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Dear all I just wanted to share one of my latest acquisition. Dimensions: Fuchi 38.3 mm x 21.9 mm. thickness 12.5 mm. Kashira: 34.7 mm x 16.6 mm. thickness 9.8mm. It is a fuchi-kashira signed "Nagamine [Kao]" (永峯 [花押]) it is not papered but the signature, the quality of the execution and the composition of the subject fully fit into the caractersitics of the school as outlined in my summary of the Ayanokōji Nagamine school (https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/files/file/122-the-school-of-ayanok%C5%8Dji-nagamine/). The fuchi shows some wear of the patina and the nanako ground but the conditions are farely good. On the omote (表) side of the fuchi (縁), an ox-drawn gosho-guruma (御所車) is shown against a landscape of pine trees and hills. The carriage is accompanied by attendants dressed in what looks like Heian clothing. The figure at the front is wearing a tachi (太刀). In ancient and medieval Kyoto, members of the imperial family and the aristocracy commonly travelled in ox-drawn carriages known as gosho-guruma (御所車). The presence of a gosho-guruma, particularly with its bamboo blinds lowered, conventionally suggests that a person of high rank - often an elegant lady, nobleman, or member of the imperial family - is inside the carriage. On the kashira (頭), a group of similarly dressed figures is shown standing in front of a fence or palisade with a gate. This architectural detail is particularly important for identifying the subject of the composition. There are two chapters of The Tale of Genji (源氏物語, Genji Monogatari) whose narratives could potentially correspond to the scenes depicted on this fuchi-kashira set. The first is Chapter 14, Miotsukushi (澪標, "Channel Buoys"), and the second is Chapter 16, Sekiya (関屋, "The Gatehouse"). In Miotsukushi, Genji encounters the Lady of Akashi at the entrance to Sumiyoshi Taisha (住吉大社). In Sekiya, Genji encounters Utsusemi (空蝉) at the Ōsaka Barrier (逢坂関). There is a particularly relevant pair of folding screens (byōbu, 屏風) by Tawaraya Sōtatsu (俵屋宗達), Tokyo National Museum, dating from the seventeenth century, which depicts precisely these two episodes. Miotsukushi Chapter 16 Sekiya Chapter 14 The screen representing the Sekiya episode clearly shows a gate whose form is remarkably similar to that depicted on the kashira of this fuchi-kashira set. This architectural detail provides an important clue. Although the general subject of the fuchi-kashira could initially be interpreted as either Miotsukushi or Sekiya, the presence of the distinctive gate strongly favors Sekiya as the intended theme. I hope you enjoy this fuchi-kashira set as I do. Regards Luca

My sincere thanks to Marah. This is a serious “mother lode” of newsletters, documents, and study material. Not only JSSUS newsletters, but also newsletters from the Florida token kai, Northern California and Southern California clubs, bushido magazines, old internet printouts, and dozens of other articles and lectures from scholars ranging from the late 1960s to the 2000s. There’s even a JSSUS member roster from 1979. - Edit: -Japanese sword society of the United States newsletters from 1978-2006. -Yamanaka newsletters volumes 1-4. -4 Hawleys pamphlets. -Michihiro Tanobe lecture, 2003 Tampa Florida. -a small variety of Northern and Southern California material. -A binder full of a couple dozen papers written on a wide variety of Japanese sword related topics from a variety of authors. -A variety of loose material, some written in Japanese, and a bushido magazine. - Good thing I have a love for printed material and organizing! Going to try and get it in some sort of “order” and begin investigating and studying from there. If anyone sees anything they’re particularly curious about, I’ll take a closer look and share. All the best, -Sam

62 plate very heavy Kabuto . Tokubetsu paper to early Edo Saotome Ienari Love the Tehen on this one

I donated a flag to the OBON society this weekend, and had the opportunity to tour their WWII display in the Maritime Museum in Astoria. I was surprised to see this sword on display. I’m no tosogu guy, but it immediately stood out to me as looking pretty nice and predating WWII. No saya was displayed unfortunately. I was hoping some of the tosogu folks here might be willing to offer their opinions on it, particularly regarding its quality, age, and any other details that might be apparent from the photos. What is the material under the ito? Also, I cannot tell what's in the center of the menuki for the life of me. Just a curiosity because I was immediately attracted to it. Behind plexiglass, so I did my best with photos. Thanks for taking a look! -Sam

