* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Eisho Era
永正（えいしょう）
The era name between Bunki and Daiei, during which mass production of kazu-uchimono accelerated in Mino and Bizen, and later-renowned smiths such as the second-generation Kanemoto ("Magoroku") rose to prominence.
Description
Historical Background
Eisho was the era name following Bunki and preceding Daiei, used from 1504 to 1521 during the reign of Emperor Go-Kashiwabara and the shogunates of the 10th shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane and the 11th shogun Ashikaga Yoshizumi. It falls within the early Sengoku period, when the turmoil that followed the Onin War continued, shogunal authority had become largely nominal, and provincial shugo daimyo and local warlords held effective control of their domains. Amid this political disorder, demand for practical battlefield swords rose still further across the country.
Characteristics of the Blades
During the Eisho era, the production of standardized mass-produced blades known as kazu-uchimono accelerated further, particularly in Mino and Bizen, and regional stylistic conventions became increasingly established. The Bizen Osafune school is known for a concentration of finely engraved (horimono) blades among works dated to the Bunki and Eisho eras, suggesting that elaborate custom-ordered pieces continued to be produced alongside mass production. In Mino, the forging method later known as "shihozume" was taking shape, laying the groundwork for the reputation these blades would earn as swords that would neither break nor bend while retaining their cutting edge.
Representative Smiths
In Mino, the second-generation Kanemoto — who trained under the first-generation Izumi-no-kami Kanesada — rose to prominence during the Eisho era and is said to have formed a sworn brotherhood with the first-generation Kanesada's son, the second-generation Kanesada. He would later become renowned as "Magoroku Kanemoto," known as "Seki no Magoroku." In the Bizen Osafune school, the smith Osafune Hisamitsu is recorded as having begun his career during the Eisho era.
Social Context
The Eisho era saw the gekokujo ("the low overturning the high") trend that followed the Onin War take full hold, as Sengoku daimyo across the country consolidated their domains through military strength. The reliability of a blade in actual combat increasingly determined its value, and smiths who honed their craft during this period — such as the second-generation Kanemoto, later celebrated in the phrase "a Kanemoto of Seki in Noshu Province, a masterpiece without equal under heaven" — built the foundation for the deep trust that Sengoku-period warlords would place in their blades.
Characteristics of This Era
- Mass production of kazu-uchimono accelerated further in Mino and Bizen, and regional stylistic conventions became established
- The Bizen Osafune school shows a concentration of finely engraved (horimono) works among blades dated to the Bunki and Eisho eras
- In Mino, the groundwork for the forging method later known as shihozume began to take shape