Team Members

Sword Team

Okada Moriyoshi:

Shinsa team member, director of the NTHK and Chief Editor of Token to Rekishi. Joined the NTHK in 1988, became a member of the board of directors for the Osaka-Kobe branch in 1993, became a permanent member of same in 1995, became a member of the board of trustees of the NTHK in 1996, became a researcher for the shinsa team in 1997 and participated in the New York shinsa in October of the same year under the late Yoshikawa Kentaro Sensei. Became the chief editor of Token to Rekishi in 1999 and a full member of the shinsa team in 2000. Became a director of the NTHK in 2001. His special area of interest is Yamato den.

Ogino Mitsuaki:

1971 joined the Hyaku-tô-kai. Around 1990, he joined the Katana-Yoroi-Kai and studied under Iida Kazuo Sensei. After that, he also studied with the NTHK, the Harugasumi-kai and other sword clubs. He is particularly interested in Kotô, especially Kamakura period works of the major schools. He also has a fondness for the works of Kotetsu and Shinkai. Mr. Ogino’s other interests are in collecting porcelain and in all kinds of other Japanese antiques.

Takemoto Fukukazu:

Takemoto san is assistant editor of the NTHK publication, To-ken to Rekishi and a longtime collector.

Kawakami Yoichiro:

Shinsa team member, a third generation sword polisher, he was a student of Yoshikawa Eiichi Sensei. In January 2017 he was a featured craftsman at the Seikado special exhibition, “Perfect Guide to the Japanese Sword,” where he demonstrated the art of sword polishing. For a time he worked at To-ken Matsumoto and now is the only independent polisher trained in the Yoshikawa style.

Fittings Team

Professor Gordon Robson:

Gordon Robson became the translator and interpreter for the NTHK in 1985. He became a trustee, and a researcher for the shinsa team in 1999. In 2000 he was made an assistant to the shinsa team, and an editor for the journal Tôken to Rekishi in 2001. He became a full member of the shinsa team and a director in 2002. In 2014, Gordon was made a shinsa team member for both swords and fittings. Professor Robson has written extensively on the Kanabô School of Yamato and on Sengo Masazane. He has also written on the iron sukashi tsuba of Kyoto, Owari, Kanayama and Ko-Shôami as well as the fittings of the Ko-Gotô, Ko-Kinkô and Ko-Mino Schools. In addition to his translations for the NTHK, he has translated for the JSSUS, producing such works as The Art and the Sword series as well as the two-volume set Sue-Kotô, and the Kyomono no Ko-Meisaku. His areas of interest include the works of the Sue-Bizen School, Sue-Tegai School, the Kanabô and Fujiwara smiths of Nara, the Muramasa School of Sengo, the Shitahara School of Musashi and the Shimada School. Professor Robson will also be consulting with the sword team as needed.

Iwamoto Norihisa:

Mr. Iwamoto studies fittings under his father, Iwamoto Toshiki. He has a particular interest in iron tsuba and koshirae. From 2015, together with Inada Kazuhiko sensei, honorary member of the Kyoto National Museum, he has been surveying the swords and fittings in shrine museums beginning first of all with Itsukushima Shrine. Osaka Bijutsu Club, Youth Group, Assistant Director. Lecturer, Osaka Yomiuri Cultural Center’s Nihon-tô Program. During his 20s, he traveled extensively in Ukraine, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Iwamoto Toshiki: (for reference)

Owner of the Iwamoto Sword Shop in Osaka. In 1991 he took over as head of the Namihana Kodôgu Kenkyû-kai (Sword Fittings Research Society). The Namihana Kodôgu Kenkyû-kai was originally the Nihon Tôken no Gaisô no Kenkyû-kai (Japanese Sword Fittings Research Society) established by Dr. Suenaga Masao in 1955.