Hi all, I would like to share something interesting and rather unique: a scroll painting attributed to Tokugawa Nariaki, daimyō of the Mito Domain and father of the last shōgun. Hakogaki: Master Ishikawa Shichirōbei Noriyasu comes from a family whose hereditary profession is falconry, and he is extraordinarily accomplished in this art. Because Lord Takeo [Tokugawa Nariaki] favored hawks and held hawk-matching displays, he routinely summoned Noriyasu to serve him. On one such occasion, His Lordship personally painted this single sheet [of silk] with his own hand and bestowed it upon him. This took place back in the 6th year of Bunsei [1823]. Recently, because the master [Noriyasu] wished to mount it as a hanging scroll to display upon the wall as a family treasure, I have recorded these circumstances here as he requested. Date: An auspicious morning in the 2nd month, 12th year of Bunsei, Year of the Ox [1829] Written by: Yoshida Noriyo Origami: From the brush of Mito Keizan [Tokugawa Nariaki] Painting of a Hawk; color on silk. The above work is an authentic original Without the slightest doubt; full of vivid life/vitality The overall composition (kamae) is seen to be of high elegance/superior quality. Written by Hiraki Kiyomitsu in a Spring month (Year of the Snake) Enjoy! From the catalogue: All the seals and different names of Nariaki:

NCO Type 95 Gunto in Very Good Condition. Matching Numbers 159372 Would be hard to upgrade... Price $2400 AUD (Australian) plus all fees

Gendaito signed Kanenaga and dated 3rd Month 1943 a lucky day. In good quality gunto koshirae with a removed mon badge visible on the kabuto gane. "Kanenaga (包永), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – „Nōshū Seki no jū Kanenaga kore o saku“ (濃州関之住包永作之), „Kanenaga“ (包永), civilian name „Amachi Ginjirō“ (天地銀次郎), older brother of Amachi Suzuichi (天地鈴市), he was born on the fourth day of the ninth month Meiji 17 (1884) and died March 8th 1958, he worked as guntō smith, posthumous Buddhist name „Enkaku Chikyō“ (円覚智鏡)" Lovely Bizen style choji hamon with a lot of hataraki, Kanenaga did make showato as well but this appears to be a true gendaito. It has some damage to the ha which probably happened during its use in WW2. The saya has a carved name which seems to be A HYND. Alexander Hynd was a Scottish Corporal who fought in the battles of Kohima and Imphal. He was also at Dunkirk during the evacuation. The sword was found during a house clearance in the lake district, I can't prove its the correct A. Hynd but it seems likely. I've seen quite a few of Amachi Kanenaga's swords and so far nothing comes close to this one. £900, unfortunately it's buyer collect only from the UK. With the recent changes in the law it's just not worth trying to ship, I'm not far from Manchester.

Ian, Have you read Nick Komiya's articles on the Rinji seishiki (RS) (Type 3)? They are : Rebutting the Name "Type 3" and Unveiling the Rinji Seishiki - 1940 To your question, though, I don't think there has been a direct answer given. In Nick's article he states: "On 22nd August 1940, Army Regular Memo 5830 officially announced the completion of this Rinjiseishiki Sword project. It said that Kaikosha and Gunjin-kaikan will release for sale to officers swords priced at 115 Yen in annual quantities of 3,000 swords (however, for 1940 it would be limited to about 1,000 swords). Though the price went up from 80 Yen now to 115, the annual production target of 3,000 a year is just as the 1938 mandate had demanded. The printed memo further explained that the sword “was made to be robust and practical in both blade as well as exterior fittings, based on lessons from the Incident” However, in the earlier handwritten draft, this same sentence read slightly differently as it said “was made to be robust and practical in both blade as well as exterior fittings based on lessons from the Incident. It is in conformity to army uniform regulations” The last part was dropped from the final announcement. Furthermore, the cover letter of this earlier draft from 16th August gives away further hints about how the army perceived this new sword. The Japanese title had originally read 軍装用軍刀, “Gunto for Field Dress”, but the 4 kanjis in front were crossed out, leaving only the word “sword”. This indicates that the sword was to be limited to field wear and you needed to wear the Type 98 for dress occasions, etc. That implied that when hostilities were over, officers were expected to go back to the Type 98 swords as required by army uniform regulations. The deletion also stressed that the sword was NOT a Gunto, but simply a sword. This minor distinction is important as only the Type 98 could be called a Gunto at that time." The RS was designed to be "robust and practical" for field use. In reading about the field repairs teams, they reported that a large percentage of their work was in repairing tsuka. I suspect the lacquered ito was to keep it from fraying. I haven't looked for this characteristic in my surveys, but what I have always considered the custom fittings - lacquered saya and ito - actually show up a year ealier (1942 is the earliest example I have on file) than the light tan (1943 is the earliest I have on file), plain fittings, with no lacquer. My gut feeling is that they tried to put out nice looking fittings at first to draw the customer base. Yet the custom fittings went against the primary order to make a cheaper sword, so young officers could better afford to buy them. Again, I haven't checked to confirm this, but I bet we will find that the light tan, what I call "standard" fittings will not have lacquered ito as a general rule.

