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Hidden Treasures


Davis

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Good Afternoon

I've recently received my copy of "Japanese Sword Surrender Tags" by Richard Fuller and very pleased with it too. On page 135 there is a picture of a card label which was stuck to the scabbard of a shingunto. The label reads "Japanese sword found in CT arms dump in S.Johore, Malaya in February 1958 by 1st Bn RSM Martell.

 

This got me thinking about the many hidden treasures that still might one day be discovered. Stored away, forgotten, neglected in the most unusual of places. Watching the recent TV series "Combat Dealers" reinforced this thought.

 

Does anyone remember the enterprising dealer (U.K.) in the 80's who sought out and imported a huge collection of Japanese swords, bayonets,ancient cannon etc from a military arsenal in China? What about the 5'000 swords found in a government warehouse in Japan. They had been confiscated in 1945 and then forgotten, I can recall reading about it a few years ago but nothing since. Does anyone have any thoughts or can add any additional information?

 

Mick

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What about the 5'000 swords found in a government warehouse in Japan. They had been confiscated in 1945 and then forgotten, I can recall reading about it a few years ago but nothing since. Does anyone have any thoughts or can add any additional information?

 

Mick

 

I believe you are referring to the so-called Akebane-to. These were swords confiscated after the war and then allowed to be kept by the Japanese government after they were sorted by Japanese experts and said to be culturally important. They were collected at the arsensal in Akebane, Tokyo, and then they sat in the damp lower level of a museum for 50 years rotting before the government finally allocated the money and the political will was sufficient to restore some of them. The restored swords have been the subject of an exhibit that took place around Japan some 10 years or so ago. It was a bit of a problem because some wanted their swords back. There is a lot more to the story, that is it in a nut shell....

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Does anyone remember the enterprising dealer (U.K.) in the 80's who sought out and imported a huge collection of Japanese swords, bayonets,ancient cannon etc from a military arsenal in China?

At the last company I worked for, we imported an old batch of firearms from a corner of a military warehouse in China, that had not been touched since WW2. Contained guns such as German P08 Lugers, Mauser Broomhandles, Colt 1911's, Browning HP's...and at least 3 variations of Japanese Nambu pistols. Not in great condition, but the point is that it proves that batches of stuff from the wars still exist in China. And I have no doubt there are still Japanese swords in storage somewhere.

 

Brian

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Chris, thanks for that. Did any of the former owners or their families get their swords returned? I believe there were some high grade swords among them, do you have any more details? Brian, again very interesting, confirms what I've always thought. Purely from memory and without refering to references...the U.K. dealer was from Nottingham. Most of the swords were in poor condition having probably been used for agricultural work post 1945. All periods of sword were covered and some even had additional inscriptions added to nakago. So both Japanese and Chinese inscriptions could be found. These ones though seem to have been presented post capture/surrender as war trophies. I believe some of these are still in private collections in the U.K.......I'm still thumbing through Richard's book, very interesting.

Mick

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I was in Japan in 2012 and saw an exhibition of the Akabane-to in a castle in (I think Karasu-jo?) Okayama.

there were about 40 swords or so and most were associated with Okayama...that is, they were the part of the 4500 confiscated sword collection surrendered by the previous owners from Okayama.

Not all were Bizen swords as they were in total just swords from pre-war Okayama collections. I remember they ran from koto up to showa jidai.

These were part of the group that had been through the re-polish process by the NBTHK and were returned to their prefecture of origin (as were collections from other prefectures).

i can't put my hand on the brochure just now, but it lists all the swords and I seem to remember that they were going into the prefectural care after the exhibition was over.

Hope this helps.

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It does help George. I searched the forum and found your post "Akabane-To being restored" It puts flesh on the bones of the story.

 

The UK is blessed with many fine local and regional museums. Most have massive reserve collections that they do not have the room to display. Some of these have fine collections of Japanese Swords that are just rusting away. Once they were cared for but with the passing of time and the moving on of those individuals who had the knowledge and expertise these treasures become overlooked, neglected...

 

War wreaks havoc upon the cultural heritage of a nation....the treasures of the vanquished become the spoils of the victor but what do they do with them?

 

Many years ago I spent a holiday in Russia, when it was the Soviet Empire. We were being guided around a government building when we were taken to a room, in the centre of which were piled several hundred German helmets. This got me thinking about the large number of Japanese swords that must have fallen into Russian hands in 1945. Consequently, on return from holiday I wrote to the Red Army Museum in Moscow to ask them what had happened to those swords. About six months later I received a reply. In the letter was enclosed a black and white photo of a N.C.O.'s sword, apparently this was the sum total of the collection. I also wonder what became of the Gustav Jacoby collection in Berlin, is it now in The Hermitage or perhaps piled up in some old cellar?

