Katana - Japan

Imperial Japanese Navy Officer Katana Ogawa Kanekuni NBTHK Hozon

This is an excellent and well preserved Showa period katana, forged by Ogawa Kanekuni, a swordsmith from Gunma Prefecture, dated 1942.
The blade is in perfect condition and represents a fine example of Japanese wartime craftsmanship, combining strength, function, and traditional aesthetics.

What makes this sword especially valuable and desirable for collectors is the fact that it is mounted in a complete set of Imperial Japanese Navy (Kaigun) officer koshirae, including the original officer’s tassel. During World War II, such naval mountings were carried by commissioned and high Ranking  Officers  serving not only as a personal sidearm but also as a symbol of status, authority, and honor within the Japanese armed forces.

The Imperial Japanese Navy was known for its strict hierarchy and strong traditions, and swords like this were often worn as part of official uniform and ceremony, as well as during wartime service. A complete naval mounting with tassel is increasingly difficult to find today, especially combined with a sword that is NBTHK Hozon papered, confirming its authenticity as a true Japanese  Imperial Naval sword.

This katana is therefore not only a beautiful nihontō to own, but also a historically important artifact connected to the Japanese Navy era of the early 1940s.

About the Swordsmith  Ogawa Kanekuni (尾川兼圀)  (Important Intangible Cultural Property

Ogawa Kanekuni , real name Ogawa Kunihiko, was born in Taisho 14 (1925).
He started training as a swordsmith at a very young age and during World War II he became one of the youngest officially commissioned army sword makers, forging blades under the name Kunitada (圀忠). He also served on the front lines in China.
Thats why we can date the blade year 1942 its was his year as swordsmith in 1943 he was a front soldier.

After the war, much of his work and documentation was destroyed, forcing him to leave sword making for many years. However, Kanekuni never gave up his lifelong ambition. Later in life he returned to the craft, studied under Magoroku Kaneko Kanemoto (金子孫六／兼元), and regained his official swordsmith license.

From that moment his career developed rapidly, earning many major prizes and recognition. In Heisei 18 (2006) he achieved the highest level of honor as Mukansa (無鑑査), confirming him as one of the top modern master swordsmiths of Japan.

Specifications

Smith: Ogawa Kanekuni

Period: Showa era approx (1942)

Province: Gunma Prefecture (Japan)

Certification: NBTHK Hozon

Blade length: 66.4 cm (2 shaku 1 sun 9 bu)

Sori (curvature): 2.0 cm

Width at hamachi: 3.05 cm

Kasane (moto): 7 mm

Width at kissaki: 2.0 cm

Saki kasane: 4.5 mm

Mekugi-ana: 1

Mounting: Complete Imperial Japanese Navy officer koshirae, including officer tassel