Copyright Robert Cole 2015 - No copying or distributing -
The Eight DO
SANYODO - The Eight Roads of KOTO
BITCHU CHU-AOE School 
     * MORITSUGU Line Falls Like A River *		 




_________                     ________
MORITSUGU BUN-EI 1264         YASUYUKI KO-GEN 1256
____|____                     _________            
MORITSUGU EN-KEI 1308         SADATSUNA BUN-EI 1264
____|____                     
MORITSUGU TEI-WA 1345         

MORITSUGU BUN-EI: His work spans the transition from Mid-KAMAKURA
        KO-KISSAKI TACHI SUGATA  to the SUE-KAMAKURA. YAKIBA 
        shows an abiding pride for the tradition of his line - an
        Early-KAMAKURA feeling reveres and infers the roots of 
        his school and name. ITAME of MOKUME with O-HADA is 
        graced with strongly "Dappled" JI-NIE of BITCHU style. A
        NIOI YAKIBA comforts KO-NIE of a SUGU KO-MIDARE with 
        SAKA-ASHI. 
        BOSHI: YAKIZUME - or of slight MARU-KAERI. Fairly large,
        two-character TACHI-MEI.

MORITSUGU TEI-WA: SAEMONnoJO. This is EN-BUN MORITSUGU. Possibly
        a strong FUNBARI to KO-KISSAKI TACHI, however this was 
        the NAMBOKUCHO, a period known for O-KISSAKI on even, 
        wide, very long swords. His TANTO are mid-NAMBOKUCHO 
        O-TANTO style. Standing KO-ITAME with KO-MOKUME having 
        SUMI-HADA. May show UTSURI. NIOI-DEKI SUGU of shallow 
        ASAKI-NOTARE to KO-CHOJI with ASHI and YO. CHOJI may be 
        SAKA-CHOJI MIDARE with YO. Long swords can be wide SUGU
        with notches, while his TANTO show the elaborate. Signed
        on the SHINOGI-JI above the ANA.



YASUYUKI KO-GEN: KO-MOKUME with JI-NIE dappled over CHIJI-MEN
        HADA. KO-NIE SUGU and KO-MIDARE HA with ASHI.

SADATSUNA BUN-EI: His line is of KO-AOE SADATSUGU. His KO-BIZEN
        roots are found in his work. ITAME of MOKUME. Double
        CHOJI-MIDARE BA.

Juyo Bunkazai Moritsugu
NAGASA: 2 SHAKU 8.4 SUN
SORI: 1.1 SUN 
NAKAGO: 7.8 SUN
MOTO-HABA: 1.1 SUN
SAKI-HABA: 8 BU

The strong blade has the broad, even width, O-KISSAKI SUGATA that marks NAMBOKUCHO. TORIIZORI. Two parallel grooves fill the SHINOGI-JI. 

ITAME of MOKUME shows the famous BITCHU "Dappling." 

The blade is wide, the YAKIBA is wide. 

HIRO-SUGU has ASAKI-NOTARE that rolls-over and tugs small SAKA KO-ASHI. The rolling line falls in the mid to a wide, even CHU-SUGU that continues to the MACHI. 

A pointed SAKI-TOGARI TSUKI-AGE "Thrust" head pulls at the BOSHI. The whole of the HAMON is a defined NIOI. 

The NAKAGO is long and curved, resolving to KIRI-JIRI, straight, with double, over-cut, MEKUGI-ANA. 
             
TACHI-MEI: 
                                BITCHU no KUNI JU MORITSUGU SAKU
                                                         EN-BUN NI NEN JU-NI GATSU HI


Juyo Bunkazai Moritsugu
JUYO BUNKAZAI CHU-AOE O-DACHI
               Sword of SANADA GENTAROZAEMON no JO NOBUTSUNA 
Sanada Gentarozaemon no Jo
 



NAGASA: 102.9cm                  Possession of DAIZEN-GI JINJA
Long, NAMBOKUCHO-style CHO-AOE ODACHI.
MEI: BITCHU no KUNI JUNIN  
      EN-BUN ROKU NEN NI-GATSU 
                         1561 2nd Month 
One of the 23 Retainers of TAKEDA SHINGEN(See SHINGEN) BUSHO GENTAROZAEMON was rock and steadfast of the TAKEDA Advanced Guard. 

He died for the TAKEDA, fighting the ODA and TOKUGAWA crush at NAGASHINO. He was 39. 

See DAIHANNYA NAGAMITSU, given OKUDAIRA NOBUMASA following that battle.

JUYO BIJUTSU HIN  CHU-AOE             Sword of NIWA NAGAHIDE


                     Niwa Nagahide
NAGASA: 60.3cm 

NIWA NAGAHIDE was retainer to ODA NOBUNAGA. He over-saw construction of AZUCHI Castle of Lake BIWA. See history Later he supported HIDEYOSHI in the battle of SHIZUGATAKE, for which he received KATSUIYE's ECHIZEN and KAGA. He resided in FUCHU and became ECHIZEN no KAMI. 

NAMBOKUCHO SUGATA. Wide blade, O-KISSAKI. ITAME-HADA of particular beauty drapes the ground for an undulating SAKA-CHOJI MIDARE BA in NIOI. There is KINSUJI, SUNAGASHI and YO. YAKIBA becomes deeper in the MONOUCHI to nearly cover the entire KISSAKI. TSUKI-AGE head and falling KAERI. 

O-SURIAGE NAKAGO is cut, KIRI, through inlay KINZOGAN-MEI:
                                         NIWA GOROZAEMON no JO NAGA- 

Note: NAGAHIDE's son was GOROZEMON but it is felt that this sword was that of the father, regardless. 


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