* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Matsuda Tsuguyasu
松田次泰
Description
Career
Matsuda Tsuguyasu was born in 1948 in Hokkaidō; his given name is Shūji. After graduating from university he turned to swordsmithing, entering the workshop of the swordsmith Takahashi Jihei, a holder of an Intangible Cultural Property of Nagano Prefecture. After seven years of training, he became independent in 1981, opening a forge in Funabashi City.
Awards and Mukansa Status
He received the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award in 2005, and in 2009 he was certified mukansa by the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords. In 2015 he was designated a holder of an Intangible Cultural Property of Chiba Prefecture.
Recreating Kamakura-Period Technique
He is committed to recreating swords of the Kamakura period, and for over thirty years he has devoted himself to researching methods of forging Japanese iron (wagane) and of heat treatment.
Research Approach
He is known for incorporating precise data measurement and chemical analysis into the forging process, drawing on current scientific knowledge in his pursuit of recreating old swords. Rather than relying solely on the oral transmission of traditional forging methods, he seeks to characterize the properties of the steel numerically.
Activity
He currently maintains a workshop in Chiba City, where he continues to forge.