YONDAI TADAYOSHI - 4th Gen Tadayoshi

1686
 HIZEN KUNI TADAYOSHI
 HIZEN KUNI JUNIN TADAYOSHI

10 Mar 1700
HIZEN KUNI OMI DAIJO FUJIWARA TADAYOSHI
OMI DAIJO FUJIWARA TADAYOSHI
 --more listed in book--

BORN: 1668 in Saga, Hizen DIED: 5 Sep 1747 (age 80) NAME: Hashimoto Shinsaemon later Shinsaburo [Omi Daijo Tadayoshi] FATHER: Mutsu(no) Kami Tadayoshi (3rd Gen. Tadayoshi)

The 4th gen. Tadayoshi was born to Mutsu (no) Kami in 1668 and he became known as Omi Daijo Tadayoshi, working from circa 1686 until his death in 1747. He had two sons; one was born in 1696 and went on to become the 5th Tadayoshi and was subsequently known as Omi (no) Kami Tadayoshi, and the other son was called Hashimoto Genyuemonjo. According to Hizento Hitsukei, the 4th gen. was originally called Minamoto (no) Suke, and later changed his name to his father's name Shinsaburo (presumably upon the death of his father in 1686). The '(no) Suke' character used in the reference book can also be read as 'Jo', and Minamoto as 'Gen', so he may have been known as Minamoto Jo, or Genjo, although I suspect it was in title form. Some references also say that he was originally named Shinsaemon, which is more plausible.

Very little is known about the Yondai (4th gen.), but it is said that he may have signed dai-mei for his grandfather in the latter's old age. We know that Mutsu (no) Kami died in 1686, so I would presume that any dai-mei were after this period, and up to the death of Omi Daijo Tadahiro on 27 May 1693, however I have not seen a single, definitive Yondai dai-mei. Another theory says that he never signed Tadahiro at all, and this would account for the lack of oshigata in his hand bearing the name Tadahiro. So, at the end of the day, he may have signed a few blades 'Tadahiro' during a relatively short and turbulent period in the history of the Tadayoshi School, but there are few, if any recognized works. Whilst the obvious dai-mei on page 112. Oshigata C. is most probably by Masahiro, it is quite possible that it is a dai-mei by Yondai Tadayoshi. Take a look at Oshigata C. on page 131, which is from my collection, and note the similarities.

The 4th gen. Tadayoshi first signed "Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi" and "Hizen Kuni Junin Tadayoshi". He can therefore be confused with all the goji-mei smiths, and in signing 'Junin' he can be confused with the Shodai and Tosa (no) Kami. If you consult the tables on pages 23 & 24, you will see that only the 4th gen. signed "Hizen Kuni Junin Tadayoshi" without the addition of "Saku". Page 55 also shows oshigata from these 3 smiths to ensure no further errors in identification. A point worthy of note is that it appears the 4th gen. sometimes copied the Shodai in the 'half crescent' way he chiseled the top stroke in "Ju", which can sometimes also lead to confusion (see the following page). Remember, unlike the Shodai, he did not use "Saku". The slope in the kanji "Nin" is...

...continued in "The School of Tadayoshi, Saga, Hizen, Japan,1598 - 1871"

Japanese music piece entitled 'Tsuki'