Chikamune近宗

Toshihide school · Tosa province · active 1848-1854

Hawley reference CHI75
Hawley
8
points — scale 15 (recorded) to 500+ (legendary)

Smith record

EraKaei (1848-1854)
Active period1848-1854
ProvinceTosa
School / traditionToshihide
TeacherToshimune
Hawley IDCHI75

Recorded signatures (mei)

土佐吉村近宗tosa yoshimura chikamune

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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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