©
Copyright Robert Cole 2014 - No
copying or distributing -Note: Missing
graphics YAMASHIRO KYOTO - The Emperor-smith & his ICHIMONJI |
What
a twelve year old signed away, the adult would
take back
Interest and evocation of the KAMI brought Emperor GOTOBA to start the ICHIMONJI SHO-GEN GOBAN KAJI by summoning 13 leading masters to KYOTO for his personal instruction and the research and development for perfection to the Japanese Sword. Smiths were titled to the SAKON-E Imperial Guard as SHOGEN officers for legal admittance to service. Commissioners were named as sponsors, and each smith was assigned an alternate month of the year. GOTOBA had associated with BIZEN NORIMUNE, the organizer and therefore smith founder of the ICHIMONJI. Note: If this were hobby, it would have stayed a dalliance with NORIMUNE. A serious endeavor, only the Emperor could tell smiths to show up and share family secrets. At first a secret, the ICHIMONJI were selected to create a superior sword to aid in the restoration to power of the Imperial house. Over time there were three ICHIMONJI groups that convened for the Emperor:
- The Twenty-four GOBAN KAJI - Exile group, the OKI GOBAN KAJI ICHIMONJI SHO-GEN GOBAN KAJI |
1st month: BIZEN FUKUOKA NORIMUNE
2nd month: BITCHU KO-AOE SADATSUGU 3rd month: BIZEN FUKUOKA NOBUFUSA 4th month: YAMASHIRO AWATAGUCHI KUNIYASU 5th month: BITCHU KO-AOE TSUNETSUGU 6th month: YAMASHIRO AWATAGUCHI KUNITOMO |
7th month: BIZEN FUKUOKA MUNEYOSHI
8th month: BITCHU KO-AOE TSUGUIYE 9th month: BIZEN FUKUOKA SUKEMUNE 10th month: BIZEN FUKUOKA YUKIKUNI 11th month: BIZEN FUKUOKA SUKENARI 12th month: BIZEN FUKUOKA SUKENOBU |
URUZUKI
Intercalary month:YAMASHIRO
AWATAGUCHI HISAKUNI
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The Twenty-four GOBAN KAJI was far more diverse, bringing stylists from different areas. The commissioners for the this group were AWATAGUCHI HISAKUNI and FUKUOKA NOBUFUSA of the SHO-GEN GOBAN. Two experienced smiths rather than the twelve aristocrats of the first group show that here the commissioners were essentially directors for enacting a carefully considered program. The greater number of smiths allowed not only an expansion of the knowledge base but also development of the engineering aspects of production. This was a well-laid plan. |
The Twenty-four GOBAN KAJI
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Following the defeat of SHOKYU RAN "War of 1221" GOTOBAs' secret MEI, SUKEHIDE with a 17 petal KIKU was employed in exile with his OKI GOBAN KAJI Group. |
OKI GOBAN KAJI
1st
and 2nd months: AWATAGUCHI NORIKUNI 3rd
and 4th months:
5th
and 6th months: |
7th
and 8th months: FUKUOKA MUNEYOSHI 9th and 10th
months: 11th and 12th
months: |
Minamoto Yoritomo |
...his reproachful ancestors would
conspire. The KAMI would be conjured - without
asking
Through
Earth - Fire - Water |
Gotoba-sama |
KIKU GYO-SAKU SHO-GEN
1207 - GOTOBA JOKO "Emperor in Retirement"
SHO-GEN GOBAN swords are SHINOGI-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE, KOSHIZORI TACHI with strong FUMBARI. Standing KO-ITAME with a thinly veiled JI-NIE. KO-MIDARE BA and KO-CHOJI of very fine KO-NIE and deep NIOI-FUKASHI. YAKIBA may be NIJUBA and KINSUJI is expected. Some YAKIOTOSHI. Note: KO-ICHIMONJI, or early ICHIMONJI, resemble AWATAGUCHI work.
even the Gods ...at times |
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