The are a group of five

Japanese swords A is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1000 BC – 300 AD), though most people generally refer to the curved blades made from the Heian period (794 – 1185) to t ...

. Three are National Treasures of Japan, one an Imperial Property, and one a holy relic of

Nichiren Buddhism Nichiren Buddhism ( ja, 日蓮仏教), also known as Hokkeshū ( ja, 法華宗, meaning ''Lotus Sect'') is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one of ...

. Among the five, some regard Dōjigiri as "the

yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...

of all Japanese swords" along with Ōkanehira ( :ja:大包平).Sato, 1990. pp. 116–117.

Origin

As of 2017, the term is widely-recognized among Japanese sword connoisseurs. For example, the national institute uses the word in an explanation for Mikazuki. Although some researchers claim the term dates back to the

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

(1333–1573), its origin is unknown. Suiken Fukunaga cites a book written in the fifth year of

Genroku was a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. The Genroku period spanned the years from the ninth month of 1688 to the third month of 1704. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 415. The period was ...

(1692–1693),Fukunaga, 1993. vol. 3, p. 302 and vol. 5, p. 379. so the term is traceable back to at least the late 17th century if the citation is to be believed. Kanzan Sato commented, in terms of pure quality from the viewpoint of modern sword connoisseurs, although they are undoubtedly five of the greatest swords, it is doubtful whether they are ''the'' five greatest swords.Sato, 1990. pp. 138–140. He guessed the criteria of this selection include the values of legends associated to these famous swords.

List

Sometimes the selection differs from the following list. For instance, a list by Kanzan Sato includes , an Imperial Property of Japan, instead of Onimaru Sato, 1990. pp. 127–129. (although in other parts of the same book Sato contradicts himself and uses the same list as the following ). Officially each sword is called by the combination of , name, and the personal name of its bladesmith, for example, , often shortened as ''Dōjigiri Yasutsuna''. File:Tachi Sword - Dojikiri Yasutsuna.jpg, Dojikiri Yasutsuna File:Oni-mar.jpg, Onimaru Kunitsuna File:三日月宗近, Tachi Mikazuki Munechika.jpg, Mikazuki Munechika

Notes

References

* Sato, Kanzan (1990) (in Japanese) . Akita Shoten. . * Fukunaga, Suiken (1993) (in Japanese) . Yūzankaku. . {{Notable swords Ashikaga shōguns Individual Japanese swords Mythological swords National Treasures of Japan Nichiren Buddhism Regalia

Origin

List

See also

Notes

References