* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Kashiwa Tachi
柏太刀
Also known as: Kashiwa Tachi; odachi dedicated at the Boys' Festival; sacred sword of Nikko Futarasan Jinja
Description
Sacred Sword of Nikko Futarasan Jinja
Kashiwa Tachi is a great sword handed down at the Chugu shrine of Nikko Futarasan Jinja in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. Its formal designation is "Yamagane-forged odachi with black-lacquered hirumaki mounting, blade unsigned, named Kashiwa Tachi," and it was designated an Important Cultural Property on 15 June 1967. Together with Senobori Tachi and Nenekirimaru, it is counted among the three Nanbokucho-period odachi preserved by the shrine.
Construction and Dimensions
The blade itself bears no maker's signature, but the tang is inscribed "Dedicated to Nikko-san, before the sacred treasure of the new shrine," followed by the name of the presumed donor. Including its mounting, the sword measures 194.5 cm in overall length, with a scabbard of 143.0 cm, a hilt of 51.1 cm, a curvature of 4.6 cm, and a base width of 3.8 cm, making it a valuable surviving example of the large odachi format fashionable in the Nanbokucho period.
Origin of the Name
The name Kashiwa Tachi is said to derive from the tradition that the sword was wrapped in oak (kashiwa) leaves, the same leaves used to wrap kashiwa-mochi, when it was dedicated at the Boys' Festival on the fifth day of the fifth month. Because the oak does not shed its old leaves until new buds have grown, it was regarded as an auspicious symbol of unbroken lineage, and the dedication is understood to have carried a prayer for the prosperity of descendants.
Role in the Yayoi Festival
At the Yayoi Festival, the annual rite of Nikko Futarasan Jinja, it is customary to lay Kashiwa Tachi together with Senobori Tachi and Nenekirimaru upon the fresh hide of a stag taken on Mount Nantai and present them before the deity. Kashiwa Tachi remains on public display in the shrine's treasure hall today.
Legends & Stories
The name Kashiwa Tachi is traditionally explained by the practice of wrapping the sword in oak leaves, the same leaves used for kashiwa-mochi, at its dedication during the Boys' Festival. Because the oak tree does not shed its old leaves until new buds appear, it symbolized the unbroken continuity of a family line, and the offering is understood to have carried a prayer for the prosperity of descendants.
Related Famous Swords
藤島友重の太刀
Important Cultural Property and Important Sword (Multiple Designations)Fujishima Tomoshige's Tachi
Fujishima Tomoshige
山城信国
Important Cultural Property (several works)Yamashiro Nobukuni
Nobukuni
太刀 銘 元重
Important Cultural PropertyTachi Signed Motoshige
Motoshige
瀬登太刀
Important Cultural PropertySenobori Tachi
Unknown (unsigned)