Katana sword, attributed to Go Yoshihiro

According to a document belonging to the Tachibana family, the 7th Lord Akinao purchased this katana (single-edged sword) as his family treasure, because a sword appraiser Hon’ami pronounced that this sword was a highly valued piece created by Go Yoshihiro. Yoshihiro was an expert swordsmith in the Ecchu Province (modern Toyama Prefecture) in the 14th century. His swords gained popularity among feudal lords during the Edo period (1600-1868) as one of the three top swordsmiths along with Masamune and Yoshimitsu. However, it cannot be definitively said that this is Go Yoshihiro’s work in the Ecchu Province because this katana sword has lots of features of Soshu-den style from Sagami Province (modern Kanagawa Prefecture).