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Keichodo

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Everything posted by Keichodo

  1. Just in case anyone is interested, here an itomaki tachigoshirae I did for a client about twenty years ago.... The ito was kincha jabaramaki... The lacquer was red with gold tsuishu...although it is hard to see the gold veins throughout the lacquer...in hand it was stunning especially the way the one well-placed high relief gold lacquer mitsudomoe mon.... sets it off....... This package was about yen 450,000 at that time...... Best, Robert
  2. Hi John, Yes, I have set up a few.... Sadly, I didn't take photos of many of them... Check out the attached pictures. The lacquer is a gloss brown which doesn't come out very well under the lighting. The tsukamaki is in kincha jabaramaki style..... in hand it looked quite spectacular. Best, Robert
  3. Keep up the compliments and I will keep up the flow of custom koshirae images... This next one is Higo style with a partial inryo kesami style saya done in red ishime finish... The tsuka has black and red lacquered ray skin and is wrapped in green suede leather..... All the fittings were antique pieces..... Best, Robert
  4. Thanks for the above compliments guys! Here is another custom koshirae done in fuemaki style but this one alternates between flat black and gloss black rings on the saya which gives a little more contrast. Best, Robert Hughes
  5. Greetings sword mavens, I just got back one my client's custom koshirae and thought I would share it with you. The client provided all the fittings and the koshirae was then created from scratch... The lacquer style for the saya is called fuemaki and consists of black rings. It is a nice visual alternative to the standard and conventional black gloss finish commonly seen. I have photographs of over thirty custom koshirae that I have coordinated for a variety of clients. I am putting together a catalog to entice interest. If you would like to see more....let me know! 1) wood foundation/tsuka and saya 2) antiqued ray skin 3) standard silk wrap 4) saya fuemaki lacquer work 5) tsunagi wooden dummy blade The price for this particular koshirae came to yen 222,000.... Best, Robert Hughes
  6. Thanks Tom! You know how shy I am..... until the liquid courage kicks in.....
  7. Hi Tom.... Thanks for bringing this to the attention of others ...... I didn't want to post it myself.....in the budo spirit of humility..... even though it would serve as powerful advertising... Many, many hours go into the preparatory and planning stages....then a day in on-site planning for story continuity... and then the big day filming which lasted from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. There were many retakes due to outside noise interference of general traffic and tourism in Kamakura. Actually, we shot around two hours of content that was whittled down to fifteen minutes. Lots of historical overview and some mistakes were edited out......and most of my humorous quips got a quick cutting test....... The final stage is the tedious editing done professionally by a talented professional in Kamakura, Mr. Oe who deserves credit for both his camera work and his editing skill. I hope NMB folks enjoy this.... It took a lot of work.... Can we move it so it starts an original thread as the Soshu tradition it might get overlooked attached to the bottom of Guido's ego....I mean thread....? Best, Robert
  8. Tombo, All the times we have been drinking together and I never heard this anecdote before... or perhaps the tale was told and erased due to the volume of nihonshu.... I love it! Not just the act of the donation but the great story it became.... Yours in dudism, Another Lebowski, Robert
  9. The author is quite a controversial figure in California where he resides...... Caveat emptor..... Best, Robert
  10. Hi Ryan Could you explain how much it cost to ship by Fed. Ex. just for comparative study? Best, Robert
  11. Hi everyone, There is good news! EMS shipping to the USA will resume on June 1st. This includes Japanese sword shipments! There is also bad news...the prices have risen. It seems EMS shipments are arranged by agreement between specific countries and contracted airline carriers. This complicated contractual arrangement accounts for why there are difficulties shipping EMS to certain countries especially regarding swords. It becomes especially difficult when packages require stopovers or transit transfers in a third country. Therefore, the basic situation is sword shipments by EMS must be carried on direct flights to the destination country. Some airline carriers refuse to carry swords but handle other EMS packages. Some countries are stuck in negotiations regarding the fees pertaining to EMS shipping. The US and Japan have concluded their agreement and with the price hike EMS shipments will be resumed. This long delay was being blamed on a reduced number of flights due to the Covid pandemic, and this initially was the case but it was further complicated by contractual dispute over the pricing of EMS services. Expect to see an increase of approximately 15 - 20 % ......Regardless of the increase it is still reasonable.... Best, Robert Hughes
