Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, has officially become the owner of the National Important Cultural Property "Tachi, Mei: Nobufusa Saku" (Tachi, inscription: Nobufusa Saku) through a recent donation.

This work is by Nobufusa, a representative swordsmith of the Ko-Bizen school who was active from the late Heian to the Kamakura periods. It is a masterpiece sword with a slender blade and an elegant, high curve. It is also a historically significant tachi that was passed down in the Himeji Sakai family (Masagashira Sakai family).

Tachi, Mei: Nobufusa Saku (Tachi, inscription: Nobufusa Saku)

Background of the Donation

The donor, a private individual who has previously cooperated with exhibitions at the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum, decided to donate this work with the thought that "lending out other collection items multiple times must be fate." The offer of donation was made in October 2025, and at the end of May 2026, an official cultural property designation certificate from the Agency for Cultural Affairs confirming the transfer of ownership to the city was received, officially changing the owner to Setouchi City. This is the second sword designated as a National Treasure owned by the city, following the National Treasure "Tachi, Mumei: Ichimonji (Sanchōmō)" known as the favorite sword of the Sengoku warlord Kenshin Uesugi.

About the Donated Sword

【Change of Ownership】: November 11, 2025

【Type】: Tachi

【Blade Length】: 62.3 cm

【Inscription】: Nobufusa Saku

Exhibition Plans in Setouchi City

Setouchi City plans to publicly display this work for the first time since becoming city property at the "2026 Winter Special Exhibition" scheduled to be held at the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum from December 5, 2026, to February 14, 2027. This special exhibition will feature approximately 15 Ko-Bizen swords, including this work, and a total of about 35 items.

It has been 86 years since this work was last publicly recorded, with no confirmed records of its exhibition since the "Commemoration of the 2600th Anniversary of the Imperial Reign: Exhibition of Masterpiece Japanese Swords" held in 1940.

Click here for the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum website.

Bizen Osafune Sword Museum Official Website

Mayor's Comment

Kentaro Kuroishi, Mayor of Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture

I interpret this donation as a testament to the trust placed in us, stemming from the long-standing efforts in the proper management and utilization of cultural properties by the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum, including the preservation and public display of the National Treasure "Tachi, Mumei: Ichimonji (Sanchōmō)". It is a great honor, and I sincerely thank the donor for their generosity. We will make the utmost use of the donated Important Cultural Property "Tachi, Mei: Nobufusa Saku" through exhibitions, research, and educational outreach to widely promote its historical and cultural value, further strengthening the appeal of Japanese sword culture, including Bizen swords.

Inheritance and Promotion of Japanese Sword Culture through the "Sanchōmō Village Creation Project"

Setouchi City is promoting the "Sanchōmō Village Creation Project" centered around the National Treasure "Tachi, Mumei: Ichimonji (Sanchōmō)". This project aims not only to preserve and exhibit Japanese swords as cultural assets but also to pass on the techniques and spirit of Japanese sword culture to the next generation and to widely promote its appeal both domestically and internationally.

The Important Cultural Property "Tachi, Mei: Nobufusa Saku" recently donated is a valuable cultural asset that further enriches the collection of the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum, and along with Sanchōmō, it will become a new resource for conveying the history and value of Bizen swords. Setouchi City will continue to actively engage in the preservation, inheritance, and promotion of Japanese sword culture through exhibitions, research, and educational outreach.

For details on the project, click here.

Please support the project.

The "Sanchōmō Village Creation Project" can be supported through donations via individual-based Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) and corporate-based Furusato Nozei.

With the support from everyone, we will connect Japanese sword culture to the future and promote the history and appeal of Bizen Osafune both domestically and internationally.

We kindly ask for your support for the "Sanchōmō Village Creation Project."

Support via individual-based Furusato Nozei here.

Support via corporate-based Furusato Nozei here.

Inquiries

Regarding the donation of "Tachi, Mei: Nobufusa Saku"

Bizen Osafune Sword Museum

Phone: 0869-66-7767

Email: hakubutsukan@city.setouchi.lg.jp

Regarding Furusato Nozei

Setouchi City Hall, Growth Strategy Department, Municipal Promotion Division

Phone: 0869-24-7095

Email: furusato33212@city.setouchi.lg.jp

About Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture

Setouchi City is located in the southeastern part of Okayama Prefecture and is a city with a population of approximately 35,000, adjacent to Okayama City. It is conveniently accessible, with the shortest travel time of 21 minutes from Okayama Station via the JR Ako Line. It is home to "Osafune," a major production center for Bizen swords, known as the pinnacle of Japanese swords. The city possesses world-class historical and cultural resources, including the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum, which conveys the culture of Japanese swords to the present day, and the National Treasure "Tachi, Mumei: Ichimonji (Sanchōmō)". The city is working towards regional revitalization through the preservation, inheritance, and promotion of Japanese sword culture.

Click here for the official Setouchi City website.

Official Website of Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 文化財