{{Short description|Japanese swordsmith}} [[File:Tanto sword, by Sadamune, Kamakura period, 1300s AD - Tokyo National Museum - Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan - DSC08808.jpg|thumb|250px|''[[Tantō]]'' Terasawa Sadamune, [[National Treasure (Japan)|National Treasure]], [[Tokyo National Museum]]]] [[File:Tantō Tokuzenin Sadamune, 短刀 徳善院貞宗.jpg|thumb|250px|''Tantō'' Tokuzenin Sadamune, National Treasure, [[Mitsui Memorial Museum]]]] [[File:Wakizashi sword - Ishida Sadamune.jpg|thumb|250px|''[[Wakizashi]]'' Ishida Sadamune, [[Important Cultural Property (Japan)|Important Cultural Property]], Tokyo National Museum]] [[File:Katana - Kiriha Sadamune.jpg|thumb|250px|A ''[[katana]]'' modified from a ''[[tachi]]'', Kiriha Sadamune, Important Cultural Property, Tokyo National Museum]]
'''Hikoshirō Sadamune''' (相模國住人貞宗 - ''Sagami kuni junin Sadamune'';<ref>[http://www.jssus.org/nkb/ Nihonto Knowledge Base<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> born 1298 [[Einin]] – 1349 in [[Shōhei]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.reninet.com/shoshin/tosan2.htm |title=Family tree |access-date=2006-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311112037/http://www.reninet.com/shoshin/tosan2.htm |archive-date=2007-03-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>) also called '''Sōshū Sadamune''' was a [[swordsmith]] of the [[Japanese sword#Classification by school|Sōshū school]], originally from Gōshū (also known as [[Ōmi province]]) whose works are considered some of the finest blades ever created. His works are often compared with those of the other great Koto era (987-1596) swordsmiths including Sōshū [[Masamune]], [[Toshiro Yoshimitsu]], [[Go Yoshihiro]], [[Bizen Nagamitsu]], and Ise [[Muramasa]]. He was a son by blood or adoption<ref>[http://www.jssus.org/nkb/nkb.php?id=MAS590 Masamune Info]</ref> of Sōshū Masamune considered by many to be the most famous of the Sōshū masters.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bushidojapaneseswords.com/Sano%20museum1.htm |title=Sano Museum |access-date=2006-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009081607/http://bushidojapaneseswords.com/Sano%20museum1.htm |archive-date=2006-10-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="arm">[http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=69995 Swords Discussion Forum]</ref>
After leaving Gōshū province to go to what is now [[Kanagawa Prefecture]], Sadamune became a student of [[Masamune]], sometime around the [[Namboku-chō]]<ref name="arm"/> era. As a mark of his completion of his teacher's training he inherited the ''mune'' part of his name Sadamune from Masamune. Sadamune was not one of the [[Masamune#Students|Great Juttetsu]] trained by Masamune, but his works were regarded to be of the same level as his master's.
==Students== Sōshū Sadamune is believed at the present time to have trained four students Nobukuni (信国)<ref>[http://www.jssus.org/nkb/nkb.php?id=NOB298 Nobukuni 1]</ref> who formed a long lineage of swordsmiths under the same name, Nobukuni<ref>[http://www.jssus.org/nkb/nkb.php?id=NOB300 Nobukuni 2]</ref> famous for his ''[[horimono]]'' images carved into the blades, and Takagi Sadamune (江州□住貞宗 - goshu takaki ju Sadamune).<ref>[http://www.jssus.org/nkb/nkb.php?id=SAD539 Takagi Sadamune]</ref>
A great debate exists in the academic community about ''Takagi Sadamune''.<ref name="TagagiSword">[http://www.nihonto.ca/takagi-sadamune/index.html Takagi Sadamune Tantō Blade]</ref> It is uncertain if Takagi Sadamune is simply Sōshū Sadamune after he returned to his home region, a son of his or someone who he taught sword making. The swords of Takagi Sadamune are not considered to be as high a quality as those produced by Sōshū Sadamune but are still of exceptional skill.
One signed copy of his work exists: a [[tantō]] blade, formerly owned by [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]].<ref name="TagagiSword"/> The work signed ''Gōshū Takagi ju Sadamune'' is said to have been made when Sōshū Sadamune returned home to Takagi in Gōshū province. Legend says he returned home to produce a copy of a famous sword called the ''Ropecutter''.
He also trained [[Kanro Toshinaga]] who is believed to have worked in [[Echigo province]] in the Nanboku-chō period.<ref>[http://www.nihontocraft.com/Ura_Nihon_no_Toko.html Ura Nihon no Toko - By Yoshikawa Kentaro]</ref><ref>[http://www.sho-shin.com/ss1-1.pdf#search='Soshu%20Sadamune' - Kanro Toshinaga blade sale]</ref>
[[Higo Munekage]] (Higo No-Kuni Kumamoto-Kishi, Hagi Jiemon No-Sho Fujiwara Munekage Saku) who was a student of [[Suishinshi Masahide]] takes a great influence from Sadamune in his work, but wasn't a student of his.[http://www.legacyswords.com/nihontocons1.htm Higo Munekage Katana] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930040728/http://www.legacyswords.com/nihontocons1.htm |date=2007-09-30 }}
[[Kokon Mei Zukushi]] and other books listing Japanese sword smiths and blades list [[Motoshige]] as a student of Sadamune however Dr. Honma Junji disagrees with this in his book [http://www.touken.or.jp/english/nihon_koto_shi/(22)%20No%20569.htm Nihon Koto Shi (History of Koto) By Dr. Honma Junji]
==See also== *[[Masamune]] *[[List of Wazamono]] *[[Tantō]]
==References== <references/>
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311184153/http://www.reninet.com/shoshin/nobukuni.htm Nobukuni(1) and Nobukuni(2).] *[http://www.touken.or.jp/english/nihon_koto_shi/(31)%20No.582.htm 1st Nobukuni]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hikoshiro, Sadamune}} [[Category:1298 births]] [[Category:1349 deaths]] [[Category:Japanese swordsmiths]] [[Category:14th-century Japanese people]] [[Category:People from Shiga Prefecture]] [[Category:People of the Nanboku-chō period]]