* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Ikakeji Gyōyō Raden Tachi
沃懸地杏葉螺鈿太刀
Also known as: Ikakeji Gyōyō Raden Tachi; Efu no Tachi; sword said to have been worn by Minamoto no Yoritomo
Description
Ancient Sacred Treasures of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
Ikakeji Gyōyō Raden Tachi is a Kamakura-period ceremonial tachi preserved at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. It was designated a National Treasure on 28 June 1956 as part of the collective designation of the shrine's Ancient Sacred Treasures. Two examples survive: the larger measures approximately 3 shaku 5 sun 2 bu and the smaller 3 shaku 4 sun 8 bu in traditional units; one is missing its tsuba, but otherwise the two are nearly identical in construction.
Design
The scabbard is finished in ikakeji, a lacquer ground densely dusted with gold powder, over which a gyōyō (stylized leaf) motif is rendered in shell inlay (raden). The suspension cord is red with white patterning, and all metal fittings are gilt. The hilt is silver, worked with repoussé imitating rayskin texture. The lavish design reflects craftsmanship of the highest order, made for votive and ceremonial use.
The Name "Efu no Tachi" and the Tradition of Minamoto no Yoritomo
The sword is also known as "Efu no Tachi" ("Sword of the Palace Guards"), a name reflecting the tradition that this style of tachi was worn by senior officers of the This Konoefu, the imperial palace guard. The Edo-period gazetteer Shinpen Sagami Fudokikō records that it was "said to have been worn by Yoritomo," attributing it to Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura shogunate, though some scholars suggest this tradition may itself derive from the sword's stylistic classification as an "efu tachi" rather than from documented provenance.
Public Viewing
The sword is not normally on public display, but has been shown in special exhibitions at the Kamakura Museum of National Treasures around the shrine's autumn grand festival. A drawing of the tachi made during the Tenpō era is held by the Tokyo National Museum.
Legends & Stories
The Edo-period gazetteer Shinpen Sagami Fudokikō records that the sword was "said to have been worn by Yoritomo," attributing it to Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura shogunate. However, the sword's style is also known as "Efu no Tachi," a name deriving from its association with senior officers of the imperial palace guard, and some scholars suggest the Yoritomo tradition itself may stem from this stylistic name rather than documented history.