Masamine Sumitani, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Masamine Sumitani

Japanese swordsmith

Date of Birth: 24-Jan-1921

Place of Birth: Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan

Date of Death: 12-Dec-1998

Profession: artist

Nationality: Japan

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Masamine Sumitani (????, born Sumitani Yoichiro) (14 January 1921 – 12 December 1998) was a Japanese swordsmith. Sumitani's family ran a soy-sauce manufacturing business, but rather than entering the family trade, Masamine opted to study at Ritsumeikan University, with a view to becoming a swordsmith, graduating in 1941 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
After his graduation, Sumitani remained at Kyoto, studying (alongside Masayuki Nagare) under Sakurai Masayuki.
When the University's sword studio was destroyed in a fire in 1942, Sumitami moved to Onomichi to continue his education at the Foundation of National Japanese Sword Studies and the Kokoku Japanese Sword Temper Workshop there.Sumitani settled in Matto, Ishikawa.
He worked in the Bizen tradition, and was noted for his choji midare or "clove patterns" along the hamon of his blades.
As well as swords, Sumitami also specialised in the forging of tosu knives and was a practitioner of bachiru.In 1975 he co-founded the Zen Nihon Toshokai ("Japanese Swordsmith's Association"), and served as the group's Vice-Secretary.