Biography of Myochin Munehiro
- 1974
- Born in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture
- 1998
- Apprenticed to Master Yoshihiro Kubo
- 2003
- Received authorization to forge swords from the Agency for Cultural Affairs
- 2005
- Opened the Myochin Munehiro Swordsmithing Forge in Yumesaki-cho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture
- 2010～2021
-
Amulet Sword Exhibition
Won the Minister of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award,
Osaka Governor’s Award,
Okayama Governor’s Award,
Kumamoto Governor’s Award,
Hitachi Metals Award, and many others. - 2011～2025
-
New Japanese Sword Polishing, Mounting, and Swordsmithing Techniques Exhibition
Won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award 3 times,
Nagano Governor’s Award, and many others. - 2013
- Received the Hyogo Prefectural Art Encouragement Award
- 2017
- Received the Himeji City Art and Culture Encouragement Award
- 2018
- Produced a “Tanto” [Dagger] for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s Special Award
- 2019
- Heisei Masterpiece Swords and Swordsmiths Exhibition Received the Encouragement Award
Exhibitions and Events
- 2015
- The Mystery of Japan “Sword” – Swordsmiths Active in the Kinki Region – at Maruyama Memorial Museum of Japanese Arts and Crafts
- 2016
- MYOCHIN: Inheriting Tradition and New Leaps – at Maruyama Memorial Museum of Japanese Arts and Crafts
- 2017
- Works by Emerging and Young Artists – From Hyogo to the World – at Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
- 2018
- The Soul of the Samurai “Japanese Sword” – Technique and Beauty by Contemporary Swordsmiths in the Kinki Region – at Kudoyama Sanada Museum
Exhibition Connecting People of the Ore Road and Silver Carriage Road with Art, and to the Future – at Asago Art Village Museum - 2019
- Japanese Swords Exhibition: From Heian to Contemporary Times – at Hankyu Umeda Main Store
Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Exhibition – Japan-Poland 100th Anniversary Project – at Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, Krakow, Poland - 2020
- Contemporary Japanese Sword Exhibition – at Tanabe History and Folklore Museum
Timeless Beauty: Japanese Sword Exhibition – Swordsmiths Active in the Kinki Region – at Kudoyama Sanada Museum
artKYOTO2020 -History in Action Festival- at Kyoto National Museum
Special Exhibition of Amulet Swords: With a Wish – at Hayashibara Museum of Art - 2021
- Japanese Imagery: Swords, Charm, and Sea Views – at Himeji City Museum of Art
- 2022
- Commemorative Exhibition of Japanese Swordsmanship for the 110th Anniversary of Emperor Meiji’s Passing and the 170th Anniversary of his Birth – at Meiji Jingu Treasure Museum
- 2023
- Evening Wind: Elegant and Profound Feast – at Himeji Castle Main Keep
Oshiro EXPO in Himeji: 30th Anniversary of Himeji Castle World Heritage Registration Project – at Acrie Himeji
And many others
About the Myochin Family
The Myochin family is a continuous lineage of armor and helmet makers, and the surname Myochin was bestowed upon them by Emperor Konoe in the mid-12th century in praise of their skill.
The Himeji Myochin branch became the retained armorers of Tadakiyo Sakai, the Great Elder (Tairo) of the shogunate during the Edo period. Subsequently, when their lord, Tadayasu Sakai, became the lord of the Himeji domain, the family relocated from Maebashi (Gunma Prefecture) to Himeji.
When the Meiji era began, the demand for armor ceased, leading to extreme financial distress. However, the family then took up the making of hibashi (fire chopsticks), which had previously been a side craft, as their livelihood.
The Birth of the “Myochin Hibashi Furin” – Fire Chopstick Wind Chime
Even after that, the changing times brought various difficulties, but in 1965 (Showa 40), my father, Myochin Munenori, created the “Myochin Hibashi Furin,” utilizing the sound produced by the fire chopsticks touching each other, breathing new life into the Myochin family.
In his pursuit of a more refined sound, the new material my father encountered was tamahagane (jewel steel).
However, since the forging techniques for handling tamahagane had already ceased within the Myochin family, he requested the cooperation of swordsmith Yoshihiro Kubo (who would later become my master), and they successfully completed the tamahagane fire chopsticks.
The Modern Myochin Family and New Challenges
Currently, my younger brother, Myochin Munetaka, has succeeded as the heir to the Myochin family and is challenging new endeavors using materials such as titanium.
For more details, please see the information posted here:
