Translation Help + Skip Method of Translation

[mattr]

Hi all,

 

Im giving a first time go at kanji translation and am having a difficult time (no surprise here). Ive been reading up on the skip method but am not confident in my stroke counts. Any translation assistance would be appreciated and even better stroke count critique (see the third picture with my best guesses).

 

This is a tanto that I do not own - another question that I have is the placement of the mekugi-ana in relation to the mei. Is this common on tantos because the available nakago real estate is so limited?

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Sorry but I am not familiar with the Skip Method. Your numbers therefore mean nothing to me and I am unable to comment... :?

[ottou812]

I would say get Grey Doffin's kanji card set and be done with it.

[Nobody]

I can read the kanji on the nakago. But I know almost nothing about the skip method. Actually this is the first time for me to see the system (Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodansha_K ... Dictionary ).

I do not think that the system is efficient.

[John A Stuart]

If this method works for you, great. I find looking up the radicals much easier and more informative. John

[mattr]

Great feedback, Thanks. I was under the impression that the skip method was in wide usage but apparently not (at least here on NMB). Ill keep looking - Ive been cross referencing with the pdfs here: http://home.comcast.net/~bladeshark/pdf_tables.htm but so far havent been able to identify much.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Matt,

Ditto on skip method; never heard of it.

I have 2 dictionaries that I use all the time: Japanese Names and How to Read Them by Koop & Inada, and The New Nelson Japanese English Character Dictionary by Haig. Both rely on radical recognition and stroke count.

I think my set of Kanji Flashcards makes great good sense also. The Kanji have been selected to be relevant to sword signatures; worked well for me.

Grey

[outlier48]

Hi Matt - An unsolicited plug from me for Grey's kanji flashcard set. I got them last year at the on-set of my still very nascent interest in nihonto and they have been extremely helpful.

 

Charlie Brashear

[IanB]

This 'Skip' method is essentially the system chosen by Koop & Inada for their dictionary 'Japanese Names and How to Read Them'. For those not familiar with their work let me give them the biggest plug possible. Although it dates back to the 1920's, it is, apart from being a kanji dictionary, absolutely pack with the most obscure information on things like court titles, groups of objects associated with numbers, how names were derived and so on and so on.

Ian Bottomley

[mattr]

Ive made very little progress on my own (and based on the recommendations PM'd Grey about a flashcard set) - could I ask for a translation of the kanji in the first couple images at the top of the post?

 

Thanks in advance for your time and assistance!

[John A Stuart]

I'll start you off. The first one is Ichiyoshi Saku. 一義作 John

[Nobody]

The date might be a little difficult to decipher.

 

一義作 (Kazuyoshi saku) – Kazuyoshi made (BTW, one of my books reads 一義 as Ichiyoshi.)

二月吉祥日 (Ni-gatsu Kichijo-nichi) – a lucky day in February

[mattr]

Thanks guys, I wasnt completely off track with the easier kanji but certainly wasnt close :D

[doug e lewis]

i was looking for translating something else, ran into this thread, then the mention of "flash cards" by Grey .... so went to this

 

Denshi Jisho - Online Japanese dictionary

 

and found translation paradise. radicals! they got 'em

Nobody knows of this, i am sure.

 

doug e

[mattr]

That looks like a great resource Doug. I was using this one too - not sure how it compares (not quite as pretty) but the ascii kanji generator is pretty cool:

 

http://www.gokanji.com/cgi-bin/j-e/kanj ... e/kanjidoc

[mattr]

As a topic derail (Brian/Mods feel free to move this thread) how does the mei look to you? I dont have Hawley (yet) but have only found a few references to Kazuyoshi (and none to Ichiyoshi) in the online references I've come across:

 

http://www.sho-shin.com/smiths1b.htm

http://nihontoclub.com/smiths/KAZ76

 

But no existing mei images to cross reference with.

 

It would surprise me if this blade dated back to the Eisho era based on the condition of the nakago (but I know very, very little)- Opinions?