Antique Nihonto - Katana - Attributed to Dotanuki - Late Muromachi (450 years ago)

This thick, wide Katana in koshirae is attributed by the NBTHK to the Dotanuki school, made famous by the hit TV series Lone Wolf and Cub. The Dotanuki school developed in Higo Province (modern day Kumamoto), founded by Enju Kunimura (延寿 国村). Enju Kunimura founded the Higo Enju school in approximately 1305. Kunimura was born i in Yamato Province (Modern Day Nara) and moved to Yamashiro Province (Modern day Kyoto) where he, became a student of Rai Kuniyuki, and later married Kuniyuki's daughter. Kunimura then moved to Higo and founded the Enju school. There are only six blades by Kunimura known to exist. The Dotanuki school emerged in the small Higo village of Dotanuki in the mid-16th century, following the decline of the Higo Enju school in the latter part of the Koto period. The Dotanuki school founder is said to be Dotanuki Masakuni, he was called Oyama Kozuke no Suke and his original signature was Nobuyoshi. The famous general Kato Kiyomasa honored Masakuni with one character of his