Uwe , I'm not a good photographer. Her are some better images the seller took.

Couldn't agree more As you know, this is my main focus at the moment. I've already done a ton of digging and hit some of those limits you mention... it's truly shocking to see what our current "accepted understanding" is built upon. It's very much a house of cards built on some very tenuous assumptions at its base. I'm trying to map out all the links and inter-dependent suppositions that connect everything together and it's turning out to be a spider web that is built on a mix of logic and illogic, which makes it inherently harder to break through and correct. The easiest way to convince someone of a mistruth is to weave in enough facts to make the untruth believable. "if this is true then this must be true..." ,except the first truism isn't based on anything reliably factual at all. Indeed everything has to line up with other social, cultural, economic, political, and artistic factors of the time period in question. If those are missing from any proposed conclusion that is being asserted as fact, then it's a pretty empty conclusion in that, at best, it's just a hypothesis without any verifiable support. The onus is then to build up enough evidence to support, or modify, or refute the initial hypothesis... i.e. the scientific method (sorry...I know that's a set of words to be avoided these days ) From what I have read, I feel like that was the original intent of Akiyama back in the early 1900s, but the majority of people have lost sight of this and turned everything into dogmatic "truths". The goal should always be to build around verifiable facts, or in the absence of that, accumulate a whole lot of indirect support from external societal factors that line up with a particular style/type of tsuba to help position it among others. That's the only way to reorganize this mess.

YES to all of the above. An interesting (and perhaps very productive) pursuit would be to work backwards in time in an effort to locate objectively factual information (e.g. unimpeachably reliable period documentation) about all tosogu artists, groups, and "schools." How far back could we go before running into the "it-is-said" abyss? Of course, the results of such an excursion would be quite ragged, with some traditions (e.g. the Higo smiths) likely having much more reliable information about them going back than, say, the early Akasaka group. or the early Umetada masters. Once the ends of reliable certitude are reached, and knowing that any artist or group of artists had to have had some sort of influencing agent(s) -- whether formal teachers or some other inspirational force -- then informed (we hope) speculation based on knowledge of cultural contexts of various kinds could be presented as further "time travel" is undertaken. I have long maintained that the problem being referred to regarding NBTHK (or other) papers is much less about such papers being issued than it is about those papers being seen by the community as factually correct and truthful. If it could be universally recognized that the NBTHK is simply providing an opinion (albeit a rather expensive one, in some cases), and that this opinion can be and has been incorrect on occasion, we would be in a better place with all this. A related issue here is that the NBTHK, to my knowledge, does not provide written explanations, reasoning, or strong references to support the conclusions they draw in delivering their judgments. Absent this, the opinions they offer lose a lot of weight (in my view), especially when we're talking about Hozon Paper-level tosogu submissions for mumei items. How much time are the shinsa teams really devoting to examining and analyzing such pieces? This dynamic, when combined with the entrenched iemoto-ism of always following what previous teachers and senior scholars determined, results in a morass of misinformation, contradiction, and undermined confidence in the capacity of such expert bodies to provide guidance and learning opportunities. This is why, in my opinion, it is so important to invest in our own studying and research (which may include NBTHK results, but not without a dose of healthy skepticism), not only of the objects themselves, but also of the various contexts (historical, cultural, political, etc...) that gave rise to these objects in various regions and in different periods. This last -- the deep consideration of multifarious contexts as they pertain to tosogu study -- is one that I do not see given sufficient focus and energy in many discussions and publications. However, I do not have access to (many?) Japanese sources that may indeed feature such an effort. If anyone does, and could recommend these, I would welcome knowing about them.

