mecox

Bruce, this guy I think KANETATSU (兼達), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetatsu” (兼達), real name Kanemura Tatsuo (兼村達雄), born February 23rd 1913, he worked as a guntō smith

Mei is Seki Ju Kanetomo date is Showa 20 (1945) February and he is RJT with star. Maybe is he this one: but not 100% sure KANETOMO (兼友), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Miwa Kanetomo saku” (三輪兼友作), “Kanetomo” (兼友), real name Miwa Shizuo (三輪静夫), born March 31st 1916, student of Kojima Kanemichi (小島兼道), he worked as guntō smith and died July 27th 1994, jōkō no retsu (Akihide), Second Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)

Being picky I guess, but sword looks to be missing one of large seppa and the retaining clip. Do any souvenir swords have the clip (and tsuba/seppa with holes)? And yes the tsuba does look buffed. Also does it have a Sho/Seki stamp?

Looks like this one: YOSHIOKI (嘉興), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Yoshioki” (嘉興), real name Ueno Yakichi (上野弥吉). Unusual "yoshi" Not much info, but looks to be born Meiji 17 (1884) Oct 1. registered as a Seki smith Showa 18 (1943) March 2 (age about 60) and was living in Bugi-gun, (probably read as) Kamifuchi-mura

I was referring to the cross strokes on "yoshi". The top one should be the longest.

Brian whose time zone are you using in the plot. I find I can post freely when North America is asleep.

Hi Lennon well there is a KANEYOSHI (兼吉), Gifu, real name Yoshida Ushinosuke (吉田丑之助), he worked as guntō smith, Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941) Below is an example. But note on your sword the "yoshi" is incorrectly cut (like by a non Japanese?). Not sure what this means. Best you show more of the sword and fittings. Added another example from F&G, hard to read but shows Seki stamp and correct "yoshi"

This looks a very well made stainless steel sword with well cut fine mei. Also fairly early 1941. I wonder if it could have been made by Kawamura Fujiwara Kanenaga, a brilliant metalwork artist. The date is in his unusual style, especially "Showa"

Emm, as Christian says described as "Shinshinto Kaifu" by NBTHK kanteisho dated Heisei 26 (2014) Jan 31. For background and examples of Kaifu:

More info:

These look OK to me

Thanks Tim. BTW where did you buy the sword from, as its unusual to have original torokusho (yours dated 2011). I note Johns comment re tsuka. It does look a bit odd, wrapping is not tight, rear knot odd, and the same skin not a good fit and is white. Nearly all kaigunto have black lacquer same. In the full length pic of the sword the tsuba is siting at an angle, as if loose. That caught my eye. Thanks for extra pics. From them I wonder if the dai-seppa are cast repros. Also the aluminium seppa are not original. Apologies Tim, not trying to dump on your sword, but these aspects are always of interest. And John I see you had a nice Munenaga kaigunto and sold it on NMB in April, 2019.

Tim, any chance you could post a pic of the seppa and tsuba laid out. keen to see detail. thanks mal

Tim, you have a kaigunto naval katana. Looks to be overall in good condition. Mekugi: is it plastic or horn. Maybe the aluminium seppa are not original (the one next to saya looks small?) Can you show a pic of the registration paper (Torokusho) as it has info on it. The smith is “Munenaga” (宗命), real name Seibu Takeo (西部 武夫), (Seibu can also be read as Nishibu). He was from Seki in Gifu Prefecture born Meiji 34 (1901) October 1. He registered as a Seki smith Showa 16 (1941) November 19 (age 40). He was a guntō smith, probably in an arsenal, and the blade has a Seki stamp. (I guess no date on other side of nakago). This type of blade is called Showato, so not fully traditionally made, but looks to have a nice hamon. There is very little info about him.

Link to Su / Kotobuki stamp meaning: Japan sword for sale Black leather scabbard Navy dagger (choshuya.co.jp) Auto translation: "Black leather-wrapped naval dagger preparation. Late Pacific War style. The trademark "Kotobuki" can be seen on the tsuba. This is believed to be the work of the Suya Corporation of Shiba-Shinbashi, Tokyo. The handle is in good condition, as are the cherry blossom design menuki fittings, the rim head, the bottom of the bottom, and the metal fittings such as the clasp that holds the scabbard and handle together." 壽屋（すや） Also had a note on other sword shops of the time: "Other examples include Iijima Sword Factory (Shimotani Kanasugi), Gomei Company Kobe Shoten (Yotsuya) and Seki Sword Co (Gifu, Seki)." @Bruce Pennington

