Hello! After watching the last Katsugeki episode I've been searching everywhere but I couldn't find the answer I needed... The things I want to know is: What is the exact, historical,"relationship" between Mikazuki & Tsurumaru? Mikazuki said "they were partners" but I can't find the real story about two of them anywhere. Can you help me? (there are fanart of the two everywhere but I don't need that lol I'm interested in history of the swords)
Hi! Unfortunately, I’m not exactly an expert of Japanese history. But I do found from online sources that they both once belonged to the Ashikaga family.
The following info was written in Mikazuki’s history as compiled by Tumblr user “yue-ciel”. I can’t link to the post as I’m replying you from phone, but if you Google “Mikazuki Munechika History”, her post will be in the first page result. :)
— “The Ashikaga clan reached its prime by establishing the Muromachi Ashikaga shogunate (1336-1573), after Ashikaga Takauji overthrew the Houjou clan who governed the previous Kamakura shogunate (1185-1333).”
Meanwhile, here is a paragraph taken from Tsurumaru’s Trivia in Touken Ranbu Wiki:
— “Tsurumaru stayed on in the Hojo family, but the Kamakura Shogunate reached its downfall during the reign of Sadatoki’s son, Takatoki. Sadatoki’s grandson Tokiyuki, the last in line of the Hojo Clan, was killed by Ashikaga Takauji, who formed the new Muromachi Ashikaga Shogunate.”
Since Tsurumaru was known to have quite a long line of former masters as he’d been handed down numerous times, perhaps he and Mikazuki only spent time together in the same family for a short time. But still, there you have your link to their past relationship.
UPDATE: Thanks to “catbot158” for adding more info in her reblog! I checked it up online and I think she’s right about Mikazuki’s and Tsurumaru’s swordsmiths being related to each other.
Here is a paragraph from nihonto.com about Gojo Kuninaga (Tsurumaru's Swordsmith):
— “The founder of the Sanjo School was Sanjo Munechika. He worked around the Eien era (987-989). Exact records from that far back are somewhat sketchy and conflicting but many old written records remain listing several smiths who followed him and succeeded to his teachings. Yoshiie, Arikuni, Kanenaga, and Kuninaga are said to be the sons or grandsons of Sanjo Munechika. Of these smiths, Kanenaga and Kuninaga worked in Gojo in Kyoto so these two smiths are called Gojo Kanenaga and Gojo Kuninaga.”
P. S. If anyone knows a more accurate info, or if I stated something wrong, please do correct me. Thanks!
