The Allure of Higo Kinko, Series 4: Part 2 — The Kamiyoshi School：A Lecture at the Naniwa Kodōgu Kenkyūkai
- gallery陽々youyou
- Jan 15
- 7 min read
At the Naniwa Kodōgu Kenkyūkai in Osaka, a lecture on Higo kinko was delivered by Mitsuru Ito at Ikukunitama Shrine. This blog post follows the previous articles in the series—① the Hirata School, ② the Shimizu School, ③ the Nishigaki School, and ④-1 the Hayashi School—and presents the final installment, ④-2: the Kamiyoshi School.
This series explores the aesthetic principles and distinctive characteristics of the four principal lineages of Higo kinko in the following order: ① Hirata, ②Shimizu, ③Nishigaki, and ④Hayashi & Kamiyoshi. As the Hayashi and Kamiyoshi schools together encompass a substantial body of material, they have been divided into two parts. Part 4-1 focused on the Hayashi School, and Part 4-2 will examine the Kamiyoshi School as the concluding chapter of the series.
At the end of this article, three examples will be presented as a bidding-style tsuba kantei exercise. You are invited to enjoy it in a spirit of exploration and discovery♡
The Appeal of Higo Kinko
Higo kinko works possess a quietly compelling presence that naturally draws the viewer in. One may find that a piece acquired simply because it felt appealing later turns out to be Higo work. From there, the question—“Whose work might this be?”—becomes part of the pleasure of study.
The four principal schools of Higo kinko—Hirata, Shimizu, Nishigaki, and Hayashi—are all highly individualistic.
While artistic styles can sometimes converge through master–disciple relationships or shared regional contexts, Higo kinko works remain distinctly artistic, with each lineage establishing its own recognizable style.
Rooted in the philosophy of samurai culture, Higo kinko spans a wide range, from refined and meticulous expressions to abstract forms that recall modern art.
The histories of these schools are relatively well documented through surviving records preserved by families such as Kamiyoshi, Shimizu, and Hirata, as well as through documents associated with the Hosokawa and Matsui clans.
Fortunately for collectors, Higo kinko works survive in considerable numbers, making them well suited to sustained study and collection.
Another appeal lies in the breadth of enjoyment, extending from individual fittings to complete koshirae.
The Kamiyoshi Family
The roots of the Kamiyoshi family are recorded in “Hayashi & Kamiyoshi”. According to that study, a Hosokawa clan document titled “Samurai Registers and Lists of Lower-Ranking Retainers during the Lordship of Hosokawa Tadatoshi in Buzen Kokura”—covering the period from Genna 7 (1621) through Kan’ei 9 (1632)—contains a section titled “Artisans and Craftsmen.”
At the head of this list appears: Kamiyoshi Jin’emon, stipend of twenty koku and ten-person rations.
From this entry, it is clear that the Kamiyoshi family served the Hosokawa clan from its Kokura period. Although no specific occupational title is given, Kamiyoshi Jin’emon is listed alongside gunsmiths and swordsmiths, making it evident that he was regarded as a craftsman of weapons.
Based on the Kamiyoshi family genealogy compiled by my father, the lineage may be summarized as follows:
Kamiyoshi Jin’emon (甚右衛門) (also read Jinzaemon (甚左衛門) )
Oshiroiya (white face powder merchant) Jinbei (甚兵衛)→ Kyūbei (九兵衛)→ Zen’emon (善右衛門)→ Kamiyoshi Jūhei Tadamitsu (神吉寿平忠光)
A note attached to Kamiyoshi Jūhei Tadamitsu states: “He studied tsuba making under Zenshichi. Later, by order of the domain lord, he became a disciple of Hayashi Tōhachi.” This confirms that he is identical with Jūhei Masatada recorded in Higo Kinkōroku, which was compiled based on interviews with Rakujū.
