Ima-no-Tsurugi

今剣

Also known as: Blade of Imawaka Maru

Smith

Sanjō Munechika (attributed)

Era

Late Heian to Early Kamakura period (12th–13th centuries)

Type

Tanto

Designation

Status Unknown (Location Unknown)

Location

Location Unknown

Description

Ima-no-Tsurugi is a legendary tanto said to have been cherished by Minamoto Yoshitsune (Ushiwaka Maru) from childhood, also known as the 'Blade of Ima Wakamaru.' Yoshitsune bore the childhood name Ima Wakamaru and is said to have carried this tanto constantly from his youth during his training at Kurama Temple in Kyoto. The blade is traditionally attributed to Sanjo Munetika, a sword smith of Yamashiro from the mid-Heian period. The short sword dedicated to Kurama Temple is said to have been possessed by Yoshitsune from childhood. The blade measures approximately 6 sun 5 bu (about 19.7 cm), a small tanto with an elegant hira-zukuri form. Even after Yoshitsune's victory at the Battle of Dan-no-Ura (1185), he continued to possess this blade, and a tragic legend records that he used it during his final seppuku at Kinugawa Mansion. Since then, the blade has been passed down as a symbol of the samurai spirit and a tragic hero's fate, but its current location remains unknown, continuing to inspire people's imagination as a legendary sword of unknown whereabouts. It is also widely known in modern times as a character in the sword-collecting game 'Touken Ranbu.'

Legends & Stories

The most famous legend about Ima-no-Tsurugi is connected to Yoshitsune's final moments. Cornered at the Kinugawa Mansion, Yoshitsune is said to have used this tanto to commit seppuku, infusing the blade with his spirit and upholding the samurai code. Afterward, the blade is said to have either returned with Yoshitsune's spirit to Kurama Mountain or been buried in the deep mountains of Ou Province (present-day Tohoku region), where it has never been discovered. In some regions, there is a folk belief that 'one who sees Ima-no-Tsurugi is protected by Yoshitsune's spirit,' and to this day, prayers to the blade are offered at sacred sites throughout the Tohoku region connected to Yoshitsune legends. By the late Edo period, belief had spread that 'Ima-no-Tsurugi still rests somewhere with Yoshitsune's spirit,' and many samurai are said to have sought to receive its spiritual blessing.