1100-1400Ancient Blades (Yamato Tradition: Deep Bonds Between Temples/Shrines and Swords)
大和五派
Yamato Five Schools
The Yamato tradition, centered in Nara Prefecture, comprises five schools of the ancient blade period (koto): Taima, Senjuin, Shikkake, Tegai, and Hosho. Major temples and shrines such as Kasuga Taisha, Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, and Kinpu-sen-ji systematically patronized smiths and supplied large quantities of practical tachi and naginata to meet the demands of sohei (armed monks). The masame-grained jihatsu and straight-edge or moderately-curved hamon, characterized by simple, unadorned temper lines, express the Yamato tradition's distinctive aesthetic—direct and powerful, differing from both the elegance of the Yamashiro tradition and the opulence of the Bizen tradition.
Notable Swordsmiths:Senjuin Yukiyasu (Senjuin Yukiyasu, Yamato, mid-Kamakura period) — a representative smith of the Senjuin school. He exemplified the 'Senjuin straight-edge,' characterized by refined straight-edges with fine, uniform nie, and superb examples survive among swords donated to Tōdai-ji.Taima Kuniyuki (Taima Kuniyuki, Yamato, late Kamakura period) — an important smith of the Taima school. He clearly expressed the Taima school's character with varied hamon mixing minor irregularities into moderately-curved temper lines and masame-grained steel. Fine examples survive primarily as naginata.Tegai Kanenaga (Tegai Kanenaga, Yamato, mid-Kamakura period) — a representative smith of the Tegai school. He combined bold straight-edges with coarser nie and masame-grained steel, creating a particularly powerful style within the Yamato tradition. Several of his works are designated as Important Cultural Properties.