Izumi no Kami Kanemichi
和泉守金道
Description
Lineage
Izumi no Kami Kanemichi was one of the founders of the Mishina school, a group of swordsmiths active in Kyoto. Around 1593, he was one of four brothers who moved from the Sekigahara area to Kyoto and settled in Nishinotōin-Ebisugawa.
Career
Izumi no Kami Kanemichi is known for reviving the style of the Rai school, a prestigious lineage dating to the Kamakura period whose tradition had long lapsed since the kotō era. His works bear signatures such as "Izumi no Kami Rai Kanemichi" and "Fujiwara Rai Kanemichi." He was active in Kyoto together with other Mishina-family smiths such as Ōmi no Kami Hisamichi, and this group is counted among the "Kyō Go Kaji" (Five Smiths of Kyoto).
Reputation
The Mishina school was a leading lineage of Kyoto swordsmiths in the early Edo period, and Izumi no Kami Kanemichi is noted within it for his distinctive style reviving the Rai tradition.
Related Swordsmiths
和泉守国貞
Osaka Shinto (Settsu Province). Carrying on the Osaka tradition of refined shinto swordmaking, Kunisada inherited the techniques of his predecessor (Kunisada I) and refined them further, becoming recognized as the foremost swordsmith in Osaka.Izumi no Kami Kunisada
Active during the mid-Edo period (late 17th to early 18th century), coinciding with the flourishing Genroku era of Osaka culture. Under the peaceful governance of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, demand for swords shifted toward artistic refinement, and Kunisada embodied this spirit with his polished craftsmanship.
堀川国広
Soshu tradition (New Sword)Horikawa Kunihiro
Momoyama to Early Edo period (New Sword genesis era)
大和守吉道
OtherYamato no Kami Yoshimichi
Early Edo Period
近江守継廣
Echizen Shintō (Echizen Shimosaka School)Ōmi no Kami Tsuguhiro
Mid-Edo Period