A katana by the shinsakuto smith Hizen no Koku Kazuyoshi, in shirasaya, made in the style of the famous shinshinto smith, Minamoto Kiyomaro.

Nagasa: 75 cm (29.5")

Motohaba: 36 mm Sakihaba: 31 mm

Motokasane: 8 mm Sakikasane: 6.5 mm

Nakago: Ubu, Kuri jiri, sujikai yasurime, one mekugi ana,

Katana mei: Hizen (no) kuni ju Kazuyoshi Utsushi Kiyomaro (Kazuyoshi, residing in Hizen province, made this in the style of Kiyomaro

Katana ura mei: Hinoe inu nen ju ichi gatsu hi (a day in the 11th month of the year of the dog: November 2006)

Hizen no Kuni Ju Kazuyoshi 肥前国住一吉, whose given name is Nakao Kazuyoshi 中尾一吉, was born in 1939 and lives in Saga prefecture. He learned sword forging under his swordsmith father, Tadatsugu 忠次, who was a disciple of Toshihide Horii 堀井俊秀, and has won 2 excellent awords, 2 Shorei prizes and 4 Doryoku prizes in Shinsakuto exhibitions. His sincere pursuit of reviving the Kamakurta Ichimonji, Minamoto no Kiyomaro, and Hizen no Kuni Tadayoshi styles has thus gained him a high profile as a distinguished swordsmith.
This blade, as the mei indicates, is clearly forged in the tradition of, and as an homage to, the famous shinshinto smith Minamoto no Kiyomaro. The hamon is a vivid nioi deki gunome midare with ashi at the valleys and sprays of nie at the peaks. There is sunagashi and long, runningkinsuji under the hamon, which can clearly be seen in the photo. The kitae is a tightly forged ko-itame. The hamon continues into the majestic O-kissaki and ends in komaru with a short turnback. The sugata is very much in the style of the grand osuriage Nambokucho blades. It is in a lovely shirasaya finished with narrow bands of lighter wood at the ends and the koiguchi. The one piece habaki is a handsome and suitably massive chunk of solid silver.

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