Umetada Myōju

The Shintō Era and the Historical Significance of Umetada Myōju

The shintō era, which begins in the Keichō era (1596–1615), is a period that forms a major turning point in the history of Japanese swordmaking. Amid the political stability and cultural flowering of the Momoyama to early Edo periods, sword-making went beyond the mere manufacture of weapons and acquired new values as a medium of artistic and cultural expression. The swordsmith who most vividly embodied the changes of this era was Umetada Myōju, who was active in Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto Prefecture).

The Umetada family was, in earlier times, a house specializing in sword fittings (metalwork), and held the highest authority in the production of sword mountings such as koshirae, tsuba, and menuki. Myōju was the first in this family to undertake the making of the sword itself (the blade), and he was a rare figure who produced swords rated as saijō-saku (highest rank) of the shintō era. Myōju, who had outstanding skill in both metalwork and swordsmithing, produced blades that set him apart from other shintō smiths not only technically but also on the level of art and craft.

Umetada Myōju's Swordmaking Techniques

Myōju's jigane is mainly ko-itame-hada to itame-hada, with fine forging and a uniform texture with little surface roughness. A feature common to Yamashiro smiths of the shintō period is that the refinement level of the iron improved greatly compared with the kotō period, and Myōju's jigane shows a particularly precise and stable finish even among these.

His hamon include suguha and shallow notare mixed with gunome, and fine nie appears in both the jigane and the hamon. His swordmaking appears to have been carried out in the intervals of his principal line of work, and few examples survive.

Many of Myōju's blades also bear blade carving (horimono). This directly reflects the Umetada family's metalwork tradition on the blade, and shows a sophisticated, composite artistry that other smiths could never hope to imitate. In Myōju's works carved with Fudō Myōō, Kurikara dragon, and dragon chasing a jewel (tamaoi-ryū), the blade itself stands as a complete work of art and craft, and in this respect Myōju holds a unique position in the history of swords that is without peer.

Notable Signed Works of the Keichō Era and Myōju's Oeuvre

Myōju's works are concentrated in the Keichō era, and examples bearing detailed inscriptions are known, such as one reading "Umetada Myōju, resident of Nishijin, Yamashiro Province" and one reading "Keichō 3, eighth month, day unspecified, not to be transferred to anyone else." These include a tachi in the Kyoto National Museum collection. Myōju also personally executed the horimono on his blades, demonstrating the one-of-a-kind value of works in which blade-making and carving were embodied in a single person, Umetada Myōju.

Myōju is said to have first served Ashikaga Yoshiaki, was later employed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and also carried out official commissions for the Toyotomi and Tokugawa families. This speaks to his high social standing in the sword culture of the Momoyama to early Edo periods. Several works, including the tachi at the Kyoto National Museum, as well as tantō, wakizashi, and tsuba, are designated Important Cultural Properties.

Influence on the Shintō Period and Myōju's Legacy

Umetada Myōju's achievements had a great influence on the smiths of the later shintō period. Early shintō masters, beginning with Horikawa Kunihiro, were active at the same time as Myōju, and it is thought that they established the aesthetics of the shintō period while stimulating one another.

In particular, the high standard Myōju established in the field of blade carving came to largely determine the direction of later sword ornamentation. It can be said that behind the high regard for blade carving throughout the Edo period lie Myōju's pioneering achievements.

At Touken-za, Umetada Myōju is presented as the most multifaceted talent in the history of Japanese swords, personally embodying the peak of both metalwork and swordsmithing. His presence, which shone brightest at the dawn of the shintō era, is the historical witness that most eloquently demonstrates that the Japanese sword is a comprehensive art form beyond the weapon.