* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Taiga Drama: One-Eyed Dragon Masamune
大河ドラマ 独眼竜政宗
The 25th NHK Taiga Drama (original work: Yamaoka Shōhachi, starring: Ken Watanabe), broadcast in 1987. Depicting the life of Date Masamune, it recorded the highest viewership ratings in Taiga Drama history with an average of 39.7% and peak of 47.8%. Many renowned swords including "Shokudai-Kiri Mitsutada," "Taiko-Kane Sadamune," and "Ō Kuraikara" associated with Masamune have been passed down to posterity.
Description
Overview of the Work
"One-Eyed Dragon Masamune" is the 25th NHK Taiga Drama broadcast from January 4 to December 13, 1987, based on the novel "Date Masamune" by Yamaoka Shōhachi. Ken Watanabe played Date Masamune, and the average viewership of 39.7% and peak of 47.8% remain the highest in Taiga Drama history as of 2026. In the opening, Ken Watanabe, wearing a helmet from the "Black-Lacquered Five-Section Armor (used by Date Masamune)," appeared on horseback, and Masamune's armor and weaponry were used symbolically. The Japan Society for the Study and Preservation of Armor and Weaponry cooperated in production, and professional historical consultation was conducted.
Date Masamune——"One-Eyed Dragon" and the Katana
Date Masamune (1567–1636) lost his right eye to smallpox in childhood and is known by the epithet "One-Eyed Dragon," a lord of the Ōshū region. He survived under both Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, founding the basis of the Sendai Domain with 620,000 koku. Masamune was also known as a sword collector, with numerous swords associated with him transmitted to the Sendai City Museum and Tōhoku History Museum. "One-Eyed Dragon Masamune" is a Taiga Drama that depicts the complete picture of this warring states daimyo, including his aspect as a "sword enthusiast."
Shokudai-Kiri Mitsutada——Masamune's Greatest Beloved Sword
The most famous of Date Masamune's swords is the "Shokudai-Kiri Mitsutada." It is a work by Mitsutada, regarded as the de facto founder of Bizen Osafune, and its name derives from "when Masamune cut down his retainer, he also severed the candelabra (candelabra = candlestick holder) behind him." It is said to have been presented by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to Masamune and later passed to Tokugawa Yorifusa, the first daimyo of the Mito Domain. In 2015, after being thought lost in the Great Kanto Earthquake, its charred remains were rediscovered in a storage facility of the Tokugawa Museum (Ibaraki Prefecture), attracting attention.
Taiko-Kane Sadamune——A Renowned Blade of the Sōshū Tradition
The "Taiko-Kane Sadamune" is a tantō by Sadamune, a sword smith of the Sōshū tradition from the Kamakura to Nanboku-chō period, and is designated as an Important Cultural Property as one of the Date family's important sword collections. It is said to have been originally owned by a Sakai merchant house called "Taiko-Kane" and later passed to the Date family through the Tokugawa shogunate. It is also said to have been bestowed upon Date Tadamune, the second Date lord, and was transmitted through generations as a treasure of the Sendai Date family.
Ō Kuraikara——Masamune's Battlefield Sword
The "Ō Kuraikara" is a tachi or uchigatana said to have been used by Date Masamune on the battlefield and is widely known among modern sword enthusiasts through its appearance in Touken Ranbu (the game). Its name is said to derive from the "Kuraikara Dragon King," an incarnation of Fudō Myōō, and is remembered as a sword embodying Masamune's spiritual essence as a warrior.
Habaki Kuniyuki——Masamune's Treasured Tachi
The "Habaki Kuniyuki," acquired by the Sendai City Museum in 2019, holds important historical value as a tachi that Date Masamune received from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Named "Habaki Kuniyuki" from the characters "Kuni" and "Yuki" engraved on both sides of the habaki, it is the first confirmed example of a sword known to have been personally used by Masamune and explicitly recorded as such in the Sendai City Museum's collection (donated by the heirs of Nobuo Ogasawara).
Viewership Records and Cultural Impact
The average viewership of 39.7% remains the highest record in Taiga Drama history and has never been surpassed. The massive success of this work propelled Ken Watanabe to stardom (it became the catalyst for his international career) and sparked nationwide interest in Date Masamune and Tōhoku history. Tourist numbers surged to Sendai and other cities in Tōhoku such as Yamagata and Iwate prefectures, and attendance at the Sendai City Museum's exhibitions related to Date Masamune increased significantly. Through this work, "One-Eyed Dragon Masamune" became nationally famous, and interest in swords associated with Masamune also increased.
Real Swords Featured
Shokudai-Kiri Mitsutada——Masamune's Beloved Sword, Housed in the Tokugawa Museum
An uchigatana by the Bizen Osafune smith Mitsutada, transmitted as a sword Date Masamune received from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Its name derives from a legend that when Masamune cut down his retainer, he also severed the candelabra behind him. Now housed in the Tokugawa Museum in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, this renowned blade is also widely known among younger generations today as the model for the character "Shokudai-Kiri Mitsutada" in Touken Ranbu (the game).
Taiko-Kane Sadamune——Important Cultural Property, Date Family Transmission
A tantō by Sadamune, a Sōshū tradition sword smith from the Kamakura to Nanboku-chō period. Designated as an Important Cultural Property. It is said to have been originally owned by a Sakai merchant house called "Taiko-Kane" and later passed to the Date family through the Tokugawa shogunate. It is also said to have been bestowed upon Date Tadamune, the second Date lord, and was transmitted through generations as a treasure of the Sendai Date family. As a tangible expression of Sōshū tradition craftsmanship, it holds an important place in sword history.
Habaki Kuniyuki——Housed in the Sendai City Museum, a Tachi Confirming Masamune's Use
A tachi said to have been received by Date Masamune from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Called "Habaki Kuniyuki" from the characters "Kuni" and "Yuki" engraved on both sides of the habaki. Donated to the Sendai City Museum in 2019 by the heirs of Nobuo Ogasawara, it holds important historical value as the first confirmed example of a sword explicitly recorded as personally used by Masamune.
See authentic Japanese swords
See authentic Japanese swordsThis page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.