 

Individuals too, in time of war are sometimes confronted with the opportunity to acquire massive art collections. The reclusive elderly son of a wartime Nazi art dealer springs to mind. By chance he was discovered to have an astonishing 1,500 works of confiscated art in his Munich flat...worth untold millions.

 

The late Basil Robinson of the Victoria and Albert Museum, when an Army Captain, in Singapore in 1945 was given the task of sorting through 1,800 surrendered swords so that they could be graded and handed out to senior Britsh officers as trophies. Although he himself only brought back two.

 

Others were more fortunate, perhaps because of their senior ranks. Field Marshal Festing and General Gracey spring also to mind. I believe Lord Mountbatten managed to obtain quite a haul. At an auction viewing once, I came across a box of old letters. one of them from Mountbatten was written to a London club thanking them for the hospitality that they had shown him the previous evening. He went on to say he was sending with the letter a Japanese sword for them to display at the club..he then went on to give a full description of the sword. He seemed to make a habit of presenting these sword to various people, including the then King George.

 

I realise as I type I am making this overlong but suffice it to say that there are still many hidden treasures neglected, rusting away waiting to be discovered.

 

Thanks Grey for the book title.

 

Mick

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Well I found the Akabane-to Exhibition brochure of Heisei 22 nen...duuuhhh! It was in HiroshimaJo. (getting old, brain fading :? ).

These were 36 swords in HiroshimaJo and on the same list were 40 in Fukuyama Ken (shared the same brochure). I didn't see the Fukuyama swords.

The vast majority of all of them were Muromachi and next Edo period, with a few Nanbokucho and Azuchi-Momoyama. About 40% overall were mumei but most of Hiroshima's were signed and late Muromachi and the most represented group for Hiroshima was Bishu, and next Bingo. The most represented group was Mihara. There was a separate individual smith all (5) signed by Harima no Kami Fujiwara Teruhiro Saku.

 

Sorry my brain broke on the place, maybe seeing all those Bishu mei I thought I was in Okayama :lol:

 

The brochure (if I read it right) says that in 1947 there were 8 military districts that handed in 700-800,000 To. About 4500 were selected but did not see the light of day for 50 years. As far as I can tell there were 4569 swords in Akabane the process of restoration began...by 1999 3209 had been "zoyo ga saremashita" (presented/donated) to the prefectures (if I read it right).

Total received by both Prefectures was 83 "for exhibition/preservation". Apart from Hiroshima Castle (which I saw) another Hiroshima ken recipient was the History Exhibition Hall and also some went to Fukushima Ken Prefectural History organisations.

What I am not CERTAIN about is whether these are permanent returns of swords or temporary, and whether they will return to Tokyo?

Hope this helps.

 

Duuhhh again :roll: . i just re-read my previous post on Akabane restoration that Mick refers to...I find I am merely repeating myself...oh well, I meant well :D

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Thanks George for a very detailed response, what a great forum this is - ask a question and get an almost instant, quality answer. In the days before the internet it was almost impossible to obtain this sort of information. We had to depend writing long letters to one another which often took months. Incidentally, I recently googled Australian War Memorial, kept clicking and eventually ended up looking at well over 100 photos of sword surrenders. Some really interesting and again show the huge quantity that were involved. Obviously many of these ended up as trophies as the one given to your cousin but how many also ended up in storage and then forgotten?

Mick

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I have spoken to quite a few (Australian) war veterans who served in New Guinea and/or in the Pacific and they tell me (quote) "When it was over, we were all lined up and marched past a pile of Japanese swords and we were each told to take two and then go home".

While I am not certain, I suspect that most swords captured by the Australian forces were issued to the servicemen as souvenirs or trophies and that very few, if any remain in storage here.

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Yes Mark I agree, I have been told of many similar stories. However, whilst the surrenders in areas occupied by British, Americans and Australian forces are well documented, very little is known concerning surrenders to Russia and China. I know of only two individual sword surrenders to the Russian army and none at all to the Chinese. Some American and British soldiers did acquire large numbers of swords.

 

Field Marshal Terauchi surrendered two swords to Lord Mountbatten. One he kept above his fireplace at Broadlands the other he presented to King George V1...this one is now on display at Windsor Castle. He also had many others, one of which is now in the Imperial War Museum. In a TV documentary in the 70's he mentions another he returned to Japan.

 

A very interesting sword belonging to a Captain Teruchi was acquired by Squadron Leader Charles McCormac with Mountbatten's approval. Teruchi had actually attacked McCormack with this sword some years previous to the surrender. McCormac was later to write. "The sword is locked away in a cupboard now, safe from the inquisitive fingers of our three children; but sometimes when I am alone I will take it out and think of things that cannot be easily forgotten"

 

From time to time over the years I have seen consigned to auction large batches of swords that have been stored by institutions and other establishments. I have also seen many others rusting away in some museum storerooms etc.,

As for Russia and China? I would be very interested in the full story of how the late dealer who imported the swords into Britain all those years ago managed to go about it. It certainly showed initiative!