  12. Tom, I'll keep on the detective work but would like to join forces with you...so we can bask in the glory together! Or at least get a sunburn in front of one of the beach bars..... I do look forward to the day when we will clink our pint glasses.... Across the street from Yamamura's forge and tucked in the ground floor of a building right beside the tracks is a great little Izakaya....Is that the one? Best, Robert
  13. Greetings thread followers...especially former Kamakura resident, Big Bad Tombo! So first off....Tom know his Japanese history and his Kamakura s**t! However, there seems to be an evolution in thought among Hongakuji administrators. This is the part that needs further research as pointed out by Guido...... So Tom, when flights and immigration matters get smooth I invite you to help me resolve the budding contradictions at Hongakuji.... Within the grounds of Hongaku-ji, there is a tall stone monument that was set up in the late Edo period, Tempo 1835. Inscribed: Myoho Goro Nyudo Masamune hi Tempo kinoto hitsujidoshi aki Kankarin shujin sho which translates into Lotus Sutra Monument of Goro Nyudo Masamune Fall in the year of the sheep Tempo (1835) by the donor Kankarin, a pseudonym of Matsudaira Naooki, a Mori fief Daimyo. On the backside is a reference stating that Masamune was ordained to priesthood by Nichiren, hence the "Nyudo" addition to the name. So we can say the Nichiren/Masamune connection is “carved in stone.” Inscribed in the base are the names of sword dealers who also contributed to this memorial. Moving into the cemetery about 15 meters from the tall momument, we find a stupa said to have been erected by an early generation Yamamura Tsunahiro to mourn his ancestor Masamune. The stupa pedestal inscription reads: Shinryu-haka tsuchinoe-ne shogatsu juichinichi zokumyo Masamune: translated as Grave of Shinryu, eleventh day of the first month of the of the earth rat which could correspond to 1348. Masamune’s posthumous Buddhist name is Shinryu Nikken. Taking into account the timeline between the death of Masamune and the working period of Yamamura Tsunahiro, there is quite a gap in time. Therefore it is illogical to conclude that this marker actually is Masamune's grave, unless it was erected over top of Masamune's original resting spot.... so where does Masamune actually rest? The big mystery..... Deeper in the cemetery grounds, there are two very ancient tomb markers, in very early form (Nambokucho style) with inscriptions weathered away. A month ago, when I visited Hongakuji, I went to the admin. office and made an inquiry to end this dilemma. Not being able to resolve this neatly was causing me stress and serious sleep loss. This may well account for my obesity......not knowing the truth: overeating and drinking for the past forty years. I am blaming my poor physical condition .... you guessed it.....on Guido...not Masamune. Guido makes me drink too much, but not for long as Guido will be moving back to Germany in July. Sorry for the digression..... A kind Hongakuji Temple administrative attendant explicitly stated that these two ancient tombs were those of Masamune and Sadamune, side by side resting for eternity. Next to these two tomb markers, is a large Yamamura family tomb and nearby are a series of at least ten individual markers for the remains of successive generations of Tsunahiro swordsmiths. As Tom has mentioned the current Yamamura Tsunahiro is the 24th generation successor.....so you see the Soshu school lives on in Kamakura. So friends, the truth hinges on whether the Temple administrator was pulling my leg or not..... Next time I will ask for supporting documentation..... Yours in serious investigative journalism, RRH
  14. Inside these corpulent bodies are slim men of iron struggling to get out.....think metamorphosis!
  15. Amazing.....Guido was paying attention to my long-winded explanations! We had wonderful weather for our little walking tour. It is enjoyable days like today that remind me why I chose to live here.... The euphoria lasted until I got home and opened the Bill for property taxes which comes every three months like clockwork.... Yes, the fifty-four temples and shrines that attract visitors....like Guido.... are all tax exempt! I think I will have to declare myself high priest and Guido as my first disciple....all our religious observances will involve rituals with lager, raw oysters, and possibly bratwurst...to keep Guido’s spiritual motivation high.... and get tax exemption! Stay tuned ....a detailed video production will be out soon with more detail regarding Masamune and Shizu Saburo Kaneuji.....
