Tanto Sword, signed "Kagemitsu", known "Kenshin Kagemitsu"

This Tanto Sword (short traditional sword) was forged in the Kamakura Period (early 14th century) by Kagemitsu, a swordsmith who followed the Bizen Osafune style (a style that originated from the area of present-day Setouchi City in Okayama Prefecture), on the orders of the samurai Ogawara Tokimoto, who was from the present-day Chichibu region of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The five-character inscription on one side of the blade reads Chichibu Daibosatsu (an area that is currently divided between present-day Saitama, Tokyo, Yamanashi, and Nagano Prefectures); on the other side, there is a Sanskrit character. These two inscriptions have lead historians to believe that the sword was presented as an offering to Chichibu Shrine (in present-day Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture). During the Sengoku Period (late 15th to late 16th centuries), a famous warlord named Uesugi Kenshin prized the sword for its excellent craftsmanship and used it regularly, leading the sword to be called ""Kenshin Kagemitsu"" after its primary wielder and forger.Japanese National treasure.