* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Mino tradition; contemporary Japanese swordsmithingGendaitō (Modern Swords)
Ogawa Kanekuni (I)
尾川兼圀
Description
Career
Ogawa Kanekuni (first generation) was born in 1925 in Gifu Prefecture; his real name was Kunihiko. He began learning swordmaking in 1939 and, in 1943 at age 18, was certified as Japan's youngest-ever army-commissioned swordsmith (a smith officially authorized by the Imperial Army to forge military swords).
Recognition and Titles
He was designated a holder of Gifu Prefecture's Intangible Cultural Property, and was also certified as Mukansa (exempt from appraisal), an honor in the swordsmithing world second only to Living National Treasure status. Based in Yamagata City, Gifu Prefecture, he continued forging under the signature "Mugi-jū Kanekuni."
Successor
His craft passed to his son, who continues the lineage to the present day as the second-generation Ogawa Kanekuni.
Famous Works
- 刀 銘 武芸住兼國作