  16. Hi Peter, I couldn't load up the fourth page at the same time but it seems I can do it here..... Best, Robert Juyo Exhibition 4.pdf
  17. Here is the third page of newly designated Juyo items on display! It seems I can't load up the fourth page... I have maxed out (4.88 MB) Sadly, photographs of the exhibits are not allowed.... Matt will never have the pleasure of seeing his treasured blade in this exhibition! Pandemic fate..... Best, Robert Juyo Exhibition 3.pdf
  18. Here are the first two pages of newly designated Juyo items on display! Enjoy! Robert Juyo Exhibition 2.pdf Juyo Exhibition 1.pdf
  19. Greetings sword friends! Although I realize this announcement may only be a source of frustration due to limited travel opportunities, I still believe it is worth mentioning. Residents of Japan certainly still have an opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Japan Sword Museum. If you have not been to the new facility, it really is spectacular. The lighting on the swords is well-done and the swords come alive... well not exactly dancing but the impact is strong and the features are visible. Of newly designated Juyo on exhibit there are thirty-six blades, eight koshirae, and thirty-seven fittings. Of the seven swords I submitted to the Juyo Shinsa in 2020, belonging to myself and my clients, three received Juyo designation. A few of the swords I sold to clients in the past year also made Juyo this year. One of the swords I handled for restoration was selected for the exhibition (as not all new Juyo blades are put on display). It is a first generation Tamba No Kami Yoshimichi owned by my friend and client, Matt Jarrell. Polished by Mr. Dodo of Hiroshima, it is something to behold. Most of you are aware how difficult it is to get Juyo designation for late Koto, Shinto, and Shin-shinto blades. Congratulations to Mike Yamazaki as two fittings in his name are also included in the exhibition this time. Please see the attachments in the next posting for the translated list of exhibits.....files are too large to attach here. The exhibition runs from February 27th through to April 11th. If you plan on visiting the museum, budget some extra time to explore the beautiful former Yasuda Family garden. The ground floor lounge of the museum building looks out onto the garden and pond. You can sip a tea while looking out over the pond..... It will do wonders to calm your spirit...while you meditate on sharp steel... or shakudo fittings.... 66th Juyo Exhibition.pdf
  20. Hi Bjorn, My main occupatipn is education. I teach at Toyo University in Tokyo. I have been involved in the sword business in Japan since 1986. As I have full-time employment, I usually just engage in sword activities on weekends and holidays including attending the dealer auctions. I have set up a stall at the DTI for twenty-five years but mostly sell to dealers directly. I don't have the time to run a full on-line operation, so I have yet to use an on-line catalog. Usually, I discretely sell to customers with direct correspondence and photos especially for higher end juyo level blades... There is a lot of misinformation about owning swords in Japan... I was once told by the police that as a foreigner I could not own a sword in Japan. When I figured out that was bullshit, I became a dealer just to spite the police.... Best, Robert
  21. Hi Lev I was in Yokosuka yesterday for a Carl Jr. portobello mushroom burger and a strawberry shake. Let me know when you are coming to Kamakura next time. I usually have free time on the weekends. M-F I teach at university (now on-line) .... Best, Robert
  22. Thank you Jean! You are absolutely correct! I have to admit my failure....half-asleep in frog pajamas! Now corrected....thank you for the editing.....I will eat my humble pie! Best, Robert
  23. Hi Piers Yes...at my place in Kamakura....along with about thirty other swords....some suits of armor....kabuto....one hundred tsuba....four matchlock rifles, etc. Come on over ..... for a samurai shopping spree.... Best, Robert
  24. This interesting and highly collectable shin-shinto Osorakuzukuri shaped tantō is signed Hyōshinshi Hideyo Nyūdō氷心子秀世入道 and dated Kaei sannen sangatsu nichi (a day in March of 1851) 嘉永三年三月日. Hideyo is rated Jō-saku and this tanto is accompanied by a NBTHK Hozon paper. Price: Yen 270,000 (including delicensing out of Japan and shipping to EMS destinations; however, payment to be made by wire transfer only ...sorry about that!) Currently EMS shipments are delayed but there is movement of the backlog..... Details Nagasa: 18.6 cm Sori: 0.0 Moto-haba: 24.8 mm Saki-haba: 21.9 mm Moto-kasane: 3.7 mm Saki-kasane: 3.0 mm The hamon is gunome-midare with a tight nioiguchi, the bōshi hakkikake, the jigane looks soft, and the jihada is ko-itame-nagare. On the omote are the hiragana engraved for osoraku おそらく, while the horimono on the ura represent gomabashi. Hyōshinshi Hideyo’s 氷心子秀世 real name was Tamura Kōhei 田村耕平. He was a student and son-in-law of Suishinshi Masahide 水心子正秀. He also studied under Unju Korekazu 雲寿是一. His dated blades are from Tenpō (天保 1830-1844) to Ansei (安政 1854-1860) eras. It is a mystery why he added a small stroke to the first kanji of the Suishinshi (水 → 氷), which reads Hyōshinshi. He also occasionally signed his mei with the additional nyūdō 入道 signifying Buddhist lay priest. His residence was in Edo’s Azabu-Imazato 麻布今里. Robert Hughes (correspond with me at keichodo@yahoo.com) If it sells, a donation to NMB will be made!
  25. It is with great sadness I am posting this notification on the passing of sword polisher Eiichi Yoshikawa on December 25th. He was 67 years old. The wake will begin at 6:00 p.m. on December 30th and the funeral service will be held on December 31st at 11:00 a.m. Yoshikawa Sensei was active in recent years arranging, attending, and judging shinsa overseas which helped bring up sword scholarship worldwide. Sincerely, Robert Hughes
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