Matsukura-gō

Gō Yoshihiro was a swordsmith active in Etchū Province (present-day Toyama Prefecture) during the Nanboku-chō period, counted among Masamune's Ten Great Disciples. Known as 'Kō' (as the cursive form of the character 'Gō' came to be written as 'Kō'), his swords are celebrated for the mysterious beauty of their jigane—particularly the deeply permeating ji-nie, described as profound and otherworldly, known as 'Yoshihiro's Skin' and revered as an aesthetic ideal by later swordsmiths. The jigane displays flowing ō-itame grain with deeply saturating ji-nie, revealing Yoshihiro's characteristic profound texture, with matsu-kawa-hada (pine-bark grain) and nashiji-hada (pear-skin grain) appearing throughout. The hamon is gunome-midare mixed with chōji, displaying rich activity throughout including kinsuji, uchinoke (striking marks), and nijūba (double-edge). Surviving works by Yoshihiro are extraordinarily rare, with each recognized worldwide as a supreme masterpiece of Japanese swordsmanship. The Tomita-Kō, a National Treasure, is preserved by the Maeda Ikutokukai.