BLACKSMITH PROFILE
Yoshiyasu w/tamahagane
Yoshihisa
Keijiro
Ishiguro-san
Mr. Ishiguro-san was born in 1926 in Yoita-machi, Niigata-ken. Yoita was then the most active blacksmith town in Niigata prefecture. Ishiguro-Keijiro retired as a blacksmith in 1954 and began his second career as a tool wholesaler, a business he proudly continues along with his sons today.
As a master blacksmith he conceived, forged and named many fine blades and in particular these three blades stand out brightly amongst the others.
Ishiguro-Keijiro created in late 40s Yoshiyasu in honor of the birth of his first son.
The blade is marked down the center YOSHIYASU and on the left TAMAHAGANE and to the upper right NYUDO (A historic monks name).
A second blade Yoshihisa was created in later in honor of of the birth of his second son.
It reads down the center ISHIGURO YOSHIHISA and to the left HIDEN (secret method) JYUKUREN (high quality) and to the right TEION TEUCHI (low temperature, hand hammered)
Finally Ishiguro-san created a third blade. It reads down the center ISHIGURO KEIJIRO and up to the left and right SHOHYO (brand) TOROKU (registered)
Ishiguro Keijiro-san relates the following.
In Tensei, or about the 1 6th century, the making of blades, UCHI-HAMONO, began in Yoita, Echiigo (now known as Niigata Prefecture) when Naoe Yamato no kami Sanetsuna brought sword makers from Kasugayama. This was known as a strategic step that war lords devised to develop areas that they wanted to secure as their territory. These early swordsmiths were from the line known as the school of Kanemitsu & Kanetatsu.
From the Sengoku period, about 400 years ago, Yoita has been famous as a center for blacksmithing. In the late Edo period Ryaminsai Kaneyuki and other smiths became famous for making kanna along with swords.
The Ishiguro brothers Kenji, Keijiro, Hiroshi and Akiji worked along with many other blacksmiths making kanna in their father's large kanna studio before the war. Ishiguro Keijiro-san said that Yoita was one of the busiest blacksmithing towns in all of Japan and times were good. The the sound of hammering began very early every morning until late at night and there were large orders for all to fill. In the early 1950's they helped to start the first nationwide kanna contest. Early on one of the Ishiguro's kanna named TAMASHII (soul) was well received and won the gold prize along with other makers Chiyozuru, Ishido, Hatsuhiro and Dogyu. Ishiguro-san said that after this contest Dogyu-san came to visit often. He was a very big man and a respectable person.
After this the four brothers got together and decided that they should expand their business and not limit themselves to kanna making only. It became apparent to them that to have all four of them producing the same product did not make a lot of sense and that it might create some kind of unhealthy competition among them.
Keijiro and Hiroshi decided to become wholesales of Yoita tools shortly after, each starting their own companies. Kenji and Akiji would keep on producing tools as they had been. Keijiro and Hiroshi's sons still maintain their fathers businesses in two separate independent locations.