KATSUMITSU - MUNEMITSU 
_____________________________
KANSHO ROKUROZAEMON SUKEMITSU(1) KA-KICHI 1441
        |________________________________________________ ______
________|____________     -brothers-     ________________|____  |
UKYOnoSUKE KATSUMITSU BUN-MEI 1469       SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU  |
        |                             ___________________|      |
        |               _____________|___   _____________|____  |
        |               AKAMATSU MASANORI   MIMASAKA MUNEMITSU  |
        |                           - CHO-KYO 1487 -            |
        |___________________________ ___________________        |
________|____________   ____________|_____   ___________|____   |
JIROZAEMON KATSUMITSU   HIKOBEI KATSUMITSU   TOBEI KATSUMITSU   |
        | EI-SHO 1504                - MEI-O 1492 -             |
        |_____________________________________________          |
________|_____________    - brothers -    ____________|____     |
SHURInoSUKE KATSUMITSU(6) KYO-ROKU 1528   JIROBEI HARUMITSU     |
   _____|_____________           __________ __________|         |
   TOZAEMON KATSUMITSU(7)   ____|____  ____|____  ____|____     |
    ____|_____________      HARUMITSU  HARUMITSU  HARUMITSU     |
    TAROBEI KATSUMITSU                                          |
 _______|_____________                                          |
 ROKUROJIRO KATSUMITSU                                          |
      __|_____________                                          |
      SAKON KATSUMITSU TEN-SHO 1573                             |
        _____________ ___________ ______________________________|
   ____|____     ____|____    ___|____
   SUKEMITSU(2)  TADAMITSU    ARIMITSU
   BUN-MEI 1469  ____|____    ___|____
                 TADAMITSU    ARIMITSU
 _________
TOSHIYUKI
BUN-MEI 1469


ROKUROZAEMON SUKEMITSU(1) KA-KICHI (f: TOSHIMITSU): The father of
        SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU and UKYOnoSUKE KATSUMITSU, he might
        be considered the father of SUE-BIZEN. Although noted as
        the third of his name from NAMBOKUCHO times, he falls 
        from the TOSHIMITSU/SANEMITSU OSAFUNE line. See OEI BIZEN
        TOSHIMITSU. Work between EI-KYO 1429 and KAN-SHO 1460. 
        His TACHI SUGATA has the grace of the OEI. Long OEI style
        O-TANTO might be found. MOKUME HADA with standing UTSURI
        and NIOI GUNOME-CHOJI BA are his KANSHO BIZEN mark. 
        Note: YAKI-KUZURE turns OEI KOSHI-HIRAKI valleys toward
        the SUE-BIZEN "Crab-claw" styles fruited by his famous 
        sons, MUNEMITSU and KATSUMITSU. See following
     BISHU OSAFUNE SUKEMITSU
     BISHU OSAFUNE JU ROKUROZAEMONnoJO SUKEMITSU

ROKUROZAEMON SUKEMITSU(2) BUN-MEI: Work from O-NIN 1467 into the
        BUN-MEI. MOKUME HADA. GUNOME-CHOJI BA.
     BISHU OSAFUNE ROKUROZAEMONnoJO SUKEMITSU

SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU BUN-MEI (f: SUKEMITSU, br: KATSUMITSU): The
        5th MUNEMITSU from NAGAMITSUs' SHO-WA 1312 KO-OSAFUNE 
        School. Like OEI MORIMITSU, he is the star of his time, 
        being teacher and way-path for many. This family 
        literally brought their SUE-BIZEN style to new places,
        such as neighbors, HARIMA and MIMASAKA and faraway OMI,
        displacing an old and long held sway. The SENGOKU 
        received the MURAMASA, HEIANJO, SHIMADA group impact 
        along with MUNEMITSU's SUE-BIZEN. MINO postured its 
        product against these successes. 