 

Mick

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  • 3 weeks later...

Good Afternoon

A gunto with a blade by Yasutsugu is on permanent display at the Commando Training Centre Officers' Mess and is presented annually. It is said to have belonged Field Marshal Count Terauchi Hisaichi. Those interested might wish to Google " The Mountbatten Sword "

 

Yet another sword acquired by Lord Mountbatten is held by the Imperial War Museum, London. This one was given to Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton in London 15th November 1946. A letter accompanies this sword.

 

Mick

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I just saw the reference to Field Marshall Count Terauchi.

Back in the 80s-early 90s I was asked to translate a walking stick and gunto that an ex-soldier had put into a local auction here in Perth West. Australia.

The sword was ordinary, but the stick was hand-carved with the owners name. It said "Gensui Terauchi Hisaichi...Saigon (I forget the date, but) Sept 1945". The items had been owned by an English soldier who was present when Terauchi surrended South East Asia to Mountbatten.

Terauchi was unwell at the time and had a bad limp...there are photos of him walking/standing with the aid of a stick...this one looks like it had been carved by his batman.

Like an idiot, I didn't buy it.

Regards,

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Some light reading here.

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-famous-de ... ords.php/2

 

Incidentally I have a Japanese friend who has spent half his life trawling through the countries of SE Asia looking for forgotten Japanese swords. He says if there are any still out there, they have been missed by the hundreds of people following the same trails of talk and rumors/rumours.

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Thanks George for that interesting snippet, Piers too. Those interested in the subject of surrender swords might wish to read the late Han Bing Siong's letter in programme No.37 on the To-Ken Society of Gt. Britain Website. He gives a good description of the sword at Windsor Castle and speculates as to which sword Lord Mountbatten returned to the Field Marshal's family in Japan.

 

Also in programme No.81, Reminiscence - B.W Robinson, is in my opinion fascinating.

 

Mick

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  • 3 months later...

Squadron Leader Charles McCormac DCM (1915-85) was a married R.A.F. sergeant stationed with the Royal Air Force in Singapore. When the Island was attacked in 1942, he was able to get his young wife on one of the last evacuation ships but he decided to stay and fight.

 

Eventually captured and interned, he along with other prisoners decided to break out from the camp where they were held. With only improvised weapons and their bare hands they overpowered the guards at the main gate and fled into the jungle. He and his comrades were mostly naked and barefoot, with very little food, they faced a 2,000 mile journey to reach Australia and freedom. It took McCormac 5 months to reach his goal, most of his fellow escapees were either killed or died from disease.

 

His special qualities were recognised and he became involved with Intelligence Work and later served under Lord Mountbatten. It was Mountbatten who gave permission for McCormac to acquire Captain Teruchi's sword.

 

It is obvious that this sword was a prized possession of both Captain Teruchi and the late Charles McCormac. I wonder where it is now? Does it still reside with his family? Did it go to auction or an antique shop. Perhaps it still lies hidden, forgotten in some corner cupboard, attic or basement - waiting to be re-discovered!

 

Mick

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good Afternoon

Here are details of two military swords that were returned/presented to former enemies in acts of reconciliation.

 

The late Lord Bernard Weatherill, one time speaker of the British House of Commons returned the Japanese sword he had acquired in 1945, to Japan in 1992. I contacted him at that time and he told me the sword was to go on display at Yasukuni Shrine.

 

Former IJN submariner/pilot Nobuo Fujita (1911-97 ) presented his 400 year old ancestral sword to the town of Brookings, Oregon U.S.A. in 1961. His story is extraordinary, he was the pilot of the only aircraft to bomb the United States mainland during WW2. He also flew reconnaissance missions later in the war over both New Zealand and Australia. I believe that his sword is still on display in Brookings. There are many photos of this presentation on the internet, I would post some of them here but I'm not sure of the copyright issues etc.,

Mick

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  • 3 months later...

The Imperial War Museum, London, had in it's reserve collection at one time over 100 Japanese swords.  I'm not sure how many they have now but on a recent visit there I found just eight on show.  Seven of these were displayed as shown in the attached picture.

 

If anyone wishes to find more on the Nobuo Fujita story they might wish to google Offbeat Oregon.  The article of 13th May 2013 "The flying Samurai who attacked Oregon" has an excellent picture of Nobuo Fujita presenting his sword.

Mick

post-2144-0-98963100-1422616364_thumb.jpg

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