Arinari

Arinari was a swordsmith traditionally said to have been active in Yamashiro Province during the late Heian period (12th century), and is recorded as either a disciple or a son of Sanjō Munechika, founder of the Sanjō school. Little is documented about his background — some accounts describe him as a smith of Kawachi Province — but the resemblance of his surviving work to old Yamashiro-style blades has led scholars to link him with Munechika and the Sanjō lineage.

Representative Work

The tachi "Ishikirimaru," attributed to Arinari, has been passed down at Ishikiri Tsurugiya Shrine in Osaka. It measures 76 cm in blade length with a 2.6 cm curve, showing the "Kyō-zori" shape characteristic of the Sanjō school, with an extremely fine, dense steel surface and a calm suguha-based hamon.

Reputation

Very few signed works by Arinari survive, and the details of his career remain unclear. He is nonetheless remembered in sword history as the smith credited with Ishikirimaru, a Heian-period blade embodying the Sanjō school's style.