* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Mokusa
舞草
Description
Overview
Mokusa was a group of swordsmiths based in Mokusa, Iwai District, Mutsu Province (present-day Mokawa, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture). Active in the late Heian period, it is considered one of the oldest swordsmith groups in Japan, credited with producing blades bearing a curve suited to actual combat, which gives it a foundational place in the history of the Japanese sword. Its blades, known as Mokusa-tō, survive today; the Ichinoseki City Museum holds a tachi signed "Mokusa."
Lineage from the Warabite-tō
Whereas earlier blades were straight, uncurved chokutō, Mokusa blades are distinguished above all by their curve. This curve is thought to have developed under the influence of the slight curvature seen in the warabite-tō, straight-hilted swords used since the Kofun period by the Emishi of the Tōhoku region, positioning Mokusa within the lineage that led to the curved Japanese sword.
Patronage of the Ōshū Fujiwara
The Mokusa smiths flourished under the patronage of the Ōshū Fujiwara clan, who built their wealth on Ōshū gold and horses from their base at Hiraizumi. Mokusa blades, known as Ōshū-tō, are said to have been favored by warrior bands such as that of Minamoto no Yoshiie and by the Imperial Guards in Kyoto.
Decline
In Bunji 5 (1189), when Minamoto no Yoritomo's Ōshū campaign destroyed the Ōshū Fujiwara, the Mokusa smiths lost their patrons. Some are said to have relocated to Kamakura on Yoritomo's order, but most scattered across the country, bringing to a close the history of Mokusa as a swordsmithing community centered on its home region.
Present-day Standing
The Ichinoseki City Museum houses and exhibits Mokusa blades and related materials, and groups such as the Mokusa-tō Research Society continue investigative and commemorative work. Mokusa is regarded as one of the wellsprings of Japanese sword history, having carried the transition from the warabite-tō to the curved Japanese blade.
Famous Works
- 太刀 銘 舞草（一関市博物館蔵）