One of the most interesting things when collecting Japanese swords is acquiring a sword that has the name of the patron who had ordered it. Indeed, what's even better is that in a later generation one of the most foremost modern scholars have examined the sword and thought it so fitting that it merited a place in one their books (more below). Such is this sword by the famous Satsuma Shinshinto smith Oku Motohira, who was asked by the one of the Owari Tokugawa's doctors, Nunami Chutatsu in 1798/9 to make him a wakizashi which is produced here.
Dr. Fukunaga Suiken Satsuma no To to Tsuba
This order is rather remarkable (not rare apparently; see my Satsuma Yukiyasu and Satsuma Masayoshi sword listed elsewhere on my other blogs) for that Dr. Nunami, such was the national reputation of Oku Motohira, that he chose not to ask a local smith from the Owari han but a smith a thousand kilometres away to make a sword for him which speaks volumes of the national repute that Oku Motohira had enjoyed in those days.
I am currently endeavouring to find out as much as possible on Dr. Nunami and here what I had been to find out to date.
According to the Tokugawa Owari Han records reproduced in 1935 and deposited at the Tokugawa Reimeikai and later bolstered by the research of Dr. Yamauchi Kazunobu written for the Japanese Medical Association in 1989 (Heisei 2nd year 10th October) produced a chart written up in Tenpo 5 (1835) which shows that Dr. Nunami Chutatsu, from a well known family of doctors in the Owari domain, was active in the Kansei era (1789) and indeed to confirm this era, this sword was ordered in Kansei 11 (1799). His son was also a doctor and the chart shows that the Nunami family were one of the Owari han's main 237 doctors who were permitted to attend personally on the reigning Owari Lords. During Nunami Chutatsu's time, this would have been Tokugawa Munechika,, the 9th Owari Lord (1733-1800). Here is the list produced by Dr. Yamauchi conforming Nunami's status as the Owari Lord's doctor.
http://jsmh.umin.jp/journal/36-4/379-400.pdf
Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate for the Oku Motohira made for Nunami Chutatsu
I had mentioned previously the honour of having a sword illustrated in highly respected sword scholars books. Indeed not only was this sword illustrated in Dr. Fukunaga's book but Dr. Sato Kanzan's Shinto oshigata book as well.
Former Torokusho of the Oku Motohira
(Dated Showa 27 1952)
