Yasukuni Shrine Smith YasuNori Tachi with NBTHK Papers

Signature: YasuToku, Dated Lucky day on Showa 13 (1939) September
Year Made: 1939
Forging Pattern: Mokume
Tempering Pattern:   Choji with deep ashi
Dimensions:   Blade Length:  65.4cm", Nakago Length: 18cm, Thickness at Base:  6.8mm, Width at Base:  29.5mm, Thickness at Yokote:  4.5mm, Width at Yokote:  18.5mm, Sori: 1.8cm
Mountings:  Shirasaya and custom koshirae. Black lacquer ishime saya, iron tsuba of a mantis fighting a wheel, fuchi kashira of birds, and menukis of cranes.
Overall Condition:  Mounts are in excellent condition. Blade is in flawless condition and polish.

YashNori was the last YasuKuni shrine smiths. He was taught by his uncle Kajiyama Taketoku (Yasutoku) with his cousin Kajiyama Toshimichi (later Yasutoshi) became his uncle's sakite on July 1933 at the Yasukuni Shrine. On 1 July 1935, he was granted the swordsmith mei YasuNori by Army Minister Hayashi Senjuro. His swords were highly regarded while working at the Shrine, for two years in 1936 and 1937 he won most of the sword making prizes. He was commissioned to make swords for Higashi no Miya and Field Marshall Terauchi's gunto. He continued working at the Shrine until 1945, after the war he moved to Shikoku where he made swords under the name of Takenori. In 1971 Yasunori started to compete at the NBTHK sponsored contests. In five years, 1970, 71, 72, 73, 74 he won the Nyusen Sho or Winner's Award. He died on March 1, 2003 at age 94.