Akamatsu Taro Kanetsugu's real name is Kimura Kanesada, and his father was Kaneshige, also a master swordsmith. The Kimura family had long been the designated swordsmith of the Sagara family of the Hitoyoshi clan, and Kanesada continues this tradition as the head of the Akamatsu Taro clan. The main characteristic of Akamatsu Taro's swords is the use of iron sand from the Kuma River to make tamahagane, which is used to make the swords in house.

Akamatsu Taro and his family specialize in replicating Minamoto Kiyomaro, a swordsmith active at the end of the Edo period, and their swords with large kissaki are magnificent. In 1986, his swords were designated as Kumamoto's traditional crafts, and in 2021, he received the special award, the Kunzan Prize.

Swordsmith name: Akamatsu Taro Kanetsugu

Real name: Kanesada Kimura

Birthplace: Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture

Birth: 1951