OK, I apologize for that... so I'll attempt to clean up this page with a proper "wow"

Hi all, I’m trying to determine the age and learn more about the fabric of this jinbaori. Any information or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

泉州住正清作 = Senshū-jū Masakiyo saku

Ohmura’s study guide also mentioned the lacquered ito. See image from the link below with descriptions. It’s a well known feature on these swords. ohmura-study.net/952.html Quote and image from the link above: “The hilt was changed into Ikkan-maki- binding (Tenshō era-mounting for battles), and reinforced by applying Japanese lacquer to a Tsuka-ito…” All the best, -Sam

Small update: It sounds like the curator is willing to talk to me about the sword, and they seem very interested in adding information about it. Although, they're opening a new wing to the museum this fall and are swamped currently. They've requested that I hold any curator inquiries until after October. So stay tuned in November! Maybe I'll get some more images and hopefully some nakago, and nakago-mune photos for you Bruce. Always fun to find an interesting sword. Thanks for all your help guys, and especially @charlesf for your keen eye and memory. All the best, -Sam

I would agree with you but in this case someone made a misinformed statement that immediately suggested a serious problem existed on the blade. That would have an immediate negative impact on the prospect of a sale which isn’t fair or justified. Maybe if he had asked “has the nakago received any treatment?”…….??

your grasp in prices with in australia is wrong, prices in austalia arnt cheaper! they are reflected to a world wide price range, postage isnt that complicated. your price range for a excellent type 3 with a showato start at 2k aud and go up from there. thats the market facts.

Up for sale 2 Yamakichibei Tsuba both ex. Mariusz collection. Credit to Mariusz for the photos, hope he doesn't mind me re-using them as they are better than what I can do. Both tsuba are late Momoyama/early-Edo, and signed Yamakichibei. They are great quality pieces and probably came from the Yamakichibei workshop. 1. 7.6 x 7.0 x 0.4cm, excellent tsuba with great iron. Dragonfly design. $500 + shipping. 2. 7.0 x 6.5 x 0.4cm, very nice example of high quality, lustrous iron and tekkotsu on the face and rim. Handsaw design. $500 + shipping.

The writing on the saya is probably a post-war addition, written by a GI who copied some Japanese letters from a book. From top カタナ = Katana (sword) 三五 = 3, 5 (or maybe meant to be "35", who knows?) three stars and two bars... presumably some US military meaning. 一九四五　=　1945 (a date not likely written by a Japanese person) 勇気 = bravery (again, a random word not likely written by a native Japanese-speaking person) It very much looks like an attempt to "japanize" the scabbard.

Thank you Colin and Jean! That's very interesting. I flipped my image below for better vewing. I wish I took better/more photos of it. Blade in suguha with fine consistent nioiguchi, with very tight/fine jihada. A little hard to see behind glass. No views of nakago. Nice polish, no rust, lots of what looked like more recent scratching in the monouchi area. If it's an old blade, I agree it could be very exciting. It definitely caught my attention. I wonder if the curator would flip the display if I reach out to them. I'm building a relationship with the OBON society, so maybe I can get a better look at it someday in the future. Thanks again! Ya'll are the best. -Sam

Given the apparent circumstances surrounding the surrender of these swords (on the Missouri?) its fair to assume they belonged to Officers of considerable rank. The one in question could be a custom ordered koshirae that vaguely looked like a military sword but was leaning more heavily towards an old Tachi. It looks like it contains an old Tachi blade, possibly something rather exciting?

Showa ju hachi nen shichi gatsu hi 昭和十八年七月日

I know Herr Kremers and his son Paul to a lesser extent. I never knew Sasano-sensei, as he passed slightly before I got serious about collecting. I was not yet into Tosogu. That came later. Hindsight is that it would have been better to keep the sword and toss the house. The Great Recession was a tough one where I lived. While I don't believe in going All In on Art, it would have been better if I had. Buy that small Modigliani back when I could have. Get the smaller Warhol painting with my family name on it. Again, hindsight. David Rockefeller quote, "I think of art as the highest level of creativity. To me, it is one of the greatest sources of enjoyment" I envy those willing to go All In on Art.

I'm agreeing too much with Glen and Steve. I am not sure how much else to say. It is easy and lazy to trust the NBTHK opinions, but they haven't been very good for at least 10 -12 years now. Difficult to get modern collectors to self educate and trust their own opinions.

