In the mid 16th century (late Muromachi era) great battles were fought throughout Japan. Larger swords were used during this time called Uchi-Gatana. In the Momoyama era the use of foreign metals was prevalent in some sword smiths works.
| Class: | Tokubetsu Kicho Token |
| Type: | Katana |
| Mei: | HAMABEI MINO (NO) KAMI FUJIWARA TOSHINORI |
| Ura: | TENMEI SHICHI-NEN NI-GATSU HI (February day, 1787) |
| Period: | Mid to late Edo |
| Length: | 27 1/2 " |
| Province: | Inaba |
| Sugata: | Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, chu-kissaki |
| Nagato: | Ubu, ha-agari-kuri-jiri, sujikai-yasuri, one mekugiana, nine-character katana-mei, seven-character date on ura |
| Hamon: | Choji-midare |
| Boshi: | straight, hakikake, long kaeri |
Toshinori, the founder of a school in Inaba that bore his name, worked in the transition period between the Shinto and the Shinshinto eras. The unusual characters he chose for his name are also read "Jukaku", so besides spanning two swordmaking eras, he also is frequently listed under the two readings of his name.
Born in Tottori in the third year of Enkyo (1746), Toshinori studied under several smiths, principally Masanao and Kanesaki. Toshinori, who first signed his swords Kaneyoshi (his common name was Hamabei Gonzaemon or Kurozaemon) is known to have made blades in Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka. He was awarded the title Mino no Kami in the fifth year of Tenmei (1785) and was 66 when he died in the seventh year of Bunka (1810). He was the father of Minryasai Toshizane.
Toshinori's work was the best of his group and none of his students became particularly famous. He made swords with muji or ko-itame-hada kitae; their hamons, based on a closed-up line of nioi, are hoso-sugu or ko-choji-midare.