The genealogy continues as Masatada → Fukanobu → Rakujū. It has also been clarified that the adopted heir mentioned in Higo Kinkōroku was the son of Rakujū’s younger brother, Tadahachi. Tadahachi passed away in Meiji 20 (1887), and although he likely assisted Rakujū as a subordinate craftsman, no works attributable to him are known. By the time of his son’s generation, the Haitōrei had already been enacted, and it is thought that no sword fittings were produced. As recorded in Hayashi & Kamiyoshi, Rakujū was therefore the final Kamiyoshi artisans to produce tosōgu.
The Kamiyoshi family is known to have worked in the Tsuboi district of Kumamoto city. When my father visited the area during his research for “Hayashi・Kamiyoshi”, an old building bearing the sign “Kamiyoshi Electric” still stood there. Unfortunately, when I visited Tsuboi with family and dearest friends last spring, the building no longer remained. Tsuboi was historically a castle town and is home to many temples. In present-day Tsuboi 1-chōme runs a street known as “Niō-san-dōri”, where the Kamiyoshi Electric building once stood. Nearby stands the large temple Myōsen-ji (明専寺). When we inquired there about the Kamiyoshi family, however, no memory of the building remained.
First Generation: Kamiyoshi Masatada
Masatada was born in Meiwa 3 (1766), used the name Jūhei, and passed away in Bunsei 3 (1820) at the age of 55. As the fourth-generation Hayashi Heizō died in Tenmei 4 (1784) at the age of 41—prior to the death of the third-generation Hayashi Tōhachi—Masatada received the Hayashi techniques directly from Tōhachi by order of the domain lord.
According to “Hayashi・Kamiyoshi”, this transmission likely continued for approximately two years, from the death of the fourth Hayashi head until Tenmei 6, when the Kamiyoshi family began receiving stipends from the Hosokawa domain. Thereafter, Masatada began producing tsuba in the Hayashi style.
“Higo Kinkōroku” describes his work as featuring slightly reddish iron, seppadai forms resembling those of Tōhachi, a moderate sense of volume, and skillful katsura-bishi inlay. While it is possible that Masatada works existed during Rakujū’s lifetime, it remains unclear whether signed works or distinctive chisel marks—such as those associated with Fukanobu or Rakujū—were present. As a result, the primary reference for understanding Masatada’s style remains the descriptions in “Higo Kinkōroku”. All known works attributed to Masatada are unsigned, and today they are difficult to distinguish from works by Tōhachi or Hayashi Matahei.
Second Generation: Kamiyoshi Fukanobu
Fukanobu was born in Tenmei 6 (1786), also used the name Jūhei, and passed away in Kaei 4 (1851) at the age of 66. His period of activity followed Masatada’s death in Bunsei 3 (1820) and centered on the Tenpō era, a time when the atmosphere of the Bakumatsu period was steadily intensifying.
Renowned kinkō (metalwork masters, meikō) such as Gotō Ichijō, Tanaka Kiyohisa, the sixteenth-generation Gotō Mitsuaki, the second-generation Hamano Noriyuki, and Kawarabayashi Hideoki were among the leading artisans of the time.
Higo Kinkōroku rather tersely describes him as follows:
“Jūhei Fukanobu—this generation is called the father of the Kamiyoshi school. The reasons are the same as for the previous generation. His manner of work resembles his father’s in all respects, though his ability does not fully measure up. He produced mainly sukashi tsuba, with many signed examples. Both volume and inlay adhere strictly to established family conventions. No further peculiarities are noted.”
Despite this reserved assessment, Fukanobu’s extant works reveal a refreshing sense of dignity, a clear individuality, and refined sensibility—qualities that could not be achieved by an ordinary craftsman. In Yatsushiro, the presence of the distinguished fifth-generation Shimizu Shigenaga suggests an environment of mutual refinement, in which Fukanobu would have continually sought to elevate his work.