To insist that Masamune was not a follower of Zen or even influenced by Zen in Kamakura the heart of Zen, working on a craft that is influenced by Zen through the Shogunate that gave him a living is probably something that requires more study. Certainly we know of his link to the Nichiren through his story of entry into Buddhism as a boy and because he has a tombstone at Hongaku-ji Temple but is this because Zen had fallen out of favour in Kamakura after the fall of Kamakura or because Sadamune (who's tombstone is next to him) decided it was more politically neutral to be associated with Hongaku-ji if the Soshu-den was trying to sell swords to both sides during the Nanboku-chō period or was it simply because this was the temple where he entered the Buddhist faith? With regard to Ko-Nyudo Kunimitsu, he came from Uda, Nara, the heart of the oldest and most powerful Shingon Buddhist tradition. As such one can probably argue with some effect that he too was not a Zen Buddhist but then again we also have no idea why he left Uda or why he moved to Etchū. What we do know is that the Momoi were vassals of the Ashikaga clan who were Zen Buddhists. We do know that he settled in Momoi territory and quickly became a preferred smith. We also know that he did sign one blade in 1335 in a place called Yoshioka-sho, Etchū which just happens to be just down the road from Kokutai-ji the first Zen Temple built in Etchū in the 1300 by Zen monk Jiun Myōi and that he had moved there later in life having originally settled in Utsu, Etchū. Why he moved again is unclear, it is certainly odd for a established smith to move across the province to setup a new forge in the same province without valid reason. Again like Masamune further study is required but that both of these smiths were working in the social influence of Samurai who followed Zen Buddhism and ensure their livelihood cannot be dismissed. I would not fully discount them either without further study. As it appears to be one of the more credible reasons for a lack of Zamei during this period. Something that is oddly lacking especially in Shogunate strong territories during this period with no other valid or conclusive explanation. A great book on the subject is Zen and Japanese Culture By Daisetz T. Suzuki. Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1870–1966) grew up in a formerly samurai family that lost its wealth during the Meiji Restoration. His book talks to the impact Zen Buddhism had on the Japanese Culture specifically providing the mental discipline, fearlessness, and "no-mind" (mushin) or letting go of ego mentality required by samurai. His writings that reach into the fundamental understandings and beliefs within his own Samurai family are also not to be dismissed as they deeply shaped how the spiritual side of swordsmanship and bushido is viewed through to today both within Japan and outside of Japan. Zen had a fundamental impact on every aspect of Japanese life from Japanese arts & crafts, daily life all of which ultimately stemmed from the warrior philosophy. As an aside, Daisetz T. Suzuki studied at Kokutai-ji the same temple that Ko-Nyudo Kunimitsu settled near in his later life. We see the influence of Zen Buddhism in Japanese art even today from the wabi-sabi or the appreciation of imperfection; to Ma, the intentional use of negative space; to Ichigo Ichie, the "one time, one meeting" philosophy behind appreciating the moment. We also saw it blossom in the way swordsmanship and archery focuses on emptying the mind to be in the moment and achieve perfection in the skill. In the Tea Ceremony that was elevated to a spiritual art by the Zen masters like Sen no Rikyu where every moment is executed with mindfulness, humility and absolute focus on the present. We see it in the Zen Gardens that still through to today inspire visitors through their natural rock gardens and raked gravel where the very act of gardening becomes a form of meditation with a focus on the present. The simplicity of Japanese poetry "Haiku" where a profound truth is captured in the simplicity of just 17 syllables. In the ink paintings and calligraphy where perfection of the present and appreciation of the moment is mastered to ensure there is no hesitation or correction due to the nature of the ink absorbing into the paper. We see it in the most Japanese of traits; meiwaku (迷惑), that stems from the Ogasawara School of etiquette established in Kamakura during the Kamakura Shogunate. We see it in the modern day "Salary man" who is not just an employee but remains more of an indentured servant working more hours than he is paid for and giving of himself to a point of negating oneself to show extreme loyalty. This even today is seen as a badge of honour. We see it as the primary reason why so many women from GenX onwards are rejecting this warrior philosophy and looking for more effeminate men in Manga. Ironically, and in a very Japanese contradiction pushing these same women toward the love of swords - thanks to the gorgeous young men in Touken Ranbu. Therefore to say "I wouldn't read to much into the spiritual aspects of various Buddhist traditions" is to negate the very meaning of being Japanese. We know that from it building in 1252 there was a spike in spiritual zealotry led by Zen Buddhism