JAPAN
Ôno Yoshimitsu 大野義光



Born Yoshikawa Mitsuo 吉川三男 on October 16, 1948, in Niigata 新潟, Japan.

1969: Started his apprenticeship with the sword smith brothers Yoshihara 吉原 Yoshindo 義人 and Sôji 荘二.
1975: Licensed as a sword smith by the government, and won the Effort Award (Doryoku Shô 努力賞) at the annual contemporary sword smith exhibition (Shinsaku Meitô Ten 新作名刀展) of the Society for the Preservation of Art Swords (NBTHK, 日本美術刀剣保存協会).
1976 ~ 1980: Won the Effort Award (Doryoku Shô 努力賞) five times.
1981: Won the Excellence Award (Yûshû Shô 優秀賞).
1982: Won the prestigious Prince Takamatsu Award (Takamatsu-no-miya Shô 髙松宮賞).
1983: Won the General Director of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Award (Bunkachô Chôkan Shô 文化庁長官賞).
1984 ~ 1987: Won the Prince Takamatsu Award (Takamatsu-no-miya Shô 髙松宮賞) five times.
1987: Was elevated to the rank of Mukansa 無鑑査 ("without judgement", meaning that his swords are of such a high level that they are displayed at the annual contemporary sword smith exhibition without examination of a panel of judges; no further awards will be granted, since the swords are above competition).
1991: One-man exhibition at the Hayashiwara Museum 林原美術館.
Yoshikawa Mitsuo chose the art name of Yoshimitsu, using one character from his teacher’s name (義) as is the custom in Japanese traditional arts. After setting up a forge in Ôno 大野 at Kurozaki 黒崎町 in 1976, he added the name of Ôno to his signature.

Yoshimitsu’s favourite swords are Bizen Ichimonji 備前一文字. After seeing the national treasure 国宝 sword Yamatorige 山鳥毛, he became resolved, as a lifetime ambition, to reproduce that sword and emulate its style in his work.