Kashū Kiyomitsu

Kashū Kiyomitsu was a swordsmith active in Kaga Province (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture) from the mid-Muromachi period to the late Edo period. He is known as a master among Kashū swordsmiths who combined practicality and beauty at a high level.

Kiyomitsu belongs to the Fujishima (Tomoshige) line of Kaga swordsmiths. The jigane is mainly itame, with mokume mixed in places, giving a fine-grained surface, so the care of the forging is apparent at a glance. The hamon centers on gunome, with pointed ashi entering to add variety. The nioiguchi is deep, without hotsure, and the nie is distributed finely and evenly, giving the whole blade an impression of vitality.

What made Kiyomitsu's name widely known is the Kashū Kiyomitsu said to have been worn by Okita Sōji of the Shinsengumi.

The Kiyomitsu name was also carried on into the Edo period. Chōbei Kiyomitsu, the sixth generation in the genealogy, forged blades around the Enpō era at the Kaga domain's hinin-goya (Okoya), a domain relief shelter for the destitute, and for this he was called "Hinin Kiyomitsu." The twelfth-generation Kiyomitsu (Seijirō) is regarded as a master of the Bakumatsu period.

Okita Sōji's Beloved Blade "Kashū Kiyomitsu": The Ikedaya Incident and the Blade's Fate

The Kashū Kiyomitsu said to have been worn by Okita Sōji, captain of the First Unit of the Shinsengumi, is traditionally attributed to the sixth-generation Kiyomitsu (Chōbei) of the early Edo period, but this is not certain. In the Ikedaya Incident of Genji 1 (1864), a record made right after the incident describes Okita's blade as "bōshi (kissaki) broken," suggesting that the blade sustained serious damage in the fierce fighting. Its later whereabouts are not known, and it is said to have been beyond repair. The Kashū Kiyomitsu actually used by Okita is not confirmed to survive. On the other hand, the blades made by the successive generations of Kiyomitsu do survive.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kashū Kiyomitsu

The reading is "Kashū Kiyomitsu." "Kashū" is an alternate name for Kaga Province (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture), and the smith is also called "Kaga Kiyomitsu." The Kiyomitsu as swordsmiths form a lineage that began in the Muromachi period and continued through generations until the late Edo period. When a blade was made differs by generation. The one blade said to have been worn by Okita Sōji is traditionally attributed to the sixth-generation Kiyomitsu of the early Edo period. As for whether they survive, the blades made by the successive generations of Kiyomitsu do survive, but the whereabouts of the blade Okita Sōji actually wore are unknown.