The Satsuma Masayoshi katana made for Miyabe Yoshimasa in Anei 8 (1779)

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With the local reputation of 3rd Generation Satsuma Masayoshi (later Hoki Kami Ason Taira Masayoshi) greatly enhanced by the patronage of the Shimazu lords of Satsuma, his swords because much sought after nationwide. Miyabe Yoshimasa being a well traveled man during his sojourn in Kyoto, Edo and Takasaki in the service of his Takasaki Lord, hearing of Satsuma Masayoshi’s reputation decided to order this sword in Anei 7 and which was completed the following year in Ansei 8 (c. March 1779). 

Former Torokusho of the Miyabe Masayoshi

There are various Japanese sources about Miyabe Yoshimasa and his family, but this account as a summary recently noted is quite good and is translated from the original Japanese.

From “History of Takasaki (new edition)” Chapter 3: Late modern period

Miyabe Yoshimasa (宮部義正) was famous as one of the most important poets in the Takasaki domain of the day, was born in Kyoho 14 (1729) and is also known as “Magohachi (孫八)” or “Sanso(三藻)”. The Miyabe family was one of the most prestigious families in Takasaki; when he was born, his grandfather, Hyoemon Yoshihisa (兵右衛門義尚) held a position of Castle Karo and his father, 義殷 (Yoshisaka) held a Bangashira position. Yoshimasa himself was promoted from Bangashira to the important position of Toshiyori. He resigned in Tenmei 2 (1782) and passed away on January 21 in Kansei 4 (1792) at the age of 64.His gravestone could be found at the Mita Ryugen Temple in Tokyo. His wife was 万女(Manjo),a famous poet in her own right; her son 義直(Yoshinao) and grandson義昌 (Yoshimasa) also had established reputations for their poetry.

Yoshimasa studied poetry from the kuge poet, Reizei Tamemura (冷泉為村) of Kyoto and was became one of his most prominent student. The Reizei Family is an ancient lineage of
master of poets since Fujiwara Toshinari (藤原俊成, or Shunzei) and Teika (定家) of the Heian period. Although the primary mission of Yoshimasa is to serve his lord as one of his chief retainers and that poetry was just an avocation for him, his name as poet was known far and wide, as a result, there were incessant applications from many people who asked to learn poetry from him.
Yoshimasa’s published anthologies include: “Sanso Ruiju (三藻類聚)”, “Aioi no kotoba (相生
の言葉)”, “Utagaku siyo (歌学指要)”, “Nobe no kazura (野辺のかづら)” and “Do syun shu (
同春集)”. There are unpublished ones such as “Jokyo nanado kiko (上京七度紀行)”about his seven trips to Kyoto from 1752 to 1774 and “Nikko san kiko (日光山紀行)” about his trip to Nikko in the accompany of his lord, Terutaka, in 1776. Such was his repute, he was summoned to the court of the 10th Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu and became his tutor in poetry.
Yoshimasa over time created so many poems that one can find some of them engraved in the
Buddhist stone towers donated by Iino in 1761 near Kiyomizu Temple.

宮部万女 Miyabe Manjo was the second daughter of Asai Gonemon of the Takasaki domain  and became  married to Miyabe Yoshimasa. She composed a poem for  Reizei Tamemura a present of in Horeki 3 (1753), but considering she started learning poetry being influenced by her husband, they
must have got married by the beginning of the Horeki era.  Their first son, Yoshimichi, died young
after he was born Horeki 6; their second son, Yoshinao (義直) was born in Horeki 9. She lived in both Takasaki and Edo as her husband attended upon the Takasaki Lord. After Yoshinao attained adulthood, it seems the parents and the son tried to improve their poetry by learning and
competing against one another. She passed away in 1788 at the age of 50,earlier than her
husband, and was buried in Mita Rugen Temple in Tokyo. She created so many poems and one can
find some of them in “Aioi no kotoba (相生の言葉)” published in 1774 or “Sanso Ruiju (三藻
類聚)” in 1776, and other anthologies with her husband’s or her son’s editorial involvement.
She had a detailed knowledge of “Tale of Genji (源氏物語)” and created “Tale of Kikusa (木
草物語)” (year unknown) which was unusual for a poet in Takasaki. This dynastic story was
mainly about Minister of the left Kakitsu (花橘左大臣), Genji’s likeliness, but it was not
published and handed down by only the transcription (ref: “Manjo’s Personality and
Literature” by Tokuda Susumu).
A student of Dutch medicine of the time, Otsuki Gentaku (大槻玄沢) held correspondence with Yoshiaki, the nephew of Yoshimasa. In his letters, Gentaku praised the anthology “Sanso Ruiju (三藻類聚)” issued by Yoshimasa Family and was impressed by
Manjo’s  creativity of “Tale of Kikusa (木草物語)”
The fact that the Lord of Shirakawa, Matsudaira Sadanobu (松平定信) transcribed by brush
the anthology of Yoshimasa and his wife showed that this poet couple were able to absorb the teachings of the Reizei family.
In Horeki (宝暦: 1751-1764) period, during the reign of the 3rd Takasaki Lord, Terutaka, the official
school of Takasaki-Han was established from the major contributions of high-ranked
officials at Takasaki including Miyabe Yoshiaki (宮部義旭). He was strong in both
academics and martial arts, and enjoyed a fruitful correspondence with  Otsuki Gentaku (大槻玄沢).
Miyabe Yoshitane (宮部義種) was 城代, interestingly it was his proposal that the samurai
residences in Takasaki  become tiled-roof around 1862.