Juyo Certificate Translation
Jūyō-tōken at the 65th jūyō shinsa from November 7, 2019
naginata-naoshi katana, mumei: Kinjū (⾦重)
Itō Atsushi (伊藤温)
Measurements
nagasa 67.9 cm, sori 2.6 cm, motohaba 3.1 cm, nakago-nagasa 17.2 cm, nakago-sori 0.2 cm
Description
Keijō: naginata-naoshi-zukuri, iori-mune, wide mihaba, not very bulbous tip section, thin kasane and
shinogi-ji dropping off noticeably to mune, deep sori that tends to sakizori
Kitae: densely forged itame-hada that is overall mixed with much nagare and masame and that
features plenty of ji-nie, fine chikei, and prominent shirake that tends to appear as utsuri
Hamon: nie-laden suguha-chō with a bright nioiguchi that is mixed with connected ko-gunome,
some hotsure, and fine kinsuji and sunagashi, the elements of the ha appear overall in a relatively
angular manner
Bōshi: midare-komi, featuring hakikake, and running out in yakitsume fashion
Horimono: traces of a thin hi that runs parallel to the shinogi are remnant on the sashi-ura side
from somewhat above of the machi into the tang
Nakago: ō-suriage, kurijiri, katte-sagari yasurime, one mekugi-ana, mumei
Explanation
Kinjū was traditionally regarded as being one of the Ten Students of Masamune. It is said that
he came originally from Tsuruga (敦賀) in Echizen province and moved then to Mino where he
founded together with Kaneuji (兼⽒) the Mino tradition of sword making. There are only very
few signed works of Kinjū extant. Compared to the workmanship of the Shizu School, his blades
very often show a more standing-out hada and a hamon that rather features a connected gunome
with roundish yakigashira than a gunome that tends to pointed togari. His ha is hardened in ko-nie deki and in general it can be said that his works are overall a hint more calm as works of the Shizu
School.
This blade was originally of a long nagasa and with its wide mihaba and little protruding tip
section, it represents the typical classical naginata shape of the Nanbokuchō period. The jigane is
a densely forged itame that is overall mixed with much nagare and masame and that features plenty
of ji-nie, fine chikei, and prominent utsuri-like shirake. The hamon is a nie-laden suguha-chō with a
bright nioiguchi that is mixed with connected ko-gunome, some hotsure, and fine kinsuji and
sunagashi whose elements appear overall in a relatively angular manner. Thus, the jiba reflects
very well the characteristic features of Kinjū. The steel is with its kitae in itame and masame quite
bright and of excellent forging quality and the hamon displays much strongly sparkling nie and
therefore the blade is of a superb deki