Japanese Samurai "Nobunaga Oda" had allowed only 3 people to make Japanese seal in the age of civil wars in Japan.One of them is in Kanazawa city,Ishikawa pref, another one is in Kyoto city and other disappered in Tokyo.Their first names are "Hosoji(細字)".The photo is the seal shop in Kanazawa city which is the oldest seal shop.It was founded about 430years ago.You can see it in Owari-cho,Kanazawa city,near "Ounicho-market".
The 1st lord of Kaga clan,Kanazawa city,Toshiie Maeda" was strong Smurai,so he was the retainer of "Nobunaga Oda" and "Hideyoshi Toyotomi".In addition he was the rival of "Ieyasu Tokunaga",Tokugawa-shogunate founder in Edo,Tokyo.So that "ToshiieIe Maeda" invited this seal artisan here.Actually the ancestor of this seal shop was "Gouzoku,powerful family" of "Kamatari Fujiwara" during Asuka period.When you come to Kanazawa city,how would you like to make "hanko", Japanese stamp.The culture of stamp is seen in only Asian area.So if you are not Asian,making Japanese seal will be your memory.Incidently our family ancestor,Hosokawa family samurai aristocrat,was the retainer of "Nobunaga Oda" and "Maeda family" here Kanazawa,however,originally the retainer of Ashikaga shogunate during Muro-machi period in Kyoto.
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