NANADAI TADAYOSHI - 7th Gen Tadayoshi

1814
HIZEN KUNI TADAHIRO
DO SOKU HASHIMOTO TADASAEMONJO TADAHIRO

1815
HIZEN KUNI TADAYOSHI ???
OMI DAIJO TADAYOSHI (Appointed)

BORN:  1770 in Saga, Hizen
DIED: 28th February (age 46)
NAME: Hashimoto Heisuke, later Hashimoto Tadasaemon. Posthumously appointed "Omi Daijo."
FATHER: Hashimoto Shinsaemon (6th Gen. Tadayoshi)

Hashimoto Heisuke was born in 1770 to a 34 year old 6th gen. Tadayoshi, however it is thought that he was very sick throughout his life, even to the extent that he may never have actually forged any swords due to the distinct lack of oshigata attributed to the 7th gen. One theory says that he may have been given the title "7th gen. Tadahiro" purely for appearances in the business of sword making, with the School deshi actually making and signing the blades on his behalf. I think that this may account for many of the 19-Century gimei.

The Nanadai (or Shichidai or 7th gen.) Tadayoshi became head of the Kaji after his father died in late Dec 1815, however the 7th gen. died in Feb 1816 just two months after his father's death. There is one recognized yardstick oshigata from a gassaku with his father the 6th gen. This was made in August 1814 and it reads "Hizen Kuni Omi (no) Kami Tadayoshi" on the prime side (Tadayoshi 6th) and "Do Soku Hashimoto Tadasaemonjo Tadahiro" (or 'same breath', Hashimoto Tadasaemonjo, 7th gen.) on the reverse. This blade is a gassaku, so we do not know how much the 7th gen. actually assisted in its construction, or indeed if he even signed his own name. Also shown is a Tadahiro goji-mei which has striking similarities to the gassaku, but also has some significant differences. There is one other oshigata that I have seen from Nihonto Kantei Hitsukei, which is reportedly by the 7th gen. and signed "Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi". This is interesting because if the 7th actually made any blades at all on his own it is unlikely that he had time to make and sign goji-mei Tadayoshi in the short time after his father died. Also, the 7th gen. would not have signed Tadayoshi goji-mei whilst his father was still alive, unless as dai-mei for him and then surely he would have used the full title 'Omi (no) Kami' Tadayoshi. I therefore suspect that this Tadayoshi goji-mei is gimei...

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

Japanese music piece entitled 'Tsuki'