Keiichiro Tomioka, a swordsmith in Okayama Prefecture, first tried his hand at the Modern Sword Artisan Exhibition's sword-making division in 2020, winning both the Excellence Award and the Newcomer's Award on his first attempt. He served his apprenticeship under a smith from Miyazaki Prefecture, Kunimasa Matsuba. Kunimasa was a Mukansa sword smith, which is a title bequeethed upon those who no longer require review, or in other words, he was peerless. He was taken in as his apprentice. After four years of training under Kunimasa, he was able to pass the exam to become a swordsmith. While under Kunimasa, he had learned not only advanced sword-making techniques but also the attitude and spirit of a swordsmith. Kunimasa specializes in making magnificent swords, and Tomioka inherited his style and spirit.

This sword is a newly made one in 2022, and its width, thickness, and balance are excellent, making it ideal for Batto and test cutting. The active utsuri, which is often seen in Bizen-den swords, is also evident in the jitetsu, making this a wonderful sword for appreciation.

If you would like to request a custom order sword from Yoshimasa, please click here.

• Blade length: 71.6 cm
• Curvature: 1.4 cm
• Number of Mekugi hole: 1
• Sakihaba:  23.0 mm
• Sakikasane:  4.7 mm
• Motohaba:  31.6 mm
• Motokasane:  6.5 mm
• Signature: Bicchu no Ju Yoshimasas Saku(front), Reiwa Yonen Haru(back)
• Era: Gendai
• Structure: Hira-zukuri, Iori-mune
• Jitetsu: Koitame, Utsuri is visible in part
• Hamon: Suguha Nie-deki
• Boshi: Nakamaru
• Weight(blade only):  850 g
• Nakago: Ubu
• Koshirae: Shirasaya