that lasted through to the end of the Kamakura Shogunate. This is was aided absolutely by the miraculous events of the first and second Mongol Invasion in November, 1274 and August 15–16, 1281 specific to the first storm and the later "Kamikaze" that saved Japan. Hōjō Tokimune (June 5, 1251 – April 20, 1284) the 8th Shikken or Regent for the Shogun more than anyone was instrumental in the spread of Zen Buddhism in Japan. When the Mongols began to invade Japan in 1274 Tokimune sought the council of his Zen master, Mugaku Sogen. He said "This is the biggest event of my life." Mugaku asked, "How will you face it?" Tokimune shouted, "Katsu!" or "Victory!" Showing his strong mental fortitude to win. Mugaku was pleased and said, "It is true that the son of a lion roars as a lion!" Or so the legend goes. I suspect Tokimune was afraid which is why he sought council but this is not how the victors tell stories or spread propaganda. When the storms battered the Mongol Ships on the rocks in the first invasion this was not seen as a mere fluke of nature, but as a profound convergence of cosmic protection, spiritual resolve, and decisive action. Rather than leaning strictly into passive fatalism, Zen masters integrated the miraculous storm with the mental fortitude required of the samurai defenders. That is if the Samurai had not gone with courage and the mental fortitude to face their enemy the storm would not have arrived to aid them. It became very apparent to the Samurai that it was Zen buddhism that had given them the mental fortitude to overcome their paralysing fears of dying to stand on the beaches and face their enemy. That they did so with a just spirit and true heart saw the universe respond in kind for a just cause - saving Japan. Because of this victory and Tokimune's leadership, Zen Buddhism quickly became popular among the samurai - you always back a winner - especially one with divine power. That this happened twice for the second Mongol Invasion this time through the Typhoon or Kamikaze (Divine Wind) cemented Zen Buddhism as the de facto spirituality of the Samurai and all those associated with them and the shogunate; a decision that would ultimately shape and define Japan. It was easy enough to make medieval Japan believe in things through propaganda especially when such miraculous events happen not once but twice. It should be noted that whilst the Samurai adopted Zen Buddhism other forms of Buddhism such as Jōdo Shinshū remained popular with the peasants and rural communities as they did not have the same need as a Samurai to be brave and they were not as caught up with latest trends of the Shogunate. But like all good things this spiritual zealotry of the Kamakura Shogunate ultimately came to an end when this Shogunate fell in 1333. That the divine powers of the universe did not defend the Shogunate is seen with concern and the non-samurai start to abandon their zealotry. Japan now gets pulled back to the ancient traditions of the Emperor but the Samurai who have embraced this new Zen Buddhism do not wish to go back to the old ways and so shortly after the rise of Emperor Go-Daigo he too falls and the kingdom gets split into the two courts and two seperate focuses on spirituality with the Ashikaga Shogunate continuing to focus on the Samurai favoured Zen Buddhism and the Southern Court focusing on Shugendō and the more ancient localised "monastery controlled" esoteric-shinto beliefs tied to sacred sites. And whilst the Ashikaga Shogunate does unify empire in the Muromachi Period. The temples of the south continued to gain power and control building significant standing armies of warrior monks until their power to was finally broken 235 years later when Nobunaga broke the back of the local Monasteries when he literally burnt them to the ground. It is worth noting that Nobunaga was not spiritual or religious. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the great unifier) a commoner by birth embraced the "three teachings" of Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism for political legitimisation. Tokugawa Ieyasu continued the practice of pragmatic syncretism adopted by Hideyoshi by blending Neo-Confucianism for social order, Zen Buddhism for personal discipline, and Shinto elements for ancestral legitimacy. In the interest of unification he even tolerated Catholicism in the country until he felt it became a political threat banning it in 1614. Fundamentally however it was Ieyasu who continued the now 400 year tradition for Zen Buddhism to remain the dominant form of thinking amongst the Samurai elite when it came to how they should conduct themselves and this thinking in turn filtered through the whole of Japanese Society. That there is a tradition that exists to this day to not sign swords gifted to Temples (even Shinto Shrines) as it is considered rude, arrogant and presumptuous to show one's ego when presenting a holy offering talks to the past and this original Buddhist belief. That Buddhism and the it's more fundamental Zen buddhism played an important role in the mind shift of the samurai and those associated and as a result the entire Japanese culture cannot be dismissed out of hand. It is instead is one of the fundamental reasons why the Japanese are who they are, even today.

