The Hojoji School was founded in Tajima by the smith, Kunimitsu, and flourished during the Nanbokucho Era of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Kunimitsu is considered by some to be one of the three famous students of Soshu Sadamune though his working style differs significantly from that of Sadamune . He worked in a combination of Bizen and Soshu styles.

Tajima Province is one of the eight provinces along the San-in-do that included Tanba, Tango, Tajima, Inaba, Hoki, Izumo, Iwami, and Oki. It was relatively close to Bizen, and this would account for the Bizen influence in the works of the Tajima smiths.

The Hojoji smiths were famous for making naginata and nagamaki. I found reference to only one naginata that is in its original ubu shape. The texts refer to the fact that all tachi and almost all naginata and nagamaki have been shortened with signatures lost. In fact most of the naginata have been turned into naginata -naoshi katana or wakizashi and it is the same with the nagamaki.

The first generation Hojoji Kunimitsu worked around the mid fourteenth century. A second generation continued into the beginning of the Muromachi Era. From that time, not much is written about this school until the Edo Era when Masahiro moved from Tajima to Edo and founded the Shinto Hojoi School. The Shinto Hojoji School resembles the Hojoji School of Kunimitsu in name only. The workmanship style of the Shinto school seems to suggest that they have some connection with the Kotetsu school.

The following is the translation of the Juyo Token Zufu for this fine blade:

Designated Juyo Token at the 12^th Shinsa of 30 June, 1965.

Katana

Unsigned: Den Hojoji

Measurements: Length: 2 Shaku, 1 Sun, 5 Rin; Curvature: just under 4 Bu; Width at the base: 9 Bu, 2 Rin; Width at the point: 6 Bu, 6 Rin; Kissaki length: 1 Sun, 5 Rin; Nakago length: 6 Sun; Nakago curvature: none.

Construction: This is a shinogi-zukuri tachi with an iori-mune. There is shallow curvature, and the chu-kissaki is long. The kitae is itame with a flowing feeling and prominent hada. The hamon is ko-notare mixed with ko-choji and gunome. There is ko-ashi and yo activity. There are repeated streaks of sunagashi, and the nioiguchi is vivid. The boshi is midare-komi with a kaen style tip. The nakago is o-suriage, and the end of the nakago is kurijiri in style. The yasuri are kattesagari, and there are two mekugi-ana. The blade is unsigned.

Description: The Hojoji School resided in Hojoji, Tajima Province, and only the name of Kunimitsu is well-known. From long ago they were highly famed as the expert makers of naginata. There is one opinion that Kunimitsu was one of the three disciples of Soshu Sadamune; however, this seems unlikely. In the Meikan, a work is listed with a Joji era (1362-1368) date; there is a second generation Hayatonosuke Kunimitsu listed, and an oshigata with an Oei (1394-1428) date has been seen. Signed extant works are almost exclusively tanto with a suguha or ko-midare style of workmanship. The naginata are almost all flamboyant works with nie based hamon that are essentially choji-midare, but which differ from Bizen works.

This katana is o-suriage and mumei. It has a choji style midare-ba, and repeated kinsuji and streaks of sunagashi can be seen. In comparison to those o-suriage Hojoji attributed blades that are typically seen, this blade has superb workmanship, or, in other words, the style of workmanship is closely associated with the Soden. The question as to whether the katana that was produced from reforming an o-suriage naginata (naginata-naoshi), and that is signed Tanshu ju Kunimitsu is by this same smith or not is something that remains to be studied further.

This is a great opportunity to own a beautiful Juyo Token katana at a very affordable price.