* Image is for illustrative purposes only.The Enpō Legacy and the Transition to Hōreki Shintō
延宝遺風と宝暦新刀の過渡期
Spanning the Enpō era (1673–1681) through the Hōreki era (1751–1764), this was a technical transition period in which the balanced beauty of Kanbun shintō evolved into the refined, ornamental beauty of Kyōhō and Hōreki shintō. Building on the technical peak reached during the Enpō era by Osaka masters Tsuda Echizen-no-Kami Sukehiro and Inoue Shinkai, and passing through the shogunate-led swordsmith promotion policies of the Kyōhō era, the shintō style as a whole moved toward its completion.
Description
Continuity from Kanbun Shintō into the Enpō Era
Kanbun shintō, which reached maturity during the Kanbun era (1661–1673), is known for its shallow koshi-zori curvature and straight-leaning temper lines, prized for a balanced style emphasizing practical combat performance. Entering the Enpō era (1673–1681), Osaka-based masters Tsuda Echizen-no-Kami Sukehiro and Inoue Shinkai (celebrated as the "Osaka Masamune") further developed the technical achievements of Kanbun shintō. Sukehiro's signature "tōran-ba" (billowing-wave) temper line, a flamboyant pattern resembling great ocean swells, stands as the emblematic style of Osaka shintō during the Enpō era.
Transition Toward Kyōhō Shintō
Following the technical maturity reached in the Enpō era, the style of shintō blades entered a phase of increasing ornamentation from the Genroku era (1688–1704) through the Kyōhō era (1716–1736). In 1721 (Kyōhō 6), by order of the eighth Tokugawa shogun Yoshimune, a swordsmith competition was held at the Hama Palace, in which 48 smiths selected from across the country competed in forging — part of a shogunate-led system to officially recognize and encourage swordsmith skill. That same year, the "Kyōhō Meibutsu-chō" was compiled, establishing a system for recording the whereabouts and evaluation of famous swords.
Arrival at Hōreki Shintō and Regional Contrasts
By the Hōreki era (1751–1764), the ornamental temper-line expression of shintō blades had become further refined, marking the endpoint of the shintō period as a whole (Keichō through Hōreki, 1596–1764). Where Osaka shintō pursued flamboyant ornamental beauty typified by the tōran-ba, Edo shintō leaned toward the powerful, combat-oriented style represented by Kotetsu (Nagasone Kotetsu), highlighting the aesthetic contrasts between regional schools during this period.
Historical Significance
The roughly ninety years spanning Enpō to Hōreki represent a transitional period in which the balanced beauty of Kanbun shintō was carried to a technical peak by the masters of the Enpō era, then, through the shogunate-led swordsmith promotion and Meibutsu-chō compilation of the Kyōhō era, the shintō style as a whole reached the realm of completion. After this era, the transition toward shinshintō began from the Meiwa and An'ei eras onward, and the stylistic beauty of shintō blades came to be regarded by later generations as a historic culmination.
Characteristics of This Era
- Kanbun shintō's balanced beauty technically developed further by Enpō-era masters (Tsuda Sukehiro, Inoue Shinkai)
- Ornamental Osaka shintō style epitomized by the tōran-ba (billowing-wave) temper line of Tsuda Sukehiro
- Shogunate-led swordsmith evaluation system through the 1721 Hama Palace competition and the compilation of the Kyōhō Meibutsu-chō
- Regional contrast between ornamental Osaka shintō and the combat-oriented Edo shintō of the Kotetsu school
- Completion phase of the shintō period (Keichō through Hōreki, 1596–1764) bridging toward shinshintō