Craftsman

Tokifusa Iizuka飯塚時房

BlacksmithBusiness owner Sanjo, Niigata, Japan

60+ years at the forge

Profile

The story

Tokifusa Iizuka (飯塚時房) founded Shigefusa (重房), the three-man family forge in Sanjo, Niigata. The work there is done almost entirely by hand.

Born in Sanjo, Iizuka joined the Sanjo Seisakusho workshop in 1961 and apprenticed under the razor-smiths Kōsuke and Shigeyoshi Iwasaki, father and son, before founding his own forge in 1964. Niigata Prefecture named him a Master Craftsman of Niigata (にいがたの名工) in 2007, and its Meister page records his certification as a Traditional Craftsman (伝統工芸士) in FY2012 and names him the lead master instructor (筆頭師範) of the Sanjo Blacksmith Collective (三条鍛冶集団). Today his elder son Masayuki (正行) and second son Yoshihide (佳英) stand at the forge as successors.

A Niigata workshop-visit article counts roughly thirty stages. Iron and steel are forge-welded in the hearth under hand- and spring-hammer. The blade face is flattened by hand with a sen (銑), and finishing runs through progressively finer waterstones. Iizuka once bought a surfacing machine and never used it.

We have been told the workshop likes to use a special Swedish steel.

We also know the marks first-hand: Shigefusa mei are stamped, except on single-bevel kitaeji knives, which are hand-chiseled and carry an extra 作 (made) character.

We don't sell Shigefusa.

Recognition

Awards

にいがたの名工 (Master Craftsman of Niigata), 2007
伝統工芸士 (Traditional Craftsman), 2012
三条鍛冶集団師範 (master instructor)

Lineage

The relationship map 職人系譜

Masters, family, and the brands between them. Every line is a verified fact from our research. Tap a node to light up its connections and read its story.

person brand workshop ━ family ┅ trained under ━ forges / sharpens

Frequently asked questions

Who is Tokifusa Iizuka?

The founder of Shigefusa, born in Sanjo, Niigata, and certified by the prefecture as a Meister of traditional knife forging. His two sons, Masayuki and Yoshihide, now stand at the forge as his successors.