Brian

I think if we can lure @k morita in here, we'll get our answer. Holding thumbs.

Some awesome stuff, and I bet prices are decent. Man, wish it were easier to buy from the UK Btw, does someone want to tell them it's a naginata, not a Nagasaki https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/tooveys/catalogue-id-srtoo10562/lot-1c8ac754-b1a3-4f3f-9b1e-b42000e12482

Yokoyama Sukesada?

Really appreciate your help on the forum Hiro. With help from guys like you, Moriyama san, Morita san, Steve M, Ray Singer, Trystan and others that are too many to remember right now, we really do have a very solid "team" that is able to assist where few other places are able. On behalf of all of us, thanks to you guys who take time out to help so freely.

Who's that Japanese dealer that specializes in these, that comes to the US shows? Wouldn't it be worth asking him for an opinion? Really lovely tsuba, I think we are all a bit jealous

Hell....you'll get a far better appraisal here for free :-) And trust me, if Ray says something, you can take that as fact 99% of the time

Thank you Marius! And you too Sam. This will be a big help. Haven't mentioned it yet, but we are saving up for the end of the year inevitable large software upgrade See the bottom of this section. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/clients/donations/ Really appreciate the support. Some great books there.

Very strange post.

Exactly. One of those items you search for your whole life, but are likely unable to ever own.

Man, I LOVE these. Pipe dream, but would love to own a genuine dragon or snake jizai okimono.

As other said, it's not so much looking at what fakes look like, it's more knowing what real ones look like, then when you see something like this...nothing looks like the real thing. Spend some time checking out pics of real sword and reading through the forum and you'll soon see the differences. You need to get some real ones in front of you too. Every country has somewhere you can see real ones.

One of the better dealers who deals specifically in high end stuff is in Canada. He's also a dealer member here on the forum: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/125-nihonto-art-inc/ Get hold of https://nihontoart.com/ @Nickupero Nick will be of assistance I am sure. @b.hennick Barry is also in Canada and is an advanced collector who I am sure can give advice.

I agree, unfortunately this has a very "made yesterday" feel to it, especially those surgically precision punched marks around the nakago ana. If it's non magnetic, I would guess a modern cast display piece. You always want at least some signs of use on something like this, but it looks like it was made yesterday and it lacks fine detail.

The whole "The Japanese govt will keep it and won't allow it to leave" thing is an old urban myth. Doesn't happen, won't happen. Agree that you'd probably get more for it in the West. Half the time stuff like that will be resold to a Western collector and be shipped out again. They don't care all that much about the WW2 significance, at least not as much as overseas collectors do generally speaking.

Can't believe that thing is already on almost $1000. What are people thinking??!!

https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1223551604

Agree with the above. You need to Google as many high-up contact emails as you can. CC everyone, from the CEO down. Point out that this items is historically significant and the loss is being spread widely across the Japanese art world on social media. Be angry and be persistent. Don't give up, and keep emailing. Become a PITA. Chances are suddenly it will turn up.

As far as finding good sushi or any other food in Tokyo, leave your hotel, turn any direction, and walk a few 100m. It's that simple. If you stay way from the busy tourist areas, you'll find amazing and cheap sushi almost anywhere, no planning necessary. Haneda travel...as the above members suggested. Going back to Narita, the Express is for me is the fastest and most convenient. Hotels...just choose your budget and area, and use Booking.com or even AirBnB. You'll find a ton of places within any budget. Area is more important, and if you are only there for a short time, personally I'd look at near Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa or Ueno. Try to avoid Golden Week. Tokyo is amazing, and anywhere you go, you'll find tons to do.

Those fittings are definitely Meiji period export type mounts.

Not the first time we have seen this sort of sleeve. Have personally seen it pressed out of thin sheet metal. In this case, it was carved to look like ito. Rare, but not unknown. Just an experiment I guess...or some sort of "because I can" thing.

Have to wonder though. If the kissaki takes damage, and you lose the boshi, it's considered a fatal flaw. The sword cannot perform as designed, right? But Katana and tachi are cutting weapons. How often where they used to stab? Surely most of the work is done in the monouchi area? Which may well be completely intact. 98% of what the sword would required to do, can still be done. Even if a katana is shortened from the front to wakizashi size, you wouldn't use the kissaki in most cases. Cutting edge remains. I think this is more about the art aspect and completeness than actual functionality.

To me looks like a Paul Chen or other modern sword.

It's VERY fake. Sorry. So the inscription is pointless. Made in China to deceive.

As mentioned, what the writing says isn't important, as it isn't what led to the call of fake. The item is 100% fake, so the writing is pointless. There is nothing here really looking real at all. It's an easy call.

TBH, the second you see that flag on the habaki, you know it's a fake. That's a dead giveaway, there are NO examples of real ones with this common engraving on the habaki.