Nobukuni Yoshisada

Nobukuni Yoshisada and the Establishment of the Chikuzen Nobukuni School

Nobukuni Yoshisada is a swordsmith who, known as the twelfth generation of the Nobukuni school of Yamashiro (Kyoto), moved in 1602 (Keichō 7) from Buzen to Chikuzen and founded the Chikuzen Nobukuni school. In 1582 (Tenshō 10), the Ajimu clan, which he had served, was destroyed by the Ōtomo clan and he became a rōnin. In 1587 (Tenshō 15), when Kuroda Yoshitaka became lord of the six districts of Buzen, he entered the service of the Kuroda house. He also took part in the field during the Bunroku campaign (first invasion of Korea) in 1592 (Bunroku 1), following Kuroda Nagamasa, and in 1602 (Keichō 7) he moved to Chikuzen together with his son Yoshimasa and others. His death is said to have occurred on Kan'ei 17/9/1 (15 October 1640).

The founder of the Nobukuni school was a swordsmith of Yamashiro during the Nanboku-chō period, traditionally regarded as Nobukuni (first generation), the grandson of Ryōkai of the Rai school and the son of Hisanobu. Afterwards, the Nobukuni school was carried on from generation to generation in Yamashiro and in various parts of Kyushu, and Yoshisada, as the twelfth generation, carried its lineage from Buzen to Chikuzen. Yoshisada left a family record called "Nobukuni hajime no keizu daidai soshi-tsuki no koto," and it has become an indispensable primary source for research on the history of the Nobukuni school.

Activities in Chikuzen and Relations with the Kuroda Domain

After the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), Kuroda Nagamasa, who ruled Chikuzen with 520,000 koku, actively recruited skilled craftsmen and technicians. Yoshisada too was summoned by Nagamasa and moved to Chikuzen, where, together with his son Yoshimasa and others, he began swordmaking activities.

The style of the Chikuzen Nobukuni school is characterized by powerful, dignified swords suited to the tastes of the Kuroda warriors, while being based on the techniques of the Yamashiro Nobukuni school. Its typical features are known to be a hamon in which kinsuji frequently appear, a habuchi with abundant nie, and a rugged, heavy-feeling style.

Evaluation and the Development of the Chikuzen Nobukuni School

Yoshisada's move to Chikuzen was an epoch-making event in which the Nobukuni family of swordsmiths, with its venerable lineage, took new root in Kyushu. Afterwards, the Chikuzen Nobukuni school divided into three households, those of Yoshisada's sons Yoshimasa, Yoshitsugu and Yoshisuke, and produced Shigekane, a grandson of Yoshitsugu, among others. Throughout the Edo period it was active as an official swordsmith house of the Kuroda domain. The Fukuoka City Museum has held a planned exhibition titled "Chikuzen no Tōkō Nobukuni" (The Nobukuni Swordsmiths of Chikuzen), and the lineage of Chikuzen Nobukuni since Yoshisada continues to attract great interest even today.