Newly Forged Japanese Katana by Osafune Sukemitsu (長船助光) — Strong, Practical Blades from the Home of Bizen

Commission a cutting-ready katana from a working smith in Osafune, the historic heart of Bizen swordmaking

Osafune, in present-day Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, was the greatest sword-producing town of medieval Japan, home of the Bizen Osafune school of Mitsutada, Nagamitsu and Kanemitsu. Osafune Sukemitsu forges there today, and he has earned a strong following among iaidō and tameshigiri (test-cutting) practitioners for katana that are made to be used. His guiding principle is the classical ideal of a blade that will "not break, not bend, and cut well." Sukemitsu currently limits the commissions he takes directly from the public. Orders placed through Tozando are arranged via the All Japan Swordsmith Association (全日本刀匠会), giving collectors overseas a reliable route to a blade forged to order by the smith himself, at the price set by the Association.

On the smith — Osafune Sukemitsu (長船助光)

Sukemitsu was born Mori Mitsuhide (森光秀) in 1982 in Okayama Prefecture. He was drawn to swordmaking as a high-school student and entered the forge of a swordsmith in Okayama Prefecture in 1998, later receiving his license from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. He set up his forge in Osafune-chō, Setouchi City, where he works today.

His blades are signed Bizen no Kuni jū Osafune Sukemitsu saku (備前国住長船助光作, "made by Osafune Sukemitsu, resident of Bizen Province") or simply Osafune Sukemitsu saku.

Awards and recognition

Sukemitsu received Honorable Mentions at a tantō exhibition in 2007 and 2008. In 2021 he won the Effort Prize at the Gendai Tōshoku-ten (Exhibition of Contemporary Sword Craftsmanship) of the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords (NBTHK), followed by a Bronze Prize (2022) and a Silver Prize (2023) at the Tōshoku Gijutsu Tenrankai (Sword Craftsmanship Exhibition) of the Nihontō Bunka Shinkō Kyōkai (Japanese Sword Culture Promotion Association). In 2025 he received All Japan Swordsmith Association Prizes for both blade and mounting at the Omamori-gatana (protective sword) Exhibition, an Effort Prize in the tachi section of the Gendai Tōshoku-ten, and a Bronze Prize, first place, at the Tōshoku Gijutsu Tenrankai.

Style — strength and beauty together

Sukemitsu forges with tamahagane (traditional Japanese steel) from the NBTHK's Nittō-ho tatara smelter. His belief is that a Japanese sword gains its depth of spirit precisely because it is both strong and beautiful, and he tests his finished blades by cutting before delivery. His hamon include notare (gentle undulating waves) mixed rhythmically with gunome (rounded, semicircular forms) over an itame (wood-grain) hada, and both suguha (straight temper) and midareba (irregular temper) can be specified. His katana are particularly well suited to owners who want a sword for iaidō or tameshigiri that is also a fine object to appreciate.

A commissioned katana by Osafune Sukemitsu is a sword forged in Osafune itself, by a smith who builds every blade to be used. With direct orders to the smith limited, ordering through the All Japan Swordsmith Association is one of the surest ways to obtain his work. Please contact us to discuss specifications and lead time.

Smith profile

• Swordsmith name: Osafune Sukemitsu (長船助光)
• Real name: Mori Mitsuhide (森光秀)
• Born: 1982, Okayama Prefecture
• Training: Apprenticed to a swordsmith in Okayama Prefecture from 1998
• Forge: Osafune-chō, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture
• Major awards: Effort Prize, NBTHK Gendai Tōshoku-ten (2021, 2025); Silver Prize, Tōshoku Gijutsu Tenrankai (2023)
• Specialty: Practical katana for iaidō and tameshigiri; notare and gunome hamon
• How to order: commissioned through the All Japan Swordsmith Association (全日本刀匠会)
• Price: set by the All Japan Swordsmith Association (全日本刀匠会)