Nihontō Care Mat — Mikami Sadanao, bearing the smith’s own calligraphy “鍛刀一筋 (Tantō Hitosuji)”

A full-length microfiber care mat carrying a motto brushed by one of Japan’s foremost modern swordsmiths

This is more than a maintenance mat. It is a tribute to the swordsmith Mikami Sadanao (三上貞直), printed with Tantō Hitosuji (鍛刀一筋) — a motto the smith brushed in his own hand. At 195 cm (approx. 76.8 in) long, it lays out a complete katana during care, giving your iaitō (practice sword), shinken (live blade), or shinai a resting place on a surface that honors the tradition it serves.

The calligraphy — “鍛刀一筋 (Tantō Hitosuji)”

Tantō Hitosuji may be read as “a single-minded devotion to forging the blade” — a life given wholly to the sword. It is not a stock slogan but the smith’s own words, in the smith’s own hand.

On the smith — Mikami Sadanao (三上貞直), b. 1955

Mikami Sadanao (real name Mikami Takanori) is a leading modern swordsmith who in 2013 succeeded Yoshihara Kuniie as chairman of the All Japan Swordsmiths Association. Born in Shimane in 1955, he entered the forge of Gassan Sadakazu (月山貞一), a Living National Treasure, in 1974, was certified by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs in 1980, and was recognized as mukansa (無鑑査, “exempt from examination” — the highest standing a living smith can hold) in 1995. He works in Sōden Bizen (相伝備前), a Nanbokuchō method that brings Sōshū technique into the Bizen tradition, and has gathered numerous top honors at the New Sword Exhibition, among them the Takamatsu-no-miya Prize.

Fit and use

Measuring 195 × 25 cm (approx. 76.8 × 9.8 in), the mat comfortably holds a full katana: a blade of up to about 2.45 shaku (approx. 74 cm / 29.2 in) sits perfectly within it, while a 2.5-shaku blade (approx. 75.8 cm) rests with the handle just past the end. The soft microfiber surface gives the saya (scabbard) and the steel a clean place to rest and will not scratch them while you oil and wipe. At roughly 1 mm thick and only 82 g (approx. 2.9 oz), it folds flat and travels easily to the dōjō, an exhibition, or a fellow collector’s. It has no non-slip backing, so use it on a flat, stable surface.

Caring for the mat

Wash with a mild, neutral detergent (or a microfiber-specific one). Avoid fabric softener, which clogs the fibers and lowers absorbency, and avoid bleach and optical brighteners, which damage them. Hand washing is gentlest: use lukewarm water (about 30–40 °C / 86–104 °F), press or knead gently, then rinse thoroughly. If machine washing, place the mat in a laundry net and wash it on its own — or on a gentle/hand-wash cycle — to keep lint from cotton items off the print. Being a polyester/nylon microfiber, it is sensitive to heat: do not tumble-dry, iron, or sterilize it in boiling water. Hang it to dry in a well-ventilated, shaded spot, away from direct sunlight, which can stiffen the fibers over time.

Shop Mikami Sadanao’s work

• Modern Fine Art Japanese Wakizashi Sword - Sadanao - NBSK Shinsakuto (37.8 cm)
• Modern Fine Art Japanese Katana Sword - Sadanao - NBSK Shinsakuto (73.2 cm)
• Modern Fine Art Japanese Tanto Sword - Sadanao (26.1 cm)

One of a four-smith tribute series, each mat dedicated to a master swordsmith and carrying his own brushed motto. Choose the smith whose work speaks to you — or collect the series.

Specifications

• Type: Nihontō care mat (microfiber)
• Design: 鍛刀一筋 (Tantō Hitosuji), brushed by Mikami Sadanao — black ground with sword print; white reverse
• Size: 195 × 25 cm (approx. 76.8 × 9.8 in)
• Thickness: approx. 1 mm
• Weight: approx. 82 g (approx. 2.9 oz)
• Material: microfiber (polyester / nylon)
• Fits: blades up to approx. 2.45 shaku (approx. 74 cm / 29.2 in); a 2.5-shaku blade sits with the handle slightly past the end
• Backing / non-slip: none — use on a flat surface
• Care: hand wash, or gentle machine wash in a net, with mild detergent; no softener, bleach, tumble-drying, or ironing; hang to dry in the shade (see “Caring for the mat”)