Tsubo-kiri Otachi

壺切御太刀

Also known as: Tsubo-kiri

Smith

Sōshū Sadamune (attributed)

Era

Late Kamakura period (early 14th century)

Type

Tachi

Designation

Imperial Household Property

Location

Imperial Household Agency, Tokyo

Description

The Tsubo-kiri Otachi is an imperial treasure (gyo-butsu) passed down through the imperial household upon the Crown Prince's enthronement, and is currently personally bestowed upon Akishino-no-Miya Fumihito-shinnō, the heir apparent. While its history is said to trace back to the Heian period, the surviving blade is believed to date from the late Kamakura period, with its maker unidentified (theories suggest either Bizen Nobufusa or Nobufusa as the smith). The blade measures approximately 62 centimeters in length, constructed as a straight blade without curvature with a double-edged point, and possesses the elegance befitting an embodiment of imperial authority. The name "Tsubo-kiri" derives from a historical account of cutting a sake vessel with this sword. Today, it remains an indispensable sacred sword in the enthronement ceremony and the crown prince investiture ceremony, serving at the core of Japanese imperial culture.

Legends & Stories

The Tsubo-kiri Otachi is said to have been bestowed upon successive Crown Princes at the time of their genpuku (coming of age) and establishment as Crown Prince, and has been passed down within the imperial family for over a thousand years as a symbol of imperial succession. It is also traditionally said to originate in the reign of Emperor Uda. The sword itself is said to house the guardian spirit of the imperial line, and successive emperors are said to have carefully preserved this sword as something tantamount to a sacred body.