SENGOKU Influences         MINO 
                          KANESADA/KANEMOTO 

                                                SOSHU TSUNAHIRO 
                                                   with HIROMASA 
  MUNEMITSU/KATSUMITSU                               and FUSAMUNE
    and the SUE-BIZEN      
                                   The BUN-GI Triad 
                                       SENGO MURAMASA
       BUNGO TAIRA NAGAMORI              HEIANJO NAGAYOSHI 
                                           SHIMADA YOSHISUKE  

        MUNEMITSU was the second son of ROKUROZAEMON SUKEMITSU
        and a date of EI-KYO 9, or 1437 is given for his birth. 
        He was the younger brother of UKYOnoSUKE KATSUMITSU and
        uncle to UKYOnoSUKEs' son, the heralded JIROZAEMON. These
        were the heavy hitters of the SUE-BIZEN. An accepted 
        OSHIGATA dating from TAI-EI shows his to be one of the 
        longest sword careers, spanning BUN-MEI through KYO-ROKU
        1528. An always noted note: there are many collaboration
        pieces with brother, UKYOnoSUKE. Following his brother's
        death, MUNEMITSU found nephew, JIROZAEMON KATSUMITSU for
        partnerships. Pieces with JIROZAEMON inscriptions should
        be presumed past MEI-O 9, 1500. SAKYOnoSHIN was a teacher
        of sword making to MIMASAKA JOSHU Lord AKAMATSU MASANORI,
        the reclaimer of HIMEJI Castle. UKYOnoSUKE KATSUMITSU, 
        SAKYOnoSHIN student, MIMASAKA MUNEMITSU and others 
        followed MASANORI on ASHIKAGA YOSHIHISAs' SEIBATSU to 
        OMI. See MIMASAKA, HARIMA and OMI. MUNEMITSU made strong,
        wide KOSHIZORI UCHIGATANA with little FUNBARI. There may
        be BO-HI. He holds a reputation for short, BIZEN-style 
        NAKAGO on DAITO, but long NAKAGO on his strong and thick
        UCHIZORI TANTO. Standing KO-MOKUME shows JI-NIE and an 
        excellent near-UTSURI of NIE JI-BA, a BIZEN old and 
        special mark. His dynamic and wide-standing GUNOME-CHOJI
        set the ideal for the SUE-BIZEN. It was here the famous 
        KANInoTSUME "Crab-claw" CHOJI began. 
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU OSAFUNE SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI YUKIE-GORI JU OSAFUNE SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE SUKEMITSU JINAN SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU SAKU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE KATSUMITSU MUNEMITSU BITCHU OITE KUSAKABE SAKU

JUYO TOKEN MUNEMITSU
        NAGASA: 2 SHAKU 2.9 SUN               MOTO-HABA: 1 SUN
          SORI: 7.5 BU                        SAKI-HABA: 7 BU
        NAKAGO: 6.7 SUN, RYOTE from 4.4 KATATE

        A wide, thick SHINOGI-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE UCHIGATANA.
        The strong SUGATA renders a measurable FUNBARI absent as
        the broad upper straightens through the MONOUCHI to place
        power at the YOKOTE and FUKURA. A small groove hugs the 
        SHINOGI to map the trench of a large, round BO-HI 
        occupying the whole of the SHINOGI-JI from KO-SHINOGI to
        a MARU-DOME at the HABAKI-MOTO. Energetic and crowded 
        GUNOME jut mountainous KOSHI-HIRAKI-like undulations high
        in the JI. YO sculps definition for grouping KO-CHOJI and
        tops become SAKA while pointed spires slip sideways to 
        form the grasping claws of his famous KANInoTSUME "Crab-
        claw" CHOJI. TOBI-like figures are teased and tugged by 
        the insistent pull of NIE JI-BA welling over the NIOI 
        HABUCHI. This NAKAGO is unusual because it was increased
        sometime after the TEN-SHO period from its 4.4 SUN KATATE
        "one-handed" length to RYOTE, 6.7 SUN for two. 

