An End To The Masamune Lineage

[Ken-Hawaii]

An interesting, but rather sad, piece of information came up at our sword club meeting this afternoon.

 

Masamune XXIV, Tsunahiro Yamamura, has a company that creates katanas, cooking knives, scissors, knives and so on in Kamakura (www.sword-masamune.com/en/info.html). But his son, Takamasa Yamamura, decided to become an opera singer, & is now Head Minister at Myohoji Temple here in Honolulu (http://honolulumyohoji.org/profile/) where my wife & I occasionally train in iaido & kendo. Until today, I had no idea that I had shaken the hand of the direct descendent of Goro Nyudo Masamune.

 

Buddhist priests aren't necessarily celibate, but I somehow don't see a Masamune XXV in the cards. Kinda' sad to end a 700-year-old tradition like that....

 

Ken

 

[SAS]

A little sake might help:)

[Ken-Hawaii]

Yeah, I had my share of that last night, Steve.

 

What made you move from Kauai to American Samoa, just from curiosity?

 

Ken

[Toryu2020]

Ken et al-

Yamamura Sensei has several dedicated students. So while we know it will not be his son, the esteemed reverend, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that there will be a 25th generation Masamune. It will be interesting to see if he passes on the name.

-t

[Ken-Hawaii]

Historically, how often is that done, Thomas?

 

Ken

[Brian]

I think taking an adopted son or passing the heritage down to a student wasn't all that uncommon. A lot of second and third generations weren't biological "sons" iirc.

 

Brian

[SAS]

Ken, my wife's father had land here and we are building a house; theoretically it is a bit cheaper to live here than Hawaii, but we do miss Hawaii!

[Jean]

Can someone provide the genealogy of Yamamura sensei?