Nihonto Swordsmith Index — 12,379 Japanese Swordsmiths, Searchable
Search 12,379 Japanese swordsmiths — the complete recorded lineage of nihonto makers from the Heian period to the modern era. Each smith is listed with province, school, active period and the three standard ratings: Hawley points, Fujishiro grade and Tōkō Taikan valuation. Type a name as you read it on a mei, or filter by province and school.
| Smith | Province | School | Active | Hawley | Fujishiro | Tōkō Taikan |
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The three rating systems, explained
Hawley points — W. M. Hawley's Japanese Swordsmiths (1981) is the standard Western index of recorded smiths. Every smith gets a point value: 15–20 points means simply "recorded", 50–100 marks an important maker, and only a handful of legendary masters — Masamune, Munechika, Awataguchi Yoshimitsu — sit at 150 points or above.
Fujishiro grades — Fujishiro Yoshio's Nihon Tōkō Jiten ranks workmanship in five classes: Chū saku (average), Chū-jō saku, Jō saku, Jō-jō saku, and Sai-jō saku — the supreme grade held by roughly a hundred smiths in all of Japanese history.
Tōkō Taikan — Tokuno Kazuo's 1977 reference assigns each smith a market valuation in yen, still used as a relative benchmark of desirability among collectors today.
These three systems measure different things — fame, workmanship and market value. Cross-referencing them, as this index does, gives the most balanced picture of a smith's standing. For dating a signed blade, pair this index with our era converter and mei reader.
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify the swordsmith of my Japanese sword?
Start with the signature (mei) chiselled on the tang: read the kanji with our mei reader, then search the romanized name in this index. Province and school on the mei (e.g. "Bishū Osafune…") narrow down homonyms — there are over a hundred smiths named Kanenori. Beware: a large share of antique blades carry false signatures (gimei), so a mei is a starting point, not proof. Only NBTHK/NTHK certification papers authenticate an attribution.
What is a good Hawley rating?
Most recorded smiths carry 15–20 points. Anything above 50 indicates a well-regarded maker, above 100 an important master, and 150+ is reserved for the great names of Japanese sword history. The scale tops out around 400–500 for legends like Masamune and Sanjō Munechika.
Which sources does this index use?
Ratings are compiled from three published references: W. M. Hawley's Japanese Swordsmiths (1981), Fujishiro Yoshio's Nihon Tōkō Jiten (workmanship grades), and Tokuno Kazuo's Tōkō Taikan (1977 valuations). Biographical data follows the standard meikan literature.
Are swords by these smiths for sale?
Our collection of authentic antique Japanese swords regularly includes signed and attributed blades with NBTHK certification, sourced directly in Japan.