* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Tachi by Enju Kuniyoshi
太刀 銘 国吉（延寿国吉）
Also known as: Enju Kuniyoshi — tachi found in the attic of Kasuga Grand Shrine's treasure storehouse, Higo Enju school tachi
Description
The Enju School and the Smith Kuniyoshi
Enju Kuniyoshi is a swordsmith of the Enju school, which flourished in Higo Province (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture). The founder of the Enju school, Kunimura, was a disciple of Rai Kunitoshi of the Yamashiro Rai school, and his father was said to have been a son-in-law of Rai Kuniyuki. From the late Kamakura period through the Nanboku-chō period, the school developed under the patronage of the Kikuchi clan of Higo. Kuniyoshi is a smith who followed Kunimura in the Enju school, and he is known for an elegant style that inherits the lineage of the Rai school.
Discovery in the Attic of Kasuga Grand Shrine
This tachi is one of twelve tachi found in 1939 (Shōwa 14) in the attic of the treasure storehouse (hōko) of Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara City. It bears the signature “Kuniyoshi” on its tang (nakago), and for about 77 years after its discovery it was kept without being polished.
Restoration and Scholarly Evaluation
From fiscal 2016, Kasuga Grand Shrine has been re-polishing these tachi in sequence, and it became clear that several of them are cultural properties of National Treasure and Important Cultural Property standard. This work was presented to the press in December 2016, together with two Ko-Bizen-mono tachi that are thought to have been dedicated by Hōjō Tokimura.
Characteristics of the Blade and the Style of the Enju School
Works of the Enju school inherit the lineage of the Rai school. The jigane (ground steel) is finely textured with a mix of ko-itame and masame, and its surface appears bright white. The hamon (temper line) is based on a gentle suguha (straight temper) and develops a dignified yaki-ba with small variations. In contrast to the bold uchigatana that became fashionable from the Nanboku-chō period onward, its characteristic is an elegant blade form cherished by both the court nobility and the warrior class.
Later Connections
The re-polished tachi are being exhibited in succession at the Kokuhō-den (National Treasure Hall) of Kasuga Grand Shrine.
Legends & Stories
One of twelve tachi found in 1939 in the attic of the treasure storehouse of Kasuga Grand Shrine. Re-polished in 2016, after about 77 years, and presented to the press in December of that year as a work of Enju Kuniyoshi.