The next sword from the Tenga Goken will be the Juzumaru Tsunesugu (数珠恒次). This time around, we go in a different direction in terms of how Japanese swords are viewed both physically and in application. Going the opposite direction of them being used for killing by warriors, we will explore the idea of how a sword like the Juzumaru Tsunesugu played a symbolic role in Buddhist practices. Before going over its history, let’s first review its specifications.
- Status: valuable cultural asset
- Blade length: 82.1 cm
- Curvature: 3.0 cm
- Width (base): 4.0 cm
- Width (tip): 2.0 cm
- Maker: Aoe Tsunetsugu
An interesting point worth taking note of is that the Juzumaru Tsunetsugu’s status is that of a cultural piece, as opposed to a national treasure. This is because, while being an intangible piece of history with traceable history, it is neither in the possession of a national establishment nor part of an Imperial collection. Due to this, proper validation cannot be done on its authenticity. Still, its stated existence is accepted as being important on a cultural level, which isn’t an unusual thing as many historical items around Japan can be deemed as invaluable objects, yet stay in the hands of those outside of government-funded organizations and Imperial property.
Juzumaru Tsunetsugu exists today as part of the collection of artifacts at the temple Honkōji, where it can be viewed by visitors around the world.
BEGINNINGS
The Juzumaru Tsunetsugu was crafted by a swordsmith who’s addressed as “Aoe Tsunetsugu” (青江常次). Like many others in the same profession, Tsunetsugu’s surname is unknown. Instead, he is identified by where he comes from, which was Aoe in Bitchu Province (present day Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture). He was a member of the Aoe group of swordsmiths, which was started by his father, Aoe Moritsugu. Taking a quick look at the Aoe group timeline, Moritsugu and his group were active from the ending of Heian period to the early term of Kamakura period (1100s ~ 1200s), where Tsunetsugu, being the 2nd son out of 3 children, took over after his father at some point. To further bolster up his resume, Tsunetsugu was commissioned as the sole blacksmith by the Imperial palace to craft swords during 82nd Imperial successor Emperor Gotoba’s reign…but this should be taken with a grain of salt, as there were other blacksmiths who were utilized by the Imperial court as well.
After being brought to life by Tsunetsugu, the Juzumaru Tsunetsugu, or Juzumaru for short, was the property of the Buddhist temple Kuonji throughout most of its documented history. Its tie-in with Buddhism is key to the name “Juzumaru”, which there are are 2 symbolic meanings behind this. The first is the idea that “juzumaru” stands for the salvation of people from suffering, which is connected to the practice of the Buddhist sect Nichiren. The 2nd deals with the sword’s design, as at one point its handle was adorned with jewels in the likeliness of prayer beads, which are called “juzu” in Japanese¹.
ORIGINS THROUGH NICHIREN
Sources regarding the Juzumaru vary abit, but lead to the same point as to being part of the Tenga Goken due its splendor in craftsmanship. One particular source, known as “Shōchuu Tōken Meibutsuchō” (詳註刀剣名物帳), recounts its origin through the life of Nichiren, which goes as follow:
To the left, a statue honoring Nichiren, while to the right is “Founder’s Hall” (祖師堂, Soshidō), one of the buildings of Kuonji where Nichiren is worshiped.
In the past, many travelers feared traversing the paths that lead through the woods and mountains, as it was common knowledge that bandits laid in wait around those areas. Despite this, the saint Nichiren² planned to set off by himself to explore Mt. Minobu in Kai Country (present day Yamanashi Prefecture) during the early 13th century. Despite arguments from loyalists to dissuade such a dangerous journey, Nichiren would not listen. In order to ensure his safety, a sword from a country warrior living around the southern part at the base of the mountain was given to him. Nichiren accepted the sword and, before ascending Mt. Minobu, wrapped prayer beads around the sword handle, symbolically to ward off ill fortune.
Like a miracle, Nichiren was able to climb up and explore the mountain danger-free. Furthermore, it is said that there was enough supplies within the surroundings on the mountain where he could devise a thatch hut as a place for slumber and to protect him from the elements. After some time, the temple Kuonji, which would become the grounds of the Nichiren sect, was established on Mt. Minobu. It is also written that the sword Nichiren brought with him during his journey was later examined by Honami Kōhō, one of the descendants of the family-run sword evaluation who was also a devout of Nichiren teachings. He was able to identify it as the product of Aoe Tsunetsugu, a renown swordsmith. With that, this sword gained the name “Juzumaru”, and became a symbolic, treasured item of Kuonji temple and an asset to Buddhism.