From Fukanobu onward, Kamiyoshi iron develops a slightly matte, gray-toned patina distinct from that of the Hayashi school. Reflecting late-Edo demands, many of his tsuba are large in scale. His arabesque and withered-tree inlay often surpass that of Rakujū in technical execution. Fukanobu’s work is disciplined and well ordered, and many signed examples survive. Signatures were typically applied only under particular circumstances, such as upon request by a patron; otherwise, works remained unsigned. His characteristic chisel marks consist of four impressions above and seven below the nakago-ana, with the rarer variant of four above and nine below.
Third Generation: Kamiyoshi Rakujū
Rakujū was born in Bunka 14 (1817), also used the name Jūhei like the first two generations, and passed away in Meiji 17 (1884) at the age of 68. Two years later, in Meiji 19 (1886), Nagaya Shigena Ou (an honorific title of great respect) compiled Higo Kinkōroku in his own hand, based on interviews conducted with Rakujū. The original text is published in “Hayashi・Kamiyoshi”. I would like to render one passage into modern language; it reads in part as follows:
“I once resided in Kumamoto. During that time, I was fortunate to learn the fundamentals of kinko appraisal from Rakujū, an experience that I found deeply enjoyable. That this book could be compiled at all is entirely thanks to him. Whenever Rakujū spoke, he would repeatedly say ‘Matashichi, Matashichi,’ carefully explaining his approach and way of thinking. He was extremely approachable, making one feel as though one were his own disciple. At the same time, he was deeply humble, and whenever he examined the works of earlier masters, he would caution himself that his own abilities had yet to measure up…”
Rakujū’s style broadly resembles that of Fukanobu, though many works retain file marks in the ground, and some tsuba exhibit a rougher finish. Arabesque Karakusa (arabesque) nunome-zōgan and Koboku (withered-tree motifs) zōgan appear frequently. His Koboku zōgan includes both solid inlay and nunome inlay.
For a detailed comparison of inlay types and techniques among the Hayashi, Kamiyoshi, and Nishigaki schools, I highly encourage readers to see pages 49–50 of “Hayashi・Kamiyoshi”. Although Rakujū appears to have revered Matashichi, close examination of his works—especially when 150% magnified —often reveals the superior technical command of Fukanobu.
Nagaya Shigena Ou described Rakujū as approachable and humble. If so, Fukanobu may have been not only a strict master, but also a stern father. The comparatively restrained evaluation of Fukanobu in “Higo Kinkōroku” may reflect Rakujū’s own reluctance to praise his father openly, suggesting the presence of personal tension between them.
Rakujū also employed distinctive chisel marks, using differently sized chisels to place two impressions above and three below the nakago-ana. He created original designs and occasionally worked in suaka, producing pieces that resemble full kinko work.
Petit Bidding-Style Tsuba Kantei♡
From here, three tsuba are presented for a small bidding-style kantei exercise. Readers are warmly invited to give it a try.
1.
2.
3.
Closing Thoughts
At the Naniwa Kodōgu Kenkyūkai, Mitsuru Ito presented a comprehensive overview of the allure of Higo kinko. In this blog series, however, we have chosen to examine each of the four principal schools individually, across four installments.
As the concluding chapter, this article has focused on the Kamiyoshi family. The first-generation Masatada inherited the Hayashi techniques from the third-generation Tōhachi. Building upon that foundation, Fukanobu developed iron quality and stylistic expressions distinct from the Hayashi school, establishing a dignified and individual aesthetic. Rakujū, working through the turbulent years surrounding the Haitōrei, encountered severe challenges, yet left behind original and memorable works.
In the next blog, we will present “the answers and commentary for the three tsuba featured in the petit bidding-style kantei”. Until then stay tosogu & sword minded.
References:
Higo Kinkōroku, Nagaya Shigena
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Another great blog post that I found very helpful for the study and appreciation of works of the Kamiyoshi School of Higo Province. I have my petit kantei answers prepared cannot wait until the next blog post. 😄