Treasures of JapanA catalogue of Japan's designated cultural properties 2,690 works catalogued

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Important Cultural Property

Blade for a Long Sword (Tachi)

太刀

At a glance — Swords & Armour · Nanbokuchō period · held by Tokyo National Museum · designated Important Cultural Property of Japan · Osafune Kanemitsu.

Fact Sheet

Designation: Important Cultural Property (重要文化財)
Category: Swords & Armour
Period: Nanbokuchō period
Date: 1359
Creator: Osafune Kanemitsu (長船兼光、備前国長船兼光、備前長船兼光)
Held by: Tokyo National Museum
Location: Ueno, Tokyo
Catalogue ID: cobas-77860

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Same period: Nanbokuchō swords & armour →
Same creator: Osafune Kanemitsu →
At this museum: All 1632 works here →

Massive blades called [ōdachi] (great swords) were widely used by the samurai in the 1300s. This [ōdachi] was crafted in 1359 by the master swordsmith Kanemitsu. A white line resembling rolling waves runs along the cutting edge, the result of a meticulous steel-hardening process.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.

Record & Sources

Designation: Important Cultural Property (重要文化財), Government of Japan
Catalogue ID: cobas-77860 (permanent)
Official record: Japan Search — jpsearch.go.jp/item/cobas-77860
Holder's collection: ColBase — Tokyo National Museum
Photograph: Tokyo National Museum, via ColBase — CC BY 4.0. CC BY 4.0 licence

Cite this page: “Blade for a Long Sword (Tachi)（太刀）.” Treasures of Japan, catalogue no. cobas-77860. Tokyo National Museum. https://treasures.yamato-kenkou.com/treasures/blade-for-a-long-sword-tachi-77860/ — entry last verified 1 November 2026.

Full record data (as published in the official catalogue record)

Category: Applied arts:Arms and armor:Blades:Tachi
Genre: Arms & Armor
Cultural property designation: Important Cultural Property
員数: 1口
分類: 刀剣
種別: 工芸:武器・武具:刀剣:太刀
銘文等: 銘備前国長船兼光／延文二二（四）年二月日

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