* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Nanbokuchō
南北朝
An era of civil war that saw the rise of ōdachi and nodachi. Bold, grand swords embodied the power of the warrior class.
Description
Age of Warfare
With the collapse of the Kenmu Restoration in 1336, an unprecedented situation unfolded: Emperor Go-Daigo's Southern Court and the Northern Court, supported by Ashikaga Takauji, coexisted in parallel, precipitating fierce battles between their respective supporters across the nation for over half a century. This prolonged warfare brought revolutionary changes to the form and technique of Japanese swords. The methods of combat shifted dramatically from one-on-one duels between mounted warriors to mass formations of foot soldiers, including ashigaru, driving demand for longer and more powerful blades.
Rise of the Ōdachi
To meet these practical demands arose the ōdachi and nodachi—swords with blades exceeding three shaku (approximately 90 centimeters). Representative surviving examples include the "Daihannya Nagamitsu," forged by Nagamitsu of Osafune in Bizen, and the "Makara ōdachi," dedicated to the Atsuta Shrine with a blade length of seven shaku three sun. These great swords were characterized by broad blades, thick kasane, and such robust construction that they retained adequate proportions even after being shortened in later ages. The record of Southern Court general Kusunoki Masashige wielding an ōdachi at the Battle of Minato River, and the anecdote of Kitabatake Akiie carrying an ōdachi from the Ōu region to Kyoto during his campaigns, vividly illustrate the relationship between the samurai and their swords in this era.
Diffusion of the Sōshū Tradition
Technically, the influence of the Sōshū tradition, spread nationwide through the Ten Disciples of Masamune, was immense. Bizen smiths who incorporated Sōshū techniques into their work became known as "Sōden-Bizen," with Osafune Kanemitsu as its representative master. Kanemitsu combined the vigorous nie of the Sōshū tradition with the chōji-midare of Bizen tradition, creating magnificent hamon that graced a wide range of works from ōdachi to tantō. Osafune Chōgi excelled in hitatsura—the flamboyant, bold hardening technique where the temper line spreads across the entire blade—and his works earned exceptionally high artistic acclaim. Because hitatsura extends the hardening to the flat surface of the blade, preservation and polishing present challenges; pieces in good condition are particularly treasured.
Regional Development
In the Mino tradition, Shizu Saburō Kaneuji, one of Masamune's Ten Disciples, transmitted Sōshū techniques to Mino Province, laying the foundation for the later Seki smiths. Kaneuji's works display vigorous nie-based hamon rivaling Masamune himself, with distinctive powerful forging marks characterized by wood grain mixed with straight grain in the tamahagane. In Chikuzen Province, Samoji learned Masamune's techniques and brought them to Kyushu, becoming known as "Samoji" from his practice of cutting a leftward character signature. In the Yamashiro tradition, Hasebe Kunishige distinguished himself as a master of hitatsura and was the creator of the "Heshikiri Hasebe" (National Treasure), famous from the anecdote of Oda Nobunaga using it to cut through a serving stand and an attendant. The Nobukuniha preserved the Yamashiro tradition in Kyoto while forging numerous practical tachi suited to the tumultuous era of the Northern and Southern Courts.
Naginata and Nagamaki
In the Yamato tradition, the Taima school met the demand of temples and shrines in the Nanto (Nara) region, while the Tegai school pursued a practical approach, forging straight temper lines on strong, straight-grained tamahagane. Moreover, during this period, the manufacture of long-shaft weapons such as naginata and nagamaki flourished, and many of these were later shortened and reforged into katana in what is known as "naginata-naoshi."
Influence on Later Generations
Swords of the Nanbokuchō period, collectively termed "Nanbokuchō-taihei" for their overwhelming presence and impact, exerted profound influence on sword smiths of subsequent generations. Although most surviving ōdachi have been shortened and reforged to katana dimensions, even in their shortened state the rich tamahagane and vigorous hamon of the Nanbokuchō period remain intact, making them extraordinarily appealing to discerning collectors. Ōdachi that survive with their original tangs are treated as museum-caliber treasures, their grand form commanding awe in those who behold them.
Characteristics of This Era
- Ōdachi and nodachi with blades over 90 cm in vogue
- Wide, thick blades with imposing proportions
- Flamboyant hamon including hitatsura (full-temper patterns)
- Sōshū influence spread nationwide, creating fusion styles like 'Sōden Bizen'
- Most later shortened; original-length examples are rare
- Naginata and nagamaki polearms also produced prolifically
- Bōshi (temper at tip) often features deep kaeri in ō-maru style
- Jigane shows flowing itame with strong ji-nie, conveying powerful forging