Beloved Swords of Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) was a military commander who brought an end to the long Sengoku period, founded the Edo shogunate, and laid the foundation for 265 years of peace. Just as the saying goes—"The cuckoo patient waits" (attributed to him)—Ieyasu wielded perseverance and caution to seize the realm. His view of swords differed from Nobunaga's and Hideyoshi's in that he valued practical utility and spiritual significance. Among Ieyasu's beloved swords, three stand out in particular renown: Sōhaya no Tsurugi, Muramasa, and Dai-Hannya Nagamitsu.

Sōhaya no Tsurugi—A Sacred Blade Guarded by Gods and Buddhas

Sōhaya no Tsurugi was a tachi made as a copy of the sword of Sakanoe no Tamuramaro, the Heian period general. It is attributed to Miike Tenshin Mitsutayo, a renowned master of the late Heian to early Kamakura period in Chikugo Province. Its formal inscription reads "Myōju Denshiji Sōhaya no Tsurugi Utsusu Nari." It was the spiritual blade Ieyasu cherished most throughout his lifetime. It is said that Ieyasu slept with this sword at his pillow during the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), venerating it as a "divine sword bringing peace to the realm." Currently, it is housed in the treasury of Kunozan Tōshōgū (Shizuoka City), which enshrines Ieyasu, and has been carefully preserved as the guardian sword of the Tokugawa shogunal house through successive generations. Its mystical form—a double-edged straight sword—and ancient appearance align with Ieyasu's image as the guardian deity of the warrior class, and today many pilgrims still place their hands together in prayer before it.

Muramasa—The Cursed Famed Blade of the Tokugawa

Muramasa is a sword forged by Senshi Muramasa, a renowned master smith of the Muromachi period in Ise Province (present-day Mie Prefecture), and is one of the most famous swordsmiths known as "the demon sword Muramasa." Though Ieyasu possessed multiple Muramasa blades, the legend surrounding them is well-known: his grandfather Matsudaira Kiyoyasu was assassinated by a wakizashi made by Muramasa wielded by a retainer; his father Matsudaira Hirotada was struck by a Muramasa blade wielded by a retainer; and his eldest son Tokugawa Nobuyasu used a Muramasa sword in his forced suicide—thus was born the legend of "Muramasa's curse." During the Edo period, it is said the Tokugawa shogunal house strictly controlled Muramasa swords, but in reality, Ieyasu himself highly valued the cutting quality of Muramasa blades and used them as practical swords. Contrary to its image as a "cursed sword," the Muramasa blade is evaluated in sword history as an exceptionally practical and excellent work of superior quality.

Dai-Hannya Nagamitsu—A Tachi Imbued with Six Hundred Rolls of Prayer

Dai-Hannya Nagamitsu is a tachi forged by Nagamitsu, a renowned master smith of the late Kamakura period in Bizen Province (present-day Okayama Prefecture). During the Muromachi period, its appraised value reached an extraordinary 600 kan of money, and it was named "Dai-Hannya Nagamitsu" after the six-hundred-scroll Daihannyakyō (Prajnaparamita Sutra). After being possessed by the Muromachi shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, it passed through the Miyoshi house to Oda Nobunaga's ownership, and it is said to have been given to Tokugawa Ieyasu as a reward for his achievement at the Battle of Anekawa—a "famed blade that traveled through the realm." The sword's craftsmanship exemplifies the typical style of the late Kamakura period Bizen master Nagamitsu, with its brilliant "choji-midare" hamon (blade pattern) befitting the rank of a "sword of an unifier." Currently, it is housed in the Tokyo National Museum and is designated a National Treasure.

Ieyasu's Philosophy of Swords—The Fusion of Utility and Faith

The characteristic of Ieyasu's view of swords was that he evaluated the sword both "practically as a tool for warfare" while simultaneously treating it as "a sacred implement imbued with the protection of gods and buddhas"—an object of reverence. Even after opening an age of peace under his rule, Ieyasu continued to collect swords, and as part of the cultural policy of the Edo shogunate, he protected and cultivated excellent swordsmiths. That spirit was inherited through the Tokugawa shogunal house's sword collection and is still preserved today in the Tokugawa Art Museum (Nagoya) and Kunozan Tōshōgū. Ieyasu's beloved swords, transcending mere weapons, remain at the heart of Japanese sword culture today as "symbols of peace throughout the realm."