* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Uesugi Clan and Yonezawa Domain Sword Culture
上杉家・米沢藩の刀剣文化
The sword culture handed down through generations of the Uesugi clan — from the Sengoku-period warlords Uesugi Kenshin and Kagekatsu to the family's continuation as lords of Yonezawa domain through the Edo period. Kenshin's favored blades, a tachi (named 'Sanchomo') and a tanto (named 'Kenshin Kagemitsu'), are both designated National Treasures, and the '35 swords hand-selected by Kagekatsu' (Otesen Sanjugo-koshi) also survive as celebrated masterworks.
Description
Historical Background
Born into the family of the Echigo shugodai (deputy military governor), Uesugi Kenshin was a Sengoku daimyo who contended for dominance in the Kanto and Hokuriku regions, and he was also known as an ardent sword enthusiast. His adopted heir, Kagekatsu, succeeded him. Although the Uesugi family suffered a drastic reduction in domain size, from 1.2 million koku in Aizu to 300,000 koku (later 150,000 koku) in Yonezawa, Dewa Province, following the settlement after the Battle of Sekigahara, the family survived as the lords of Yonezawa Domain until the Meiji Restoration, preserving and passing down its heirloom swords.
Renowned Swords of the Uesugi Family
A tachi said to have been Uesugi Kenshin's favored sword (unsigned Ichimonji work, named Sanchōmō) and a tanto (signed Bizen Osafune Kagemitsu, named Kenshin Kagemitsu) are both designated National Treasures. The former is a masterpiece of the Ichimonji school with a splendid choji-ba hamon, while the latter is renowned as a dated work by Bizen Osafune Kagemitsu. In addition, the "Otesen Sanjūgo-koshi" (35 swords said to have been carefully selected by Kagekatsu from among Kenshin's belongings) includes numerous swords designated Important Cultural Properties or Important Art Objects.
Preservation under Yonezawa Domain
Throughout the Edo period, the Uesugi family of Yonezawa Domain continued to carefully preserve its heirloom swords, even amid the financial hardship caused by the drastic reduction in domain size. These sword collections were passed down within the Uesugi family after the abolition of the domains, though some were later separated from the family. Himetsuru Ichimonji (a tachi signed "Ichi," an Important Cultural Property), one of the Otesen Sanjūgo-koshi selected by Kagekatsu, is owned by Yonezawa City and housed at the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum (Denkoku no Mori). Meanwhile, the two National Treasures said to be Kenshin's favored swords have left Yonezawa: the tachi (Sanchōmō) is held by Setouchi City (Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum), and the tanto (Kenshin Kagemitsu) is in the collection of the Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore.
Historical Significance
The Uesugi family's sword collection is a rare example of a single daimyo house consistently preserving and transmitting its holdings from the Sengoku period through the Meiji Restoration. As a substantial body of heirloom works that includes two National Treasures, it is spoken of alongside the sword cultures of other prominent daimyo houses, such as the Maeda, the Date, and the Tokugawa Gosanke, among others. It is regarded as a representative example of the transmission of samurai sword culture in a single regional setting, Yonezawa.
Characteristics of This Era
- Both of Kenshin's favored blades (tachi and tanto) designated National Treasures
- Important Cultural Properties and Important Art Objects among the '35 swords hand-selected by Kagekatsu'
- Continuous preservation through Yonezawa domain despite drastic reduction in revenue, until the Meiji Restoration