Neyagawa · JP

Hata Swordsmith Residence Site and Well

In a quiet residential corner of Neyagawa City, Osaka, a modest stone monument marks the traditional site of a legendary Kamakura-period swordsmith. According to local tradition, Hata Yuki Kuni (also known as Hata Yukitsuna) lived and worked here some 800 years ago, chosen by retired Emperor Go-Toba to forge a blade for the imperial court. The site — complete with a well said to have served the smith's forge — is recognized as a municipal historical landmark by Neyagawa City. Though the physical remains are minimal, the surrounding area preserves place names like "Kajiya Gai-to" (Smith's Enclosure) and "Kendani" (Sword-Offering Valley) that keep the swordsmith legend alive. The site is a waypoint on the city's Shii-no-Mori (Schilora Forest) cultural walking course, which threads through Neyagawa's layered history from ancient Hata clan settlements to Edo-period water engineering.