orig. Okazaki Gor 014D; ny 016B; d 014D;
born 1264?, Japan
died 1343?, Kamakura
Japanese swordsmith.
Masamune was appointed chief swordsmith by the emperor Fushimi in 1287. He founded the S 014D; sh 016B; school of swordmaking, in which blades were made entirely of steel and hardened throughout. It marked an important advance in metallurgical technique that was significantly ahead of the technical level in Europe or elsewhere in Asia.