Higo tsuba sukashi pine tree design. Tsuboi were an offshoot Higo school who catered for less fortunate samurai, they used designs of the main schools. They were very skilled artisans but never able to step out of the shadow of the main schools. 7.1 x 7.3 x 0.4cm In custom fitted box with an NBTHK Hozon Paper to Higo Mumei Tsuboi (無銘 坪井) The same design of this tsuba is in Ito Mitsuru's book - see photo (left being the book example). It's described as follows: "Within the Hayashi school, this kind of sukashi in the form of a pine with kebori illustrating its needles are called " gokai matsu " - five storied pine. .... this tsuba shows very conscientious workmanship" $700 Comparison with book example:

Mei example from Baur Collection.

See thread 'South Manchuria railway company presentation tachi',October 11th 2014 in Military Swords of Japan started by Medina San1.

btw I picked up the sword from the workshop.

I know what the problem is.I used AI to sharpen the background of my photo, but it ended up touching up the main subject too. So it made the subject look freshly restored.Here's how it actually looks.

Ian, any tampering - polishing or "restoring" - with authentic historic blades is frowned upon here, and any advice for sharpening or dulling those blades is not in line with their preservation which this forum is devoted to. If you have a Chinese look-alike, you may treat it as you like, but please do not report that here.

Howdy folks! I just wanted to spread the word that there is an antique gun show in Denton, Texas (near Dallas/Ft. Worth) that has agreed to let folks get tables for Japanese swords and will even group the nihonto tables together. If anyone has been to the show in Vegas this would be somewhat similar, but a bit smaller. If you're interested in getting a table be sure to mention in the "notes" section of the form that your table with be for Japanese swords. Obviously, as a gun show they will also allow firearms, but mordern firearms and ammunition are strictly prohibited unless they are curio & relics. For more information, please see the Texas Gun Collectors Association website below! https://tgca.org/fall-2026/ October 16 – 18, 2026 Embassy Suites Hotel 3100 Town Center Trail, Denton, TX 76201 Friday-12 noon, Sat/Sun-9:00 am Last date to book hotel – September 24

John John - yes, that would be a very bad thing to do. In this case, all you are seeing is the rust turning into a dark patina on the blade. This helps to indicate age of the blade.

Very nice treatise on the subject. The explanation why a high and wide shinogi was adopted, as found on Kamakura and Nanbokucho era Yamatoden blades, makes a lot of sense. My Senjuin has a lot of niku with a narrow motohaba, effectively reducing drag by minimizing contact surface with the target.

Hi! This is hard...... On the left is signature 雞谷一閑人, “a person of leisure in the valley of chicken”, perhaps a 雅号/Gago ("elegant/artistic pen name"). 閑人 is indeed very elegant in traditional Chinese and Japanese culture, like someone with cranes flying around them, and has pine trees around their hut. Edited: 次(or 以)宗近正真慰模之 Imitated with accuracy next to the genuine Munechika for consolation (?), when 次 here means second in line or quality, or imitated when next to a genuine Munechika for consolation, when 次 here means physically next to something, or imitated using a genuine Munechika for consolation, when it's 以 instead of 次. 宗近 is Munechika, 正真 is genuine, 慰 is "for (oneself's) consolation", an tranditional and elegant way of saying things befitting a person of leisure, 模之 is "imitating (or replicating) this",

I believe it might be quite an unusual combination: type 19 Kyu-gunto (high rank) in canvas covered saya. https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/238097867_japanese-wwii-kyu-gunto-officer-sword-chromeed-blade-and-cherry-blossom-motif-hallandale-beach-fl

No offence Ian but you may have to add at least 1k AUD to that and even then it probably won't be in very fine condition. Just reality I'm afraid.....have you done any research on pricing?

Interesting that those swords are noted as being related the Missouri, there are number of different accounts of when and where the delegation were relieved of their swords:

Sam, the museum needs advice and support, and I hope you will get into contact with relevant staff members there!

These long handle ornaments are called KENUKI GATA MENUKI after the HEIAN JIDAI TACHI style swords.

Date is June 1942.

I occasionally see a fantastic naginata or yari I'd like to buy. Sometimes I speculate on what it would take to have a koshirae made for one. [ I'm aware this might not be the best economic choice.] But I thought I'd ask the group what the state of affairs on such a project actually is like? I'm also interested in hearing from anyone who has had a pole koshirae shipped uncut from Japan or Europe. I have had polearms shipped before. Over my television are a pair of Uhlan lances, likely two of the last lances to be professionally mass produced for horse cavalry in the history of the world. They were made in Solengen for Uhlans and are about 12 feet long. They only had to come two states, but the shipping was freight and absolute murder. Shipping them cost more than the lances did! I bring it up to show I'm not totally ignorant of the issues with shipping pole arms. I've never done it internationally. If I did want to buy a yari or naginata with koshirae, (Or a pole koshirae without a blade) what is the state of international shipping from Japan (or Europe) for such an item? Does anyone have experience? [Also, is koshirae still the right term for a pole mounting as it is for a sword?] Absolutely opposed to cutting an original shaft! If I wanted to have a shaft made in the states, does anyone know anything about the shaft fittings or someone who makes either modern metal fittings or polearm shafts? I found a reference to a place that made naginata fittings, but they appear to be defunct. I've never seen naginata or yari antique fittings for sale by themselves though occasionally a full (or partial) koshirae will come up. I imagine part of that is because they are less artistically embellished than sword fittings but it would seem like a few should be on the market somewhere. So that's one of my questions, what's the state of the market, if it exists at all, for antique polearm metal fittings and also for modern reproduction fittings? I've also no idea how the shafts were made in period. A deep square hole in a pole would seem like a hard thing to cut, so perhaps there was a trick to it. I recently learned that they should have a taper all the way from the butt to the head, which is a difficult thing as well! Thank you all in advance.

