Newly Forged Sword | Kunimitsu / 72.7cm

[Newly Forged Sword] Chikushū-jū Kunimitsu / April, Reiwa 6 (2024)

Swordsmith Shirō Kunimitsu (real name: Hayahiko Komiya) resides in Ōmuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Born in 1959 (Showa 34), he began sword forging in April 1978 (Showa 53) under his grandfather, Shirō Kunimitsu, who was renowned as an Ō-wazamono smith of the Showa era. While inheriting the techniques of both his grandfather and his father, Shirō Kuniharu, he has continued to challenge himself with traditional styles, particularly aspiring to the elegant craftsmanship of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school of Bizen.

He was first accepted at the Newly Made Masterpiece Sword Exhibition in 1992 (Heisei 4) and has exhibited continuously since then. Over the years, he has received four Excellence Prizes and five Effort Prizes. In recent years, he was awarded the President’s Prize of the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords in 2017 (Heisei 29) for a tachi at the Newly Made Masterpiece Sword Exhibition, and the Kunzan Prize in 2018 (Heisei 30) for a tachi at the Contemporary Sword Mountings Exhibition.

The Komiya family descends from a lineage of swordsmiths dating back to 1786 (Tenmei 6), when they served as official smiths of the Tachibana clan of the Chikugo Yanagawa Domain. The Kunimitsu line of smiths traces its heritage further back to the late Heian period, drawing inspiration from the legendary master Mitsuyo Miike Denta, creator of the Ōdenta Mitsuyo (one of the “Five Swords Under Heaven” and a National Treasure, once treasured by Maeda Toshiie) and the Sohayanotsuruki Utsusunari (Important Cultural Property, beloved sword of Tokugawa Ieyasu).

This sword was newly forged in 2024 (Reiwa 6) as an iaidō practice sword. Our company further refined it with grooves (hi) carved into the blade and specially crafted mountings (koshirae). The blade is well balanced, produces a clear sound, and all fittings are newly made. It has been completed as a sword we can confidently recommend.