Compilation of the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō — Tokugawa Yoshimune's Systematic Catalogue of Famous Swords

In the 11th month of Kyōhō 4 (1719), Honami Kōchū (?–1725), 13th head of the Honami family, the foremost family in sword appraisal, compiled and presented the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō at the command of Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684–1751), the eighth shogun of the Edo shogunate. In the history of the Japanese sword, this catalogue of famous blades is still consulted by sword researchers today as the largest and most authoritative document systematically recording celebrated swords. This article examines the circumstances of its compilation and its significance.

Background: The Kyōhō Reforms and Measures to Promote Sword Culture

In Shōtoku 6 (1716), the seventh shogun, Tokugawa Ietsugu, died at a young age. Tokugawa Yoshimune, who came to the shogunate from his position as lord of the Kishū domain, then pursued the Kyōhō Reforms. The reforms rested on three pillars: restoring the finances of the shogunate, enforcing frugality decrees, and encouraging martial arts. Sword appraisal was regarded as central to the accomplishments expected of a samurai.

Yoshimune himself had a deep interest in swords, and from shortly after becoming shogun he actively appreciated and collected famous blades. The Honami family had served since the Ashikaga shogunal house of the Muromachi period as official appraisers and polishers of swords for successive shogunal and warrior households. It was a distinguished lineage and the ideal institution to compile a sword catalogue.

Honami Kōchū and the Compilation Work

Honami Kōchū gathered information on famous blades held by the daimyō houses, shrines and temples, and court nobles. He drew on oshigata (paper rubbings/tracings of blades) and appraisal records that he had accumulated through many years of appraisal work.

In parallel, under the direction of Kuze Shigeyuki, a senior councillor (rōjū) under Yoshimune, a register of 277 resident swordsmiths in the various domains was also prepared. In this survey, skilled smiths were tested in practice. Three smiths, Nobukuni Shigekane of Chikuzen Province, Miyahara Masakiyo of Satsuma Province, and Ippei Yasuyo, were recognized as having forged fine blades, and they were ordered to demonstrate forging at the shogun's Hama Goten (now the Hama-rikyū Gardens). The compilation of the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō was therefore not limited to recording past famous blades. It was a comprehensive sword culture project linked with a survey of the actual state of swordsmiths of the time.

Contents and Structure of the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō

The original of the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō has been lost, and its copies survive in two lineages, “Category 1” and “Category 2.” Category 1, said to be copies of the version submitted to the shogunate, records 236 blades in total: 158 extant blades and 78 lost blades. Category 2, said to originate from the Honami family's own copy, records 274 blades in total: 168 extant blades and 80 lost blades, plus 26 supplementary entries (Meibutsu Tsuiki).

The blades recorded are mainly old swords (kotō) from the Heian period up to before Keichō (early 17th century). For each blade, the following information was recorded: the smith's name; the inscription; provenance (who possessed it and what anecdotes are attached to it); dimensions (blade length, curvature, width, and so on); the origami valuation, which expresses the blade's value in gold koban; and the name of the current owner. “Origami” refers to the appraisal certificate issued by the Honami family. The valuation recorded on this certificate (the origami valuation) functioned as the standard price for buying, selling, and gifting swords throughout the Edo period.

Among the famous blades recorded are Mikazuki Munechika, Onimaru Kunitsuna, Ōdenta Mitsuyo, Juzumaru Tsunetsugu, and Dōjigiri Yasutsuna, which would later be known as the Tenka Goken (Five Great Swords under Heaven). The Kyōhō Meibutsuchō became a decisive document for confirming the location and condition of these famous blades. It also records in detail the provenance of famous blades that Toyotomi Hideyoshi possessed and that survived turbulent periods such as the Honnō-ji Incident and the Siege of Osaka, as well as swords associated with Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Historical Significance of the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō

The historical significance of the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō can be discussed from several perspectives.

First, it was a pioneering undertaking that systematically recorded the Japanese sword as “cultural property and works of art” rather than as “weapons.” When the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō was compiled in the early 18th century, the Japanese sword had already lost its opportunities for use in actual combat and functioned as a symbol of samurai authority and as a craft object. That the highest political power of the time, the shogun, led the systematic recording of famous blades in this period marked a historic turning point in which the Japanese sword came to be recognized as “cultural heritage” rather than as “military equipment.”

Second, it standardized the value of swords through the Honami family's origami system. The origami valuations recorded for each blade in the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō were widely referred to as standard prices for the buying, selling, gifting, and inheritance of swords throughout the rest of the Edo period. This standardization of value played an important role in establishing order in the sword market.

Third, it holds the status of an indispensable reference document for modern sword research. The information recorded in the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō, particularly the dimensions, provenance, and origami valuations of the blades, is still consulted today as one of the most important sources for researchers identifying and evaluating old swords.

The compilation of the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō, ordered by Tokugawa Yoshimune, is a monumental achievement. As an undertaking that symbolizes the shift in the history of Japanese swords from “a record of weapons” to “a record of cultural property,” it will remain engraved in the history of the Japanese sword for a long time.