Hirochika弘近
Musashi province · active 1772-1804
Hawley reference HIR18Smith record
| Active period | 1772-1804 |
| Province | Musashi |
| Hawley ID | HIR18 |
Recorded signatures (mei)
常陽水府住穂積弘近作之jōyo suifu ju hoizumi hirochika saku kore
武州住弘近bushū ju hirochika
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About these ratings
Hawley points come from W. M. Hawley's Japanese Swordsmiths (1981), the standard Western reference cataloguing over 12,000 smiths. Most recorded smiths sit at 15–20 points; only a few dozen legendary masters exceed 150.
Fujishiro grades (from Nihon Tōkō Jiten) rank workmanship from Chū saku up to Sai-jō saku, while the Tōkō Taikan valuation (Tokuno, 1977) reflects each smith's relative market standing in yen. Explore more smiths in the searchable swordsmith index.
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