More or less, this tale summarizes Juzumaru and its ties to Nichiren’s establishment of his own Buddhist sect. It is considered to be one of 3 keepsake relics of Nichiren after his death, with the other 2 being a his robe and a ceremonial folding fan. Being a Buddhist sword, it’s no surprise that it was not used for physical combat. Further evidence of this is the sword wasn’t even sharpened, but instead it’s edge was dull. This does open up some questions, such as the original purpose of the sword itself. Was it meant for self defense through fighting off bandits in the mountain through mortal combat? Since Nichiren wasn’t a warrior himself, it would go against the social caste during those times to arm a priest with a live sword. Maybe the idea of “self defense” was more of a sword that acted like a ward against ill fortune, thus the reason why the Juzumaru wasn’t sharpened.
Still, let it be known that an unsharpened sword is not unusual. In the past, along with arming warriors with sharp swords, it was not uncommon for swordsmiths to also make ceremonial swords that were unsharpened for non-combative purposes. Symbolically they “eliminated” ill fortune or evil spirits by “cutting” them down in order to ensure life proceeds correctly in the name of justice. Such a concept stems from Buddhism, which is defined by the phrase “hajakenshō” (破邪顕正).
BENEFACTOR OF THE JEWELED HILT #1
As mentioned before, “juzu” means prayer beads. It can also stand for jeweled beads, for beads made out of fine jewel stones represented great value and status in Japanese culture of old. Outside of the abridged “base” story of how Nichiren obtained the sword Juzumaru, there are other sources that can fill the blanks regarding Nichiren’s life up until the establishment of Kuonji temple. However, when it comes to this sword with its unique jeweled hilt, there are fewer sources to turn to. To be specific, there are 2 different versions that give their own take on who contributed to Juzumaru earning its name through the adornment of jewels on the handle. Here’s the 1st version.
There was a supporter, a benefactor of sorts who was Hakii Saburo Sanenaga (波木井三郎実長)³, a notable nobleman of the Imperial Court. A land owner within Kai Country, he became a follower of Buddhist teachings through Nichiren’s preaching around Kamakura. He was a strong supporter of his Buddhist teacher, from the start of his ascent up Mt. Minobu, to the establishment of Kuonji temple. Sanenaga continued to contribute to Kuonji temple after Nichiren’s death, which includes having the Juzumaru adorned with jeweled beads on the hilt.
Sanenaga appears to have been greatly involved in both Buddhism and the development of Kuonji temple per what is mentioned in remaining documentations. Thus, this version is considered factual for the most part. One can look at his involvement in having jewels adorned on Juzumaru’s sword handle a parallel to when Nichiren wrapped prayer beads around the sword handle during his journey. Along with it having an unsharpened edge, this majestic look of jewels in the form of prayer beads fit with the ideologies of Buddhism, thus adding to Juzumaru’s supernatural status, as well as netting it the nickname “Hajakenshō no ken” (破邪顕正の剣).
BENEFACTOR OF THE JEWELED HILT #2
There’s another take on a different individual who may have contributed to Juzumaru’s jeweled hilt it’s famous for. This second claim is through Hōjō Yagenta (北条弥源太), a warrior from a related branch of the Hōjō clan. The source of this information comes from personal writings by Yagenta known as ”Zenaku Nitō Gosho” (善悪二刀御書).
Living in Kamakura, he was one of many followers of the Buddhism teachings of Nichiren. When Nichiren declared his departure from Kamakura and going into isolation, Yagenta provided him with a daisho (大小), which is a long sword & short sword set, 3 months before his journey up Mt. Minobu. These swords were no simple items for mere self-defense, but were specially crafted to aid Nichiren in warding evil spirits which were to be (ritually) slain by these blessed blades. As one would guess, the long sword is said to be Juzumaru.
There is a little more to this version, which comes in the form of details pertaining to sword descriptions of this long-short sword pair. This description is taken from a documentation called “Fuji Daisekiji Meishoshi” (富士大石寺明細誌), which pertains records from a Buddhist temple Daisekiji in Shizuoka Prefecture. The sword descriptions (both original Japanese and my English transliteration) go as follow:
JAPANESE
①
太刀 三条小鍛冶宗近作 二尺一寸 一腰
蓮祖の所持諸弘通の節之レを帯す、北条弥源太殿より之レを献ず
②
劔 久国作 九寸五分 一口
蓮祖弘通の節笈中に入る
ENGLISH
1)
Long sword / Crafted by Sanjō Kokaji Munechika / 2 shaku 1 sun / single sword⁴
From Hōjō Yagenta, this was given to the saintly Nichiren, who wore this at his hip during his journey to where he would find his new home
2)
Sword (short) / Crafted by Hisaku / 9 sun 5bu / single blade⁵
A sword part of the sacred items carried during Nichiren’s journey
There are a few points to unravel to get a clearer narrative. The 1st description is interpreted as Juzumaru being crafted by the famous Sanjō Munechika, while 2nd description speaks of the paired short sword being crafted by Hisaku from the Awataguchi clan. Hisaku was of a line of swordsmiths that predates Munechika, but they were apparently good friends⁶. On top of that, it is said that they were commissioned as official blacksmiths by Emperor Gotoba during his reign. Hōjō Yagenta, being a supporter of Nichiren, was made aware of his Buddhist teacher’s intended journey, and supposedly made preparations by commissioning a long sword be made for him by Munechika. As an extra, Hisaku also crafted a short sword, most likely from the same material. Yagenta was able to present this long and short sword set to Nichiren 3 months before the journey.
It’s safe to say that this story varies differently from the first version mentioned earlier, which raises many puzzling questions. The 1st point of concern is by whom hands Juzumaru was created by. Most sources state that Aoe Tsunetsugu is recorded as swordsmith who crafted Juzumaru, as his name can be verified to be on the tang of this same sword. Why the inconsistency here? Sanjō Munechika can be considered to have more claim to his name than Tsunetsugu, so attaching Juzumaru to him would play into the splendor of this sword. Could it be that in documenting the sword descriptions that the smith’s name was interpreted incorrectly? Or, if a sword by Munechika commissioned by Yagenta truly did exist⁷, it is possible that it was completely different from that made by Tsunetsugu. Maybe this “other” sword is mistakenly thought to be the Juzumaru. It is also a possibility for someone like Nichiren to have had several swords made for him as a form of protection on his journey up Mt. Minobu. The question here is would he have carried with him this multitude of swords? Most likely not, unless he had company to assist with such load.
The 2nd point of concern is Juzumaru being part of a long & short sword set, with a short sword crafted in the same liking as it. There are no records or surviving evidence that it was accompanied by a shorter sword…at least one by Tsunetsugu. While the idea of another great swordsmith like Hisaku crafting a pairing short sword to the Juzumaru does sound cool, it literally gets no mention outside of this version of the story. On top of this, there are no traces of this short sword, for it has yet to have been discovered.
Taking all of these aforementioned points into consideration, the consensus is that this long-short sword pair from Yagenta does not fit with the general take on Juzumaru’s origin, if the details themselves are factual at all. On one hand, this long & short sword set may have been completely different, but mistaken to be that of the legendary sword. It’s also possible that Nichiren was gifted with these swords, but didn’t take it with him on his journey? On the other hand, the entry about the sword details in the aforementioned documentation from Daisekiji temple doesn’t mention the name of the long sword, so blame should not be shifted here, but from any other sources that points to it being the one & only Juzumaru.
OTHER ADORNMENTS
Along with the jeweled hilt that resembles prayer beads, Juzumaru is described to have also been decorated with quality fittings. Early in this article, it was mentioned that the sword evaluator Honami Kōhō had examined this sword and judged its value. There is a document called “Kyōhō Meibutsucho” (享保名物帳), a record of antiquated swords, that mentions Kōhō also donated fine quality sword fittings, which were labeled as “Kōhō monozuki no koshirae” (光甫物数寄の拵). Apparently, these consisted of metallic components with a motif of renge (蓮華, lotus flowers) etched on them. The choice of renge, or lotus flowers, is most likely due to the deep connection this flower has with Buddhism, as well as the Lotus sutra recited in the Nichiren sect. It is also noted that Kōhō had donated these sword fittings sometime in the 1600s of early Edo period, which was centuries after the Juzumaru was crafted.
While Juzumaru is described as a well-adorned sword, these descriptions are only found on paper. Unfortunately, much of the adornment that were claimed to once have decorated this sword are currently not on the actual sword. This includes the prayer beads and the jewels fitted on the sword handle. The reasoning can be viewed from a couple of angles, the most suitable one is that these adornments were stolen. It’s highly possible that they were removed from Juzumaru for personal gain, which could include netting a high price to those who would buy them. Why would anyone want to purchase adornments that belong to a legendary sword like the Juzumaru? The simplest answer is that most people never heard of this sword, let alone have seen it unless they’ve made a trip to Kuonji temple, so any prospective buyer wouldn’t know the source of the fittings.
Another question would be as to when and how these adornments were removed from Juzumaru. While there are no solid answers to this, the following below will put this all into perspective.
FATE OF THE JUZUMARU
Stories about this legendary sword indicate that it’s synonymous with the Kuonji temple for centuries since Nichiren set out on his journey. However, an unusual incident happened where the Juzumaru was nowhere to be found sometime in the early 1700s; at a time, scholars and researchers alike could only go based on the writings about it, which painted a picture that it once existed. Why was it no longer at Kuonji temple? Was it stolen, or sold to support the temple? This point is still unknown⁸.
In 1919, a notable sword researcher named Sugihara Shōzō (杉原祥造) from Amagasaki city in Hyōgo prefecture, traveled around Japan studying the many swords that have survived, as well a purchasing those that were of antiquated value. One day, he discovered the Juzumaru at an auction house in his hometown, where items of aristocratic and nobility were sold to the highest bidder. Shōzō bought it and put notice to this discovery, as it was then reported in newspapers. What happens next is quite interesting, for he headed to Honkōji, the nearest Nichiren-sect temple in his hometown, and donated the sword there for safe keeping.
Why not return the Juzumaru to its original home at Kuonji? Speculations include that Shōzō had conflicting thoughts regarding Kuonji actually having possession of this particular sword in the first place, or if it was a fabrication all along. What was most important to him was to return this sacred relic to the rightful environment it belonged to, which was that of a Buddhist temple.
About a year later, Juzumaru was declared a former national treasure by Japan’s Ministry of Education and Culture under the following description:
Japanese
丙種 刀劍
太刀 銘恒次（数珠丸） 一口
兵庫県尼崎市別所村 本興寺
English
3rd class / sword
Long sword / sword name Tsunetsugu (Juzumaru) / single blade
Honkōji / located in a forest in Amagasaki city, Hyōgo Prefecture
in 1950, it would once again be re-evaluated by the Agency of Cultural Affairs, and be declared its new status as it now viewed as an important cultural property⁹.
ENDING
We come to a close on this treasured sword called Juzumaru Tsunetsugu. While it may never had tasted the impact of another sword on any of Japan’s numerous battlefields, the tales of it protecting a saint as a ward on his journey to establish his own Buddhist temple, as well as symbolically aided in the rituals performed there is the support that elevates this sword to the high recognition it holds now. Stay tuned for part five of the Tenga Goken series, which will feature the next sword known as Dōjigiri Yasutsuna.
1) While a minor topic, there has been a small debate in regards to this sword’s naming convention. While popular choice of kanji combination found in documents is “数珠”, there appears to be some that use “球数” instead. While both essentially mean the same thing, which is prayer beads, the former is the proper name, while the latter usually relates to the number count of the beads. It’s also not certain if the pronunciation would stay the same or switch to “suju” if the latter was the proper name. At the end of the day, the former, along with “juzu” is what sticks.
2) Saint Nichiren (日蓮上人, Nichiren Jōnin) can also be read as “priest Nichiren”, as he was a Buddhist priest. He was an actual person who was a scholar of Mahayana Buddhism, then declared his own version based on the same teachings, especially on the Lotus sutra. His climb up Mt. Minobu was actually due to self exile, for Nichiren faced many hardships (including imprisonments and banishment) for the sake of spreading Buddhist teachings, followed by depreciation by the government even after proving his teachings are of great value to the whole of Japan due to coincidental predictions of foreign invasion.
3) Also known by the saint name “Hakii Nanbu” (波木井南部).
4) The term “hitokoshi” (一腰) is another counter used for swords. This one is unique, as it identifies a sword that is slung at the hip, which is normal practice by warriors alike. Since this is a specialized counter, note that any swords not slung at the hip would most likely be identified by a different counter.
5) Just like hitokoshi, the term “hitokuchi” (一口) is another unique term not just for swords, but for bladed objects as a whole. In this case, a sword with a particular pattern along the blade near the edge identified as a kiriguchi (切り口) are referenced by this counter.
6) The two swordsmiths had a good relationship probably because they come from the same area in Japan, which was Yamashiro Country at the time. This area is now presently known as the southern area in Kyōto.
7) There was a police report of this “other” sword being stolen at night from a storage house (guessing at Kuonji temple?) in June of 1940. Apparently the lock was smashed and various valuable items, including this sword, were taken. However, there are some oddities to this claim, the main one being it was disclosed later to the police that this sword, along with other like items, was noticed to have been missing since April of the same year. Not much is known with this case afterwards.
8) Interestingly, there are a couple of documentations that mention the Juzumaru being relocated outside Kuonji temple for safe keeping at a time. However, in these cases this supposedly happened much earlier before the sword’s inevitable disappearance in the early 1700s. On top of this, those documentations are considered to be like diary entries, so they cannot be viewed as factual, especially since such records are also not found in Kuonji temple.
9) The page where the Juzumaru is listed on the Agency of Cultural Affairs can be found here.