Naotsugu直次
Chu-Aoe school · Bitchū province · active 1288-1329
Hawley reference NAO194Smith record
| Active period | 1288-1329 |
| Province | Bitchū |
| School / tradition | Chu-Aoe |
| Teacher | Yoshitsugu 吉次 |
| Hawley ID | NAO194 |
Recorded signatures (mei)
備中國住人左衛門尉直次bitchū kuni junin saemonjō naotsugu
直次naotsugu
備中國住人直次bitchū kuni junin naotsugu
備中國住直次bitchū kuni ju naotsugu
備中國住人佐兵衛尉直次bitchū kuni junin sabejō naotsugu
備中州住佐兵衛尉直次bitchū-shū ju sabejō naotsugu saku
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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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