Kawachi no Kami Kunisukes (Second Generation)

A Masterwork of Osaka Shintō—Kawachi no Kami Kunisukes, Second Generation (Naka Kawachi)

Kawachi no Kami Kunisukes, Second Generation, was one of the preeminent master swordsmiths of the Shintō period, active in Osaka primarily during the Kanbun and Enpo eras (1661–1681), and is known by the epithet 'Naka Kawachi.' As the son and successor of the first-generation Kawachi no Kami Kunisukes, he became a leading swordsmith of Osaka Shintō and is sometimes ranked alongside Tsuda Sukehiro and Inoue Shinkai.

The second-generation Kunisukes was affectionately known as 'Naka Kawachi,' a name derived from his position between the first generation (Oyakumisukes) and the third generation (Ō Kawachi). The works of three generations of Kunisukes came to represent a major facet of Osaka Shintō, and the lineage is remembered in Japanese sword history as an illustrious family exemplifying Osaka craftsmanship.

The Environment of Osaka Swordsmiths—Samurai Demand in a Commercial City

Throughout the Edo period, Osaka functioned as a commercial city known as the 'Kitchen of the Realm,' concentrating diverse demand for swords from samurai, wealthy merchants, and major temples and shrines. While Kyoto swordsmiths developed refined styles for the nobility and upper-class samurai, Osaka smiths established a unique aesthetic emphasizing harmony between practicality and beauty.

The Kawachi no Kami Kunisukes family, backed by the achievements and reputation of the first generation, earned the trust of daimyō and samurai classes as a leading swordsmith family in Osaka. The second-generation Kunisukes established his own distinctive style upon the foundation laid by his father, earning particularly high acclaim among Osaka Shintō makers.

Characteristics of His Swordwork—The Precision and Variation of Osaka Shintō

The works of the second-generation Kunisukes, known as Naka Kawachi, exemplify at the highest level the characteristic refined jigane and varied hamon of Osaka Shintō. The jigane displays the refined forging of fine kozitate, with well-developed ji-nie and a rich, lustrous appearance. The clarity and dignity of the jigane characteristic of Osaka smithcraft demonstrated distinctive individuality when compared with contemporary Edo-period makers.

His hamon is distinguished by the flamboyant chōji midare of the kobushigata chōji pattern, exemplifying the style known as 'Shintō ichimonji.' The nie is well-developed and bright, with active ashi and ha, and the landscape of the blade shows rich variation while maintaining overall harmony. His sugata displays the shallow sori and long nakago typical of Kanbun Shintō, exemplifying the aesthetic standards of Osaka Shintō.

While inheriting the style established by the first generation (Oyakumisukes), he infused his own distinctive variations into the hamon, and this uniqueness is the reason he earned special recognition as 'Naka Kawachi.'

The Lineage of Three Generations of Kunisukes—Three Generations of Prosperity in the Osaka Shintō Family

The first, second, and third generations of Kawachi no Kami Kunisukes were known affectionately as 'Oyakumisukes,' 'Naka Kawachi,' and 'Ō Kawachi' respectively, and are evaluated collectively as a family exemplifying Osaka Shintō. The emergence of three successive generations of outstanding swordsmiths from the same lineage demonstrates both the high level of sword culture in Osaka at that time and the reliability of technical transmission within the workshop.

Among the three generations, the second-generation Kunisukes received the highest acclaim for his works, and the name 'Naka Kawachi' is transmitted to posterity not merely as a generational designation but as a synonym for the highest standards of Osaka Shintō.

TOUKENZA and Kawachi no Kami Kunisukes, Second Generation

TOUKENZA presents Naka Kawachi, Kawachi no Kami Kunisukes Second Generation, as a master craftsman embodying the diverse and rich beauty of Osaka Shintō. As a figure ranking alongside the two great peaks of Tsuda Sukehiro and Inoue Shinkai, the precise and varied works of the second-generation Kunisukes represent another facet of the aesthetic heights achieved by Osaka Shintō. As masterworks in which the cultural refinement of the commercial city of Osaka came to fruition in the beauty of the Japanese sword, the works of Naka Kawachi continue to receive high acclaim today.