Tenka-Goken
Five legendary Japanese swords, including National Treasures and an Imperial Property.
Five legendary Japanese blades make up the Tenka-Goken. Three are National Treasures, one belongs to the Imperial family, and another is a sacred object in Nichiren Buddhism. The Dōjigiri is often called the supreme champion of Japanese swords, a title it shares with Ōkanehira.
Quick Facts
- Number of swords
- five
- National treasures
- three
- Imperial property
- one
- Sword compared with dōjigiri
- Ōkanehira
Facts from the source article.
Origin
The term Tenka-Goken is widely recognized among Japanese sword connoisseurs as of 2017. Some researchers claim it dates to the Muromachi period, but its origin is unknown. Suiken Fukunaga cites a book from the fifth year of Genroku, tracing the term to at least the late 17th century. Kanzan Sato doubted whether these five are truly the greatest swords, suggesting legends influenced the selection.
List
The list sometimes varies; Kanzan Sato included Ichigo-hitofuri Yoshimitsu instead of Onimaru, though he elsewhere used the same list as the following. All five swords in this list appear in the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō, a catalogue commissioned by Tokugawa Yoshimune and compiled by the Hon'ami clan. Swords in that catalogue receive the honorary title meibutsu, as in Meibutsu Dōjigiri Yasutsuna.
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