Note: Wet clusters of NIE attend the HABUCHI in blades of the
     AWATAGUCHI, a main RAI root. Inherited wet NIE from the
     AWATAGUCHI varies with the RAI thin-skin patching. But
     RAI NIE clustering can be a different animal.
            

KUNITSUGU's return from KAMAKURA brought the reputation of TOBI-like forms for RAI School, but the origins are earlier. If used, early RAI or AWATAGUCHI may have TOBI-like YAKIBA figures incorporated within the HAMON, as perhaps disjointed CHOJI. TOBI-like formations brings one to pursue MIDARE specialists such as KUNITSUGU, then also Two-characters KUNITOSHI and KUNIYUKI. Another early type of clustering, devoid of TOBI-like formations and edging the HAMON, resembles UTSURI.

YAMASHIRO RAI
Technical: SUGATA - In KAMAKURA TORIIZORI. The stout IKUBI 
                    KISSAKI was lengthened as NAMBOKUCHO dawned. 
             HADA - Strong KO-MOKUME with O-HADA and fine 
                    KO JI-NIE. Wet "KYOTO steel" of transparent 
                    blue. Can be dark. Some examples have 
                    O-HADA-like patches where core-steel is seen. 
            HAMON - SUGU KO-CHOJI MIDARE, CHU-SUGU HOTSURE, some 
                    O-CHOJI MIDARE in NIE and NIOI. KINSUJI and 
                    INAZUMA. Some SUNAGASHI. JI-BA (next page).
            BOSHI - SUGU with KO-MARU or KAEN. Little turnback.
           NAKAGO - YAMASHIRO NAKAGO. MEI: school and smith.
                                             ________
                                             NORIHIKO KO-HEI 1058
      ____________________
      AWATAGUCHI KUNIYOSHI RAI Originator HO-JI 1247
        _____________|___
        RAI TARO KUNIYUKI SHO-GEN 1259
                     |_________________________________
_____________________|_________                ________|____
NIJI "Two-characters" KUNITOSHI                ENJU HIROMURA 
_____________________|______                   ENJU KUNIMURA
SANJI RAI MAGOTARO KUNITOSHI
                     |                        
      _______________|_________________________________ ________
_____|__         ____|____                   __________|____    |
KUNIYUKI(3)      KUNITSUGU "Ten Students"    TAMBA KUNITOSHI    |
KUNIYUKI(4)      KUNIHIDE (KUNITSUGU 2)                         |
                     |__________ ______________                 |
         ____________|____  ____|____  ________|____            |
         ECHIZEN MUNEMITSU  SADAMITSU  RAI HIDETSUGU            |
             RAI SHIGEKUNI                 KUNITSUGU            |
          SETTSU YOSHIKUNI                 SUYEYUKI(1)          |
                                           SUYEYUKI(2)          |
                                           SUYETSUGU            |
                                           SUYEYOSHI            |
    _____________ ___________________ ________________ _________|
___|__       ____|____       ________|____    ________|____     |
RYOKAI       KUNITOSHI       OMI MITSUKANE    RAI KUNIMITSU(1)  |
   |_____________________        MICHISADA    RAI KUNIMITSU(2)  |
___|____  -brothers-  ___|____   MORICHIKA        SUYEYOSHI     |
HISANOBU              KUNIHISA        ____________              |
NOBUKUNI (NOBUHISA)   YOSHISADA       RAI YORIMASA GEN-KYO 1321 |
                                       Became: TAMBA KUNIMITSU  |
              __________ __________ ___________________ ________|
         ____|___   ____|____   ___|____ -brothers- ___|____    |
         TOMOYASU   TOMOMITSU   TOMOKUNI            KUNIZANE(1) |
                                KUNIMUNE            KUNIZANE(2) |
                   __________________________ ______________ ___|
   _______________|__        ________________|____       ___|____ 
   SAGAMI JU KUNISUYE        NAKAJIMA RAI KUNINAGA(1)    KUNIYASU 
NAKAJIMA RAI KUNIYASU        NAKAJIMA RAI KUNINAGA(2)
 ECHIZEN RAI KUNIYASU        NAKAJIMA RAI KUNINAGA(3)  __________
         RAI MORIMUNE                (SETTSU)          RAI MUNETO

KUNIYOSHI HO-JI (f: NORIKUNI): He and his son, KUNIYUKI found RAI 
          School. Made TACHI, TANTO and KEN. NASHI-JI MOKUME has 
          AWATAGUCHI JI-NIE. KO-MIDARE BA or GUNOME couches long 
          NIJUBA. See treatment in AWATAGUCHI KUNITOMO - 1st son 

KUNIYUKI(1) SHO-GEN (f: KUNIYOSHI): RAI TARO. At MUKAI MYO-JIN in
        NISHIOKA. He placed his career in the teachings of his
        father, RAI originator, KUNIYOSHI to become the first
        true RAI master. As there are no dated examples, the 
        school history has been pieced together from study. There
        has been heated controversy on the origins of RAI. 
        Historically based conviction proposes RAI, "Coming" 
        tells of a style import from KOREAN roots through MUTSU.
        See HIROMURA in YAMATO SHIKKAKE School.

        Other argument extrapolates from a dated death, 
        KUNITOSHI's birth to NIN-JI 1240. This allows that 
        KUNIYUKI son a reliable work period of KO-AN 1278, and 
        thereby re-affirms that for KUNIYUKI as SHO-GEN 1259.
        Early pieces have FUNBARI but seem evenly narrow to the
        eye, much like early KAMAKURA SUGATA. His mid-KAMAKURA,
        wide MI-HABA TACHI has the IKUBI "Boar's Neck" KISSAKI 
        that has forever been described with the most elegant 
        words: All writers are moved to comment of the grace 
        achieved in his work. The HADA is strongly standing with
        exceptionally bold JI-NIE. HAMON in KO-NIE.  
        Early: KO-MIDARE KO-CHOJI with ASHI.  
        Later: O-MIDARE, O-CHOJI or DAIBO CHOJI-MIDARE with ASHI
        and YO. His YAKIBA is wide in the later work.
        BOSHI can be MIDARE but likely a wide SUGU pulls around a
        CHU-MARU KAERI. There are often BO-HI that extend to the
        KO-SHINOGI. 
          See KOKUHO KUNIYUKI following

Width follows the smooth, long reach of this mid-KAMAKURA TACHI SUGATA to support its elongated KISSAKI. A wide BO-HI replaces the SHINOGI-JI. 

Somewhat early KUNIYUKI work, the YAKIBA style was certainly fuel for the youthful strides of young KUNITOSHI's DAIBO CHOJI patterns. This piece, however, has his father's master work of refinement and complexity. 

ITAME with profuse JI-NIE. 

Squarish, fist and T0BI like KO-CHOJI sit like the weathered stacks. KO-ASHI washes through SUNAGASHI while YO dots and anchors. KINSUJI stratifies the line. 

MONOUCHI clears, with few defined SAKA-ASHI to a smooth SUGU BOSHI that turns in KO-MARU. 

The whole of the YAKIBA is a gently varying CHU width. A single Vajra SU-KEN HORIMONO rises in the KOSHI-MOTO, BO-HI well. 

His large signature resides near the MUNE in the midst of a nearly UBU NAKAGO. The altered walls of three MEKUGI-ANA testify to many mountings.