Satsuma Hôki Kami Masayuki was, along with his well liked rival Oku Motohira were the twin jewels of Satsuma Province during the late 18th century. Seeing their joint skill it’s no wonder that Shimazu Narinobu and his successor Naritoki appointed these two to be the official swordsmiths of the Satsuma domain. Indeed such was their reputation that bushi and men of the merchant class all over Japan earnestly ordered their swords and we see the quality of their such as is this sword here today.  Ironically both lived to their mid eighties 86 and 83 respectively and as a consequence left behind large amounts of work from the Meiwa (Masayuki) Tenmei (Motohira) periods to Bunka. As there is a lot of literature of both smiths elsewhere I shall not repeat them here but rather leave it to the reader to look up the books Satsuma swords that Dr. Fukunaga (Satsuma katana to tsuba 1970) and the 1970 book produced by the Kagoshima NBTHK (Satsuma To Meisaku Shu) which are the main authorities for research into Satsuma smiths from the Heian period till the Meiji Restoration.

This blade which is truly a wonderfully made sword is also a monster in its dimensions and was probably an ex daimyo possession of the Saga Nabeshima Family as the original torokusho number was an early ‘daimyo bango’of  800 for Saga Prefecture in 1951. I produce the Juyo Token Certificate and it’s zufu description of 2017 as well the original torokusho.

                                                    Juyo Token Zufu Translation

63th Certification of Important Sword of November 17 2017
Signature: Hoki-no-kami Taira Ason Masayuki 9th year of Kanei, Snake, in February

One sword

Size: Length 66.7cm  (sori) 2.2cm
Width (moto-haba) 3.6cm forefront width (saki-haba) 2.75cm
Length of Mune 5.7cm Length of Nakago 19.9cm  Nakago 0.1cm
Configuration: The shape of shinogi, house-shaped iori mune and the width of the blade
are wider than average. Almost no difference in the width from the bottom to the point; thick
Kasane, deep Sori, with Sori in Koshi, with Sori in the forefront, and the Mine is wide.
Forge: Ita-me with Mokume and Nagare-hada. The patter (hada) is rather distinct. Ji-Nie is
wide, with many Chikei.
Hamon: The pattern on the blade is wavy (Notare) with frequent Gunome, and with the
pointed marks (Togari) here and there. Many Ashi and Yo. The Nioi is deep, Nie is wide,
with distinct rough Nie, marked by many golden lines (Kinsuji) and Nie-suji.
Forefront pattern: Slightly wavy, Komaru-type at the point, doubly pattern, and crumbled
Nie.
Incision: Straight gutter with round end on both sides of the blade
Nakago: Intact. Saki-ire is mountain-shaped; Yasuri-me is katte-agari, with one Mekugi
hole; on the front side of the finger (Yubi-omote) to Mune, the rather large engraving can be
found, and on the back side the year (Nenki) is engraved in slightly upper part.

Explanation: Hoki-no-Kami Masayuki was born in Kyoho 18 as a son of the 2nd Ijichi
Masayoshi. He inherited the name of Masayoshi as the 3rd. In Kansei 1, he was awarded the title
of Hoki-no-Kami at the same time as Oku Motohira. He then changed his name into
Masayuki and passed the name of Masayoshi to his own son, He passed away at the age of 86 in
Bunsei 1. His technique was beyond his father’s and his superiority as such was well
known. Among the new sword masters of Satsuma, he and Oku Yamato-no-Kami Motohira
were both known as the best. 
Masayuki’s swords are characterized by the broad width, long-sized, thick, wider Mine, and
in general robustly made. The pattern on the blade is Notare (wavy) with Gunome rather
Togari (pointed mark). The Nioi is deep, with rather rough Nie, marked by golden lines
(Kinsuji) and sand-like flows (Suna-nagashi); Sousyu-den type, especially Shizu-type was
the one Masayuki was good at.
On this sword, the Ji-tetsu shows Itame with Mokume and Nagare-hada, rather distinct Hada,
with the wide Ji-Nie, with many Chi-kei; Hamon is in the style of Notare with many Gunome
and pointed Togari-ba here and there; With many Ashi and Yo, Nioi is deep and Nie is wide;
Nie is rather rough and distinct, with many Kinsuji and Nie-suji; Jiba shows the typical and
remarkable characteristics of a sword by Hoki-no-kami Masayuki. He was a smith who was
good at making a sword that is wide and with longer forefront, and above all this sword is
remarkably dynamic in appearance; Hamon shows a Nie wider than usual and there are
many patterns on the blade; all of these marks this