Hoki Yasutsuna: The founder of Japanese swords and the legendary master craftsman

A swordsmith Hoki Yasutsuna, a swordsmith who played an active part in Hoki Country (now western Tottori Prefecture) in the middle of the Heian period, is a legendary master who engraves the history of Japanese swords. The foot of Oyama was rich in iron sand, water, and charcoal, making it the perfect land for swordsmithing. In this area, Yasutsuna endured the actual battle and trained many beautiful swords.

One of Yasutsuna's representative works is the national treasure "Dojigiri Yasutsuna". It is one of the five swords in the world that Yorimitsu Minamotono is said to have defeated the demon and sake drinker Doji on Mount Oe, and is currently held at the Tokyo National Museum. The gentle blade pattern based on a straight blade and the fine beauty of ground iron attracts viewers even after a thousand years.

In Ohara, Hoki-cho, there is a monument to the Hoki Yasutsuna tradition, and you can feel its history.