Ido Kanehiro saku. A WWII era smith.

Monster O Zutsu 100 Monnme 1.8 inches internal bore 48 inches long 46 lbs Singed Kubota Chozaemon No Jo Working in Akita Han in Dewa No Kuni ( North of Japan ) Made around 1840 A note on the smith states he was a practioner of Ninja gunnery I had never heard of this but apparently it was about firing in the rain and other conditions so that the enemy could not see the flash of the gun or initiating powder Many thanks to Nich Nick Ricupero for selling this to Me. I really love this gun ! Many thanks to Jan Pettersson for helping me with the information about the maker.

Hector, it is probably part of the collector's game to "hunt" down a piece that nobody had recognized before.... In my opinion, it is not irresponsible unless you invest money that is needed for your daily life. But I know that happens also. SASANO-SENSI once came home with two VERY valuable TSUBA he just bought, and when he showed them to his wife (who was very well informed about TSUBA and knew all of her husband's trade), she immediately said 'We do not have enough money to buy these! How is that possible?' He had to admit that he took a loan on their house. Not soon after this, he sold one of these TSUBA and bought the house back. Not really recommended unless you are SASANO MASAYUKI....

Albert Yamanaka's Nihonto Complete set of Newsletters With special thanks to the Yamanaka Family for allowing these newsletters to be shared free of charge and Leon Kapp from the Sacramento Japanese Sword Club for spending the time to digitise them all. Table of Contents Yamanaka NL TOC Volume 1 Yamanaka V1 NL01 Yamanaka V1 NL02 Yamanaka V1 NL03 Yamanaka V1 NL04 Yamanaka V1 NL05 Yamanaka V1 NL06 Yamanaka V1 NL07 Yamanaka V1 NL08 Yamanaka V1 NL09 Yamanaka V1 NL10 Yamanaka V1 NL11 Yamanaka V1 NL12 Yamanaka V1 NL12 Extras Volume 2 Yamanaka V2 NL01 Yamanaka V2 NL02 Yamanaka V2 NL03 Yamanaka V2 NL04 Yamanaka V2 NL05 Yamanaka V2 NL06 Yamanaka V2 NL07 Yamanaka V2 NL08 Yamanaka V2 NL09 Yamanaka V2 NL10 Yamanaka V2 NL11 Yamanaka V2 NL12 Volume 3 Yamanaka V3 NL01 Yamanaka V3 NL02 Yamanaka V3 NL03 Yamanaka V3 NL04 Yamanaka V3 NL05 Yamanaka V3 NL06 Yamanaka V3 NL07 Yamanaka V3 NL08 Yamanaka V3 NL09 Yamanaka V3 NL10 Yamanaka V3 NL11 & NL12 Volume 4 Yamanaka V4 NL01 Yamanaka V4 NL02 Yamanaka V4 NL03 Yamanaka V4 NL04 Yamanaka V4 NL05 Yamanaka V4 NL06 Yamanaka V4 NL07 Yamanaka V4 NL08 Yamanaka V4 NL09 Yamanaka V4 NL10 Yamanaka V4 NL 11 & 12 Volume 5 Yamanaka V5 NL01 Yamanaka V5 NL02 Yamanaka V5 NL03 Yamanaka V5 NL04 Yamanaka V5 NL05 Yamanaka V5 NL06 Yamanaka V5 NL07

…以地鉄…(oroshigane)?? Can’t see Fujiwara, Michael and I think Joe is referring to the book page with Terukado…

I have found a free copy of the book Zen and Japanese Culture by Daisetz T. Suzuki, at the Internet Archive for those who would like to read the book but do not want to spend the money on buying it. http://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.16794/mode/2up

Generally pre-Edo San-mai would fall under the categorisation of Ko-kinko, like Mauro said. That being said, I actually have a cast San-mai Tsuba, the only one I have seen (so far). I will add some images when I get a chance. I actually do not like the term Kagamishi and instead use Ko-Chūzō Tsuba, which I think is more fitting. This example is actually not cast, and only mimics the visual characteristics that were popular in that period. It would therefore fall under Ko-kinko.