Tokugawa Ieyasu

Patience and Governance

Born in Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province in Tenmon 11 (1543), Tokugawa Ieyasu endured a childhood of hostage-taking and the hardships of submission, ultimately becoming the founder of the Edo Shogunate, which established over 260 years of peace. Following the Battle of Okehazama, as an ally of Oda Nobunaga, then as a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and finally as the unifier of the realm, Ieyasu survived over half a century of warfare. His life was the very embodiment of the proverb "wait for the nightingale's cry"—a perfect expression of perseverance.

Relationship with Swords

Ieyasu's relationship with swords was intensely practical, grounded in substantial combat experience. In numerous fierce battles—the Battle of Mikatagahara, the Battle of Anegawa, the Battle of Nagashino, and the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute—Ieyasu personally wielded a tachi and fought. His eye for swords was honed not through book learning but in blood and sweat.

Celebrated Swords

The most famous anecdote concerning Ieyasu's swords is his aversion to Muramasa blades. His grandfather Matsudaira Kiyoyasu was slain by his retainer Abe Masatoyoshi in the Moriyama Collapse of Tenmon 4 (1535)—and the sword used was a Muramasa. Furthermore, his father Matsudaira Hirotada was also reportedly wounded when attacked by a retainer wielding a Muramasa blade. Additionally, Ieyasu himself was cut by a Muramasa tantō in his youth. These accumulated misfortunes gave birth to the legend that "Muramasa blades bring divine retribution upon the Tokugawa." This legend spread throughout the Edo period, and in the late Edo period, anti-shogunate samurai deliberately wore Muramasa swords to declare their opposition to the shogunate.

Deep Reverence for Masamune

The foremost of Ieyasu's beloved swords was the "Sohaya no Tsuruki." This tachi, inscribed "Sohaya no Tsuruki Utsusunaari," is said in legend to have been worn by Sakanouye no Tamuramaro, the Seii Taishogun, and is transmitted as a work of Miike Mitsutada. Ieyasu cherished this blade above all as his guardian sword, and by his dying wish it was enshrined at Kunozan Toshogu. It was positioned facing west, embodying Ieyasu's watchful gaze over the outside daimyo of the western provinces.

Foundation of the Edo Shogunate

"Nikko Sukesada" is a masterpiece of Sukesada, a renowned smith of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school. After Ieyasu's death, it was enshrined at Nikko Toshogu. Sukesada was a Bizen Fukuoka Ichimonji smith who later went to Kamakura and is known as one of the founders of the Soshu smithing tradition. The hamon of Nikko Sukesada displays splendid choji-midare interspersed with nie, demonstrating Sukesada's technical mastery. "Monoyoshi Sadatsugu" is a work of Soshu Sadatsugu. This sword brought constant victory when carried into battle, hence it received the epithet "Monoyoshi" (ever-victorious). For Ieyasu, this blade was his guardian sword for long martial fortune.

The Legacy of Sword Culture

After the shogunate's establishment, Ieyasu appointed Honami Kōtoku as the supreme authority in sword appraisal and systematized the classification system for famous swords. A catalog of famous swords was compiled, a precursor to the Kyoho Meibutsu-cho, and the cultural value of swords was systematically established. Ieyasu employed the granting and confiscation of famous swords as a political tool for controlling the daimyo. Famous swords given as rewards served as tokens of loyalty, while confiscation functioned as a symbol of punishment. This political use of swords created new values for the blade in an era of peace, laying the foundation for Edo period sword culture.

Ieyasu's legacy extended far beyond swords alone. Vast sword collections were transmitted to each of the Three Tokugawa Houses (Owari, Kii, and Mito), and in particular the Owari Tokugawa family's sword collection, both in quantity and quality, ranks among Japan's finest and is still preserved today at the Tokugawa Art Museum. The system of sword culture that Ieyasu constructed became a major turning point during 260+ years of peace, elevating the Japanese sword from "weapon" to "work of art."