(also known as ) (born 1927 – July 5, 2013) was a Japanese swordsmith. Amata followed his father Amata Sadayoshi into the trade of sword-making after the latter died in 1937, moving to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

from his home in

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

in order to enroll in a specialist sword-making school. This school, the ''Nihonto Tanren Denshu Jo'', was run by the noted swordsmith Kurihara Hikosaburo, who originally employed Amata as a masseur before teaching him the basics of sword-making when the boy was thirteen. Amata worked at Kurihara's institute for the next six years. After leaving Tokyo, Amata returned to his home village. He resided there since, claiming that the local water and clay (which contains a large amount of iron oxide) were very suitable for the ''yaki-ire'' (hardening process) of sword manufacture. He also smelted his own ''

tamahagane is a type of steel made in the Japanese tradition. The word means 'precious', and the word means 'steel'. is used to make Japanese swords, daggers, knives, and other kinds of tools. The carbon content of the majority of analyzed Japanese s ...

'' steel at home. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the American occupying forces prohibited the manufacture of traditional swords in Japan. When the ban was partially lifted, Amata was awarded an official swordsmith's licence from the Cultural Properties Protection Committee in 1954; that same year he won the Yushu-wo prize at the first National Sword-Forging Competition. An illness at 33 rendered Amata an invalid for eight years. However, after his recovery he went on to win the Masamune Prize (the highest accolade) at the New Katana Sword Exhibition in 1968; he also won the same award at the Sword-Forging Competition in 1977, 1985 and 1996. In 1997 he was named as a Living National Treasure of Japan. Amata was the Chairman of the All Japan Swordsmith's Association and a director of the ''

Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai The is a public interest incorporated foundation established in February 1948 to preserve and promote Japanese swords that have artistic value. They run a Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo and have a secretariat in the building. History After th ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amata, Akitsugu Japanese swordsmiths 1927 births 2013 deaths Living National Treasures of Japan People from Niigata Prefecture 20th-century Japanese people 21st-century Japanese people