KATANA MEI: BIZEN-no-KUNI JU OSAFUNE SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU
       URA: MEI-O KU-NEN HACHI GATSU KICHI JITSU

MIMASAKA MUNEMITSU CHO-KYO: IWATA ROKUROZAEMON. TSUKATANI JU in 
        MIMASAKA. This is a brother student with the famous 
        AKAMATSU MASANORI, Lord of HARIMA, who was the second 
        coming for the AKAMATSU in HARIMA (see MASANORI below).
        SAKUSHU MUNEMITSU studied with SAKYOnoSHIN and then lived
        at MIMASAKA. He and other of his BIZEN alma mater went 
        with MASANORI to OMI for ASHIKAGA YOSHIHISAs' SEIBATSU 
        siege of the ROKKAKU. Work from BUN-MEI 1469 to EI-SHO 
        1504. GUNOME-MIDARE BA with ASHI-IRI in the SAKYOnoSHIN
        style. HA-AGARI KURI-JIRI NAKAGO with slight curve. 
        Characters are wide set, thin but firmly put. 
        See MIMASAKA
     SAKUSHU JU MUNEMITSU
     SAKUSHU TSUKATANI JU ROKUROZAEMONnoJO MUNEMITSU

MASANORI CHO-KYO (t: SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU): AKAMATSU JOSHU "Lord
        of the HARIMA AKAMATSU," nephew of AKAMATSU MITSUSUKE.
        KATANA, TANTO and WAKIZASHI in HARIMA and MIMASAKA. His 
        work is in the style of SAKYOnoSHIN: KO-MOKUME with 
        JI-NIE. NIOI KO-MIDARE, KO-GUNOME CHOJI BA with ASHI. 
        GUNOME-TOGARI theme. Pattern may seem to thin out in the
        lower. MIDARE BOSHI with FUKASHI-KAERI. See HARIMA for 
        the story of the AKAMATSU, MIMASAKA and OMI 
     HYOBU SHOYU MINAMOTO ASON MASANORI SAKU
     JUSHI-I SAKYO-DAYU MINAMOTO ASON MASANORI SAKU

KATSUMITSU BUN-MEI (f: ROKUROZAEMON SUKEMITSU, br: MUNEMITSU):
        Eldest son. Attended ASHIKAGA YOSHIHISA's OMI SEIBATSU.
        See OMI, MIMASAKA and HARIMA UKYOnoSUKE and brother,
        SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU made many works together and often
        struck both names to a MEI. UKYOnoSUKE is the father of 
        JIROZAEMON KATSUMITSU, perhaps the most regarded of all 
        the SUE-BIZEN. Swords following MEI-O with the shared MEI
        will be JIROZAEMON's. See SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU, above 
        and JIROZAEMON KATSUMITSU. 
           Beautiful swords of 2.1 SHAKU and NIOI YAKIBA patterns
           are the SUE-BIZEN, BUN-MEI marker. NIOI-DEKI KO-CHOJI
           from GUNOME in intricate variations has ASHI, YO and
           TOBI-YAKI. The tops may show KANInoTSUME "Crab-claw"
           CHOJI that will stand out strongly from its dance with
           YUBASHIRI. Both KATSUMITSU and his brother may include
           BITCHU KUSAKABE in the MEI, accounting many travels.
     KATSUMITSU
     BISHU OSAFUNE KATSUMITSU
     BISHU OSAFUNE KATSUMITSU GOSHU GO-JIN SAKU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU OSAFUNE UKYOnoSUKE KATSUMITSU YUKIE-GORI 
                     KORE JU OSAFUNE KATSUMITSU SHATEI MUNEMITSU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU OSAFUNE KATSUMITSU MUNEMITSU BITCHU OITE 
                                              KUSAKABE SAKU KORE
     BISHU OSAFUNE KATSUMITSU MUNEMITSU OITE HEIANJO SAKU KORE


KATSUMITSU EI-SHO (f: UKYOnoSUKE KATSUMITSU): JIROZAEMON. Work 
        from CHO-KYO 1487 to TEN-MON 1532. He is seen in MIMASAKA
        along side SAKYOnoSHINs' students, AKAMATSU JOSHU 
        MASANORI and MIMASAKA MUNEMITSU, see MIMASAKA. He has 
        been called SUE-BIZEN's greatest smith. The earlier MEI
        will start with NI, meaning two, for the beginning 
        phonetic of JIRO. Later we see JI or TSUGU. It was common
        for these smiths to make collaboration pieces and signify
        them with both names in the MEI. JIROZAEMON KATSUMITSU 
        made blades with his son, JIROBEI HARUMITSU, the famous 
        YOZOZAEMON SUKESADA and, following the death of 
        UKYOnoSUKE, took his father's place with uncle, 
        SAKYOnoSHIN MUNEMITSU. See MUNEMITSU and KATSUMITSU 
        above. 
        KO-MOKUME HADA. TOGARI marks and shapes KO-NIE KOSHI-
        HIRAKI GUNOME-MIDARE HA resembling OEI YASUMITSU. Also 
        smaller KO-MIDARE patterns of GUNOME KO-CHOJI BA. KO-NIE
        TOBI-like JI-BA will be seen. Made finely carved KURIKARA
        "Dragon" HORIMONO. See MIMASAKA
     OITE MIMASAKA-no-KUNI OHARA-SHO
     BIZEN JU OSAFUNE KATSUMITSU SAKU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU JIROZAEMONnoJO KATSUMITSU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE JIROZAEMONnoJO KATSUMITSU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU OSAFUNE JIROZAEMONnoJO KATSUMITSU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JUNIN OSAFUNE JIROZAEMONnoJO KATSUMITSU
     BIZEN OSAFUNE JIROZAEMONnoJO OITE MIMASAKA OHARA-SHO SAKU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU OSAFUNE JIROZAEMONnoJO FUJIWARA KATSUMITSU SAKU

NAGASA: 2 SHAKU 5 BU                 MOTO-HABA: 1 SUN
  SORI: 6 BU                         SAKI-HABA: 7.2 BU
NAKAGO: 4.1 SUN

        SHINOGI-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE UCHIGATANA. The evenly broad
        width and powerful MONOUCHI balance this short stature. 
        Dewy JI-NIE brings a luminous serenity to its KO-ITAME 
        steel. OBUSA Crab-claws grow like mollusks from the crush
        of his rocky, SUE-BIZEN GUNOME-CHOJI, KO-CHOJI BA; where
        NIOI-awash SUNAGASHI and KO-NIE blur figures to a hidden
        wind that flings TOBI debris into the air. Zigzagging 
        triangles fill the KISSAKI, but HAKIKAKE broom-strokes 
        pull the head open before a long fall down the MUNE. 
        Dragon and KEN HORIMONO ride the OMOTE-JI in the lower 
        with AMATERASU KOTAI opposing on the URA. Short, HA-AGARI
        BIZEN-NAKAGO has two MEKUGI-ANA, safely centered.
KATANA MEI:
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU OSAFUNE JIROZAEMONnoJO FUJIWARA KATSUMITSU

     ASA ARASHI "Morning Storm"
     EI-SHO GAN-NEN HACHI GATSU KICHI JITSU (Eighth month, 1504)

KATSUMITSU KYO-ROKU (f: JIROZAEMON KATSUMITSU): SHURInoSUKE. Work
        from BUN-GI 1501 to TEN-MON 1532. MOKUME HADA. NIE KOSHI-
        HIRAKI GUNOME-CHOJI BA and GUNOME-MIDARE HA.
     BISHU OSAFUNE SHURInoSUKE KATSUMITSU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU OSAFUNE SHURInoSUKE KATSUMITSU