John, good to have Moriyama san’s translation 刀工直弘 - Sword smith Naohiro 壽屋 - Kotobukiya But I think there is a story there. Or I may be dreaming. What do you think? The sword shown looks to be a well made of naginata style, looks to be more that a parade sword? I don’t know if chromed or not. However, there is a question which Naohiro made it. The one well reported in WW2 is 3rd gen. Yanagawa Masayoshi, born 1910, died 1994, reg post war in 1956, and then quite active. There were a number of possible Naohiro. Of the Yanagawa up to 5 gen. Kotobuki means good luck/long life etc, but Kotobukiya becomes the name of a shop. Looking further into this, it seems that Kotobuki can also be read as “SU”. [lost the reference, with find it]. Which suggests could be Suya Shoten Co Ltd well known in WW2 Tokyo producing/selling gunto especially naval dirks (p.20 in Bruce’s Stamp report). Page 46 of Bruce shows a version of the Suya stamp. Also Bruce p. 10 has Naohiro stamp, and suggests gen 2 at Tokyo Army Arsenal. “ …..two kanji read right to left as 直 NAO 弘 HIRO i.e. NAOHIRO. Family name is Yanagawa from Saitama. Probably second generation. During the Meiji and Taisho periods he worked at the Tokyo Army Arsenal (or Toyokawa by F & G) making blades for sabres (kyuguntō?) and other western style swords” The SU stamp in F & G looks like this Kotobuki is like this: 壽　　 From Sesko: NAOHIRO (直弘), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tōkyō – “Naohiro” (直弘), real name “Ueno Naohiro” (上野直弘). Example of his work in Slough p.126, small katana, dated 1915 (so he would need to be born around 1895 (Meiji 28). NAOHIRO (直弘), 1st gen., Keiō (慶応, 1865-1868), Musashi – “Naohiro” (直弘), real name Shino Tomesuke (土野留助), student of Taikei Naotane (大慶直胤), some say he was the son of Jikishinshi Masahiro (直心子正弘). [also called Rusuke Tsuchino] NAOHIRO (直弘), 2nd gen., Meiji (明治, 1868-1912), Musashi – “Naohiro” (直弘), son of the 6th gen. Naomichi (直道), he lived in Edo´s Ichigaya-Takajōmachi (市ケ谷鷹匠町), real name Yanagawa Saijirō (柳川才次郎), mostly a chōji-midare. [He trained 3rd gen and passed over the name etc to him in Showa 3 (1928) when 3rd gen was 18] NAOHIRO (直弘), 3rd gen., Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Saitama – “Juō Bushū Musashi-machi Takakura-jū Naohiro” (寿王武州武蔵町高倉住直弘), real name Yanagawa Masaki (柳川昌喜), [or Masayoshi] born October 5th 1910, son of Yanagawa Saijirō, he died in September 1994. NAOHIRO (直弘), 4th gen., Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Saitama – “Minamoto Naohiro saku” (源直弘作), “Musashi no Kuni Ōmiya-jū Minamoto Naohiro saku” (武蔵国大宮住源直弘作), real name Matsubara Eiichi (松原英一), born May 5th 1924, student of Juō Naohiro (寿王直弘). @Bruce Pennington

Kasper, nice tsuba and interesting. Paper from Nippon Tousougu Kenkyu Kai (NTKK) dated Heisei 25 (2013) Jan 17. Described as Hira jingasa zu (flat jingasa style). Mumei tetsuji (mumei iron), Goku (?good level of work) Saotome. Era: mid-Edo. Size 79 x 79 cm, thickness 0.3 cm. Plus general comments about Saotome being katchushi since Muromachi and this is well made. For context see this Tempo tsuba paper just added to Downdloads:

Bruce, Chris is right Bushu ju Hirokuni saku

Karl, yes definitely WW2 and he registered as a Seki swordsmith on Showa 16 (1941) September 12. No record of date of birth, but died in Showa 20 (1945).

Didier, As I noted before Nishihara Kanemasa was not from Seki, and I could not find further information. Steve notes limited career.....also .in the description of that sword for sale, Nishihara is referred to as a "first generation" swordsmith. For interest, I have now contacted Chris Bowen in US an expert on Tokyo wartime swordsmiths, his reply: "As for Nishihara Kanemasa, he is a puzzle. He is neither a Seki smith from what I can find, and neither is he the Kanemasa affiliated with the Dai Ichi Rikugun Zoheisho forge run by Yoshihara Kuniie. The Kanemasa affiliated with the Zoheisho is actually a smith working earlier affiliated the Murata blade production. I have found a few examples of Nishihara Kanemasa’s work but none include his place of work. He is not listed in the Meikan, nor in the war era smith lists I found. Seems he managed to escape fame and fortune quite completely! Sorry I can’t be of more help. From time to time these smiths who slipped through the cracks appear…" Of course, there have been a number of WW2 tosho who "disappear" from the records because they have enlisted in the army. Several of these were killed in action. I know of another one who committed suicide after hearing the Emperor on radio declare a surrender.

Steven, more of Kanefusa:

Was a wartime tosho, but not much information. may have been in Tokyo not Seki. Possibly at the Imperial Army's arsenal factory in Akabane, Tokyo (1943-45). 東京)西原兼正 作 日本刀 軍刀 61.2cm (bukiya.jp) 勇 現代刀 西原兼正 郷義弘写し 二尺一寸五分強 日本刀 刀(刀、太刀)｜売買されたオークション情報、yahooの商品情報をアーカイブ公開 - オークファン（aucfan.com）

Ron et al., here's some Amahide for comparison:

Mark, an update

It is good to see you are interested in Echizen Kinai school which has an interesting history. There is a summary and updated in NMB Downloads: