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Masamune
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Masamune

Japanese swordsmith
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Also known as: Okazaki Gorōnyūdō
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Article History
Quick Facts
Orig.:
Okazaki Gorōnyūdō
Born:
1264?, Japan
Died:
1343?, Kamakura

Masamune (born 1264?, Japan—died 1343?, Kamakura) was a Japanese swordsmith. He was appointed chief swordsmith by the emperor Fushimi in 1287. He founded the Sōshū school of swordmaking, in which blades were made entirely of steel and hardened throughout. It marked an important advance in metallurgical technique that was significantly ahead of the technical level in Europe or elsewhere in Asia.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.