National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

　The Aoe school in Bichu no Kuni is a school of Japanese swords established in the late Heian period and swords that they made up to the Northern and Southern Courts period still exist. Tsugunao, together with Tsuguyoshi and Moritsugu, is one of the best swordsmiths of the Aoe school in the Northern and Southern Courts period. Although this short sword is relatively small compared to other swords made in the Northern and Southern Courts period, it shows a brilliant hamon (blade pattern) featuring a narrow nioiguchi (the dividing line between the hamon and the ground) and sakachojiba (a slanted clove pattern). It has been handed down for generations in the Date family in the Sendai domain since 1630 when it was given to Date Mitsumune by Tokugawa Hidetada.