udon culture, the "whetstones of Shodoshima Island" also played an important role in the sword industry. Polishing masters throughout the Seto Inland Sea used Shodoshima-produced whetstones, and Sanuki contributed to sword culture through the polishing industry as much as through swordsmithing.

Tosa (Kochi)—The Yamauchi Clan and the Swords of Martial Spirit

Tosa Province (present-day Kochi Prefecture) maintained its own samurai culture as Tosa Domain from when Yamauchi Kazutoyo entered after the Battle of Sekigahara until the end of the Edo period. The most important name in Tosa's swordsmithing history is "Tosa Yukinikuni."

Yukinikuni was a swordsmith active in Tosa in the early Edo period, had a deep relationship with the Yamauchi clan, and left works signed "Tosa no Kami Yukinikuni." Tosa's sword culture has a distinctive characteristic of martial decisiveness. It is well known that at the end of the Edo period, royalist activists of the Tosa Imperial Loyalist faction such as Sakamoto Ryoma, Takechi Hanpeita, and Okada Izou carried swords in their activities, and most of these swords were either works by Tosa smiths or swords acquired from other production regions.

In the mountainous regions of Tosa, blacksmiths actively made agricultural tools and forestry implements, and many swordsmiths worked in this dual capacity of making both tools and swords. This background has led to the evaluation of Tosa swords as "practical and unpretentious." Most extant Tosa swords display bold workmanship, and in their emphasis on function over decoration, the spirit of Tosa is reflected.

Iyo (Ehime)—The Swordsmithing Network of Imabari, Matsuyama, and Uwajima

Iyo Province (present-day Ehime Prefecture) was Shikoku's largest region and nurtured diverse sword culture under a three-domain system of Hojo (Imabari), Matsuyama, and Uwajima. The most renowned Iyo swordsmiths are a group colloquially called the "Iyo no Kanemitsu lineage," and there are records of swordsmiths who learned techniques from Kanemitsu of the Bizen Osafune school migrating to Iyo.

Matsuyama Domain (Matsudaira clan) actively employed swordsmiths throughout the Edo period, supporting sword demand for both the arming of domain samurai and art collecting. Imabari Domain, along with Saijo Domain, prospered as a hub of Seto Inland Sea trade, and its wealth promoted a sword-collecting culture.

Characteristic features of Iyo smiths' work include flowing itame grain and bright hamon. This is attributed to the influence of nearby Bizen and Sanuki combined with Iyo's use of its own materials (iron of a different quality than the iron sand supplied from the Chugoku Mountains).

Modern Reevaluation of Shikoku Swords

Works by Shikoku swordsmiths often have less market value compared to the major production centers of the Five Traditions. However, with the advance of research, the uniqueness of Shikoku swords—their individual character reflecting regional materials, culture, and samurai preferences—is being reevaluated.

Local museums in Tokushima, Kochi, Matsuyama, and Takamatsu house and exhibit works by regional swordsmiths, and local sword enthusiast groups continue research on regional smiths. Investigation of swords dedicated to temples in relation to the Shikoku Pilgrimage of 88 Temples is also advancing, and Shikoku's sword culture research is a field expected to deepen further in the future.