* Image is for illustrative purposes only.The Kenmu Restoration and Swords
建武の新政と刀剣
The Kenmu Restoration (1333–1336), established by Emperor Go-Daigo following the collapse of the Kamakura shogunate, was a short-lived direct imperial rule that promoted a return to court culture while actively employing superior swords as rewards for the warrior class. Though lasting only three years, this regime occupies a unique position in sword history within the symbolic context of linking imperial authority with swords.
Description
Collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate and Establishment of the New Regime
In Shōkei 2 / Gentoku 3 (1333), following Emperor Go-Daigo's anti-shogunate campaign and the defection of Ashikaga Takauji, Nitta Yoshisada, and others, the Kamakura shogunate fell. Emperor Go-Daigo declared the 'Kenmu Restoration,' seeking to revive direct imperial rule based on the ritsuryō legal system. This regime attempted to concentrate power under the ancient ideal that 'the emperor is the father and mother of all people,' yet in reality faced the contradiction of relying on the military power of the warrior class. Under the Kenmu regime, the bestowal of 'famous swords of the realm' upon warriors increased alongside land confirmations and official court ranks, and swords reasserted their importance as instruments of authority.
Political Significance of Imperial Sword Bestowal
Records exist of Emperor Go-Daigo bestowing tachi and famous swords that he himself wore upon able generals including Kusunoki Masashige, Nitta Yoshisada, and Ashikaga Takauji. This was not mere gift-giving but possessed magical and political significance—the swords, imbued with the emperor's 'spiritual power' (reii), served as a medium through which a sacred bond transcending lord-vassal relations could be forged between the emperor and warriors. This practice stemmed from the 'imperial sword bestowal' (mitsurugi hairyō) tradition reaching back to the Heian period, and the Kenmu Restoration saw its intensive implementation. Later warrior-governed regimes continued the practice of generals and daimyō bestowing swords, and one prototype of this custom is found in the direct imperial rule of the Kenmu period.
Activity of Bizen and Sōshū Smiths
The Kenmu period (1333–1336) immediately preceded the Nanboku-Chō period (1336–1392), a transitional phase in which swords underwent enlargement and increased grandeur. In Bizen, smiths of the Osafune lineage—Osafune Nagayoshi and Kanemitsu—produced imposing daitachi and naginata, while in Sōshū the advanced pupils of Masamune carried on their master's techniques, creating magnificent works full of rustic vigor. Notably, Hasebe Kunishige, one of Masamune's Ten Great Disciples, is known as a pioneer in enlarging the uchigatana form, and among the sword makers of the slightly later Nanboku-Chō period, he occupies an especially innovative position. Though swords of this era are often grouped together as 'Nanboku-Chō period swords,' the three years of the Kenmu Restoration constituted a singular period in which the enlargement of swords advanced rapidly amid political upheaval.
The Short-Lived Regime's End and the Fate of Swords
In Kenmu 3 (1336), Ashikaga Takauji rebelled against Emperor Go-Daigo, initiating the division into Northern and Southern courts. Emperor Go-Daigo fled to Yoshino with the Imperial Regalia, establishing the Southern Court. Some of the famous swords held by Emperor Go-Daigo became imperial treasures of the Southern Court, traveling between Yoshino, Anou, and Kawachi-Nagano; many of these fell into obscurity. The 'Kenmu-period famous swords' became legendary in later ages, and surviving examples that endured the political strife and battles of the Nanboku-Chō period are regarded as treasures among treasures, designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.
Position in Sword History
Though the Kenmu Restoration was an extremely short-lived regime lasting barely three years, it occupies an important position in sword history in three respects. First, it was a period when transitional works evolved from the late Kamakura style toward the enlargement characteristic of the Nanboku-Chō period. Second, it intensively practiced the political custom of imperial bestowal of swords to generals, renewing the conceptual link between 'imperial authority and famous swords.' Third, the collapse of this short-lived regime triggered the Nanboku-Chō strife, which ushered in the most magnificent 'age of daitachi and nodachi' in Japanese sword history. Paradoxically, the failure of the Kenmu Restoration prepared one of the golden periods of Japanese sword-making aesthetics.
Characteristics of This Era
- Imperial Bestowal of Swords: A period when Emperor Go-Daigo concentrated examples of bestowing famous swords upon able generals, with swords functioning as material media of imperial authority. The practice of 'imperial sword bestowal' reached its political apex.
- Transitional Period of Enlargement: The shift from the balanced tachi of the late Kamakura era to the daitachi and nodachi of the Nanboku-Chō period began during this time. Blade width broadened, thickness increased, and the hamon showed incipient tendencies toward larger irregular patterns.
- Coexistence and Competition of Bizen and Sōshū Traditions: Intense competition unfolded between Bizen makers such as Nagayoshi and Kanemistu and Sōshū-school smiths led by Hasebe Kunishige. This rivalry spurred technical innovation in the Nanboku-Chō period.
- The Imperial Regalia and the Dispersal of Famous Swords: With the division into Northern and Southern courts, imperial treasures of swords from the imperial side scattered and were dispersed toward the Yoshino region. This marks the origin of the legendary status and rarity of 'Kenmu-period famous swords.'
- Emergence of the Uchigatana Form: Hasebe Kunishige and others pioneered the enlargement of the koshigatana and uchigatana, producing prototypical forms of the uchigatana that would become standard in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods.