* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Hatchō Nembutsu Dango-zashi
八丁念仏団子刺し
Also known as: Hatchō Nembutsu / Dango-zashi — tachi associated with Suzuki Mago-ichi of the Saiga
Description
Overview of Hachichō Nembutsu Dango Zashi
Hachichō Nembutsu Dango Zashi is a tachi attributed to the Kamakura period, renowned as the favorite blade of Suzuki Mago-ichi (also known as Saiga Mago-ichi), a general of the Saiga clan. According to the Tokugawa Museum's collection records, the signature attributes it to "attributed to Ko-Bizen Sukemura," though various theories exist—the sword scholar Fukunaga Suiken, for instance, proposes Yukiie of the Bitchū Katayama Ichimonji school. The blade has not received designation as a National Treasure or Important Cultural Property, yet it remains widely known as a famed sword for both the peculiar origin of its name and its provenance linked to Saiga Mago-ichi.
The Name's Origin—The Tale of Hachichō Nembutsu
The name "Hachichō Nembutsu Dango Zashi" derives from a legend concerning an opponent whom Mago-ichi slashed with this tachi. One night, when Mago-ichi delivered a diagonal cut through a man's body, the man continued walking for eight chō (approximately 872 meters) while chanting the nembutsu, until at last he collapsed and fell in two. Upon examination of the blade, small stones were found embedded within as if dango dumplings had been pierced on a skewer. This extraordinary sharpness combined with the eerie legend gave rise to the blade's name.
Provenance and Current Location
The blade has been passed down from Saiga Mago-ichi to later generations and is currently housed in the Tokugawa Museum in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. As one of the notable treasures of the museum, which preserves swords and artworks connected to the Mito Tokugawa clan, it stands as a single blade conveying the spirit of the Sengoku period to the present day. It is erroneous to attribute this blade to Sōshū Sadamune; based on the signature and the museum's collection records, attribution to Ko-Bizen Sukemura is more appropriate.
Legends & Stories
The name of this tachi comes from a tale told of Suzuki Mago-ichi (Saiga Mago-ichi), the Saiga commander who carried it. One night he cut a man down from behind with a diagonal stroke, and the man walked on for eight chō — some 872 metres — reciting the nembutsu before finally collapsing in two. When the point of the blade was examined, stones were found driven into it in a row, like dumplings threaded on a skewer. The two halves of the name preserve both halves of the story: Hatchō Nembutsu for the eight chō of prayer, Dango-zashi for the skewered stones.