SteveM

I'd guess this tsuba belongs to the second "Mitsumasa" on that Wakayama page. The first MItsumasa listed is from Matsuyama in Iyo, so well out of the area of Hishū. The third is a possibility, but considering this Mitsumasa is primarily a 20th century artisan, I think we can probably rule him out, thus I'm guessing its the second guy listed.

流祖第三十三回忌 Thirty-third anniversary (of death). Its an important Buddhist commemorative date in Japan. 主催大和構總本部 Sponsor: Yamato Kōsō Honbu

I'm pretty sure the first one is Takatsugu.

Higo Kanetsugu-made Ichimonji utsushi

That looks like a fantastic sword.

Well, the jury is still out on this because the Ido Yusaku mentioned by Markus uses a different kanji set for "Shigehiro". Ido Yusaku used 重弘 (Shigehiro). So we're still stuck looking for the identity of 茂廣 (Shigehiro).

This particular kanteisho is just telling you who made the sword. It is not a transcription of what is on the sword. What is on the sword is 陸奥大掾三善長道 (Mutsu Daijo Miyoshi Nagamichi), and the kanteisho is telling you it is the 7th generation of Nagamichi. and the rest is a cutting test inscription, but I can't make out the whole thing without pictures of it. Oowakige is the type of cut. I can't get the date, or the tester.

Shigehiro, I think 茂廣 But I can't find any Shigehiro either.

I think the writing is: 賞　本派本願寺武道聯盟第二四演武大会剣道個人優勝 Awarded Individual Kendō Championship, 24th Martial Arts Tournament, Honpa Honganji Martial Arts Association

Yes, I think identical 昭和十九年三月 March, 1944 (Shōwa 19)

Hello - The translation is correct.

Looks more like Hōshu-ju Hide (something) 豊州住秀囗 Date is indeed Oct. 1863 文久三年十月日

Hello Carlos, The smith Yoshichika's name is in the second picture of the first post in that link. The inscription in the link is a longer one than the one on your sword, but the "yoshi" is particularly distinctive, as is the "chika". The full, long signature would be 濃州関住人吉近作 which is the signature on the sword in the link. Yours may have had a similar long signature, but part of it has been lost due to abrasion or something, or, the smith may have just used a shorter signature for a reason that is now lost to us.

Hello, The smith is Yoshichika 吉近. You can find a similar inscription from this smith in the thread here http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/7049-hello-nakago-translation-ww2-blade-help-me-please/ Actually, I think the date is the same as well: 1944, but I'm not entirely sure. A sharper picture of the nakago might help.

I believe it is as follows 源元興於東武芝金杉営精鍛焉 安政五戌午年二月日 Minamoto Motooki oite Tōbu shibakin sugi ei seitan en Ansei go tsuchinoe-uma nen (1858) nigatsu-no-hi 太々土壇場　同年三月十三日於千住 山田吉和門人後藤利影試之 Taitai dotanba dōnen sangatsu jūsannichi oite Senjū Yamada Kichiwa Monjin Gotō Toshikage tamesu kore Made by Minamoto Motooki, in Tōbu (greater Tokyo area) at the forge in Shibakinsugi Ansei 5 (1858) February Tested in the same year, March 13th in Senjū by Yamada Kichiwa Monjin Toshikage Shoulder-to-shoulder cut

The sword looks very nice. No problems with the sword. As for the signature, you have a few generations of Shigetaka to choose from, so it would be good if you could get it in front of someone who has some familiarity with the various idiosyncrasies of the generations. But from what I can see from the very good close-ups, it looks like a nice wakizashi.

The small picture in the first post looks like 犬山焼 秋草 Inuyama-yaki Akikusa (autumn grasses) I can't get the writings on the other items.

I didn't realize 方 could be read as masa, but indeed it can.

Taking a stab at this, but I'm guessing at a few of these つゆおきそふる 神前先生の画 犬山茶盌 昭和二十六年九月二十五日 瑞泉寺に於いて名？？？ 夕暮富士を？？？ Tsuyu oki soeru (sofuru) - I think this is a reference to a line in the Tale of Genji Kouzaki sensei no ga - a drawing by Kouzaki (not much confidence in the reading of the name, but for sure this line tells who drew the the picture on the item, or from which artist it was inspired). Inuyama Chawan Septermber 25th, Showa 26 (1951) Zuisen-ji (a temple located in the city of Inuyama) ... illegible after this Mt. Fuji at twilight...illegible Then on the smaller picture 犬山焼 秋？ Inuyama-yaki Aki? something (note this picture doesn't expand when opened. It remains thumbnail size. If you can repost as a picture it might help)

Looks like 兼方 (Kanekata).

Nyoi = Ruyi in Chinese https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruyi_(scepter) (Note the difference between the metaphysical meaning as opposed to the physical item. No doubt the inscription on your item has the metaphysical meaning. Still looking to see if there is any more significance to this particular usage)

Replicas, model swords, and other non-authentic Japanese swords will not be registered. As above, the registration certificate only implies that the authorities think it is an antique Japanese sword. It is not a certificate or guarantee of authenticity/antiquity. Lately we've seen a couple of instances where the authorities carelessly (presumably) register non-traditionally made WW2 swords. In the past this wouldn't have happened, as WW2 swords were considered to be without artistic merit. I don't know if their standards are changing, or if the current generation of sword-registrars are just not as careful as the previous generation. Could be a bit of both.

No, not junk. Not a museum piece, but still an authentic, traditionally made Japanese sword from the samurai era. This is something, and it is collectible and admirable in its own way. Many people unknowingly buy fake antique swords. Rarely a week goes by without some person, new to the hobby, posting pictures of his/her newly-found sword, asking us for a rough appraisal, and we have to break the bad news that the sword is a worthless fake. Yours looks authentic. I can't say whether the signature is authentic (but it might be...and that is also something). It is a nice piece of history, so treat it well. The koshirae (scabbard, etc.) is also from the 19th century or earlier, and represents a certain level of skill and craftsmanship from the many people required to make all those various bits. So if you were hoping for a Masamune or some other treasure, the news may be disappointing, but the sword is not junk and you can use this as a springboard to learn more about swords.

Hello Klay, Wakizashi (脇指) is any Japanese sword with a blade length between about 30 and 60 centimeters, so your blade at nearly 44.5 cms makes this a wakizashi. The inscription reads 越前国住兼囗 Echizen kuni jū, Kane- (cut off) Echizen-kuni is a province of old Japan. The part after that (Kane-) is the name of the smith, but the second half of the name has been cut off. Swords were often cut or shortened depending upon the needs or the laws of the time, or the whim of the owner. I don't know how many smiths from Echizen province had the name of Kane-something, but there was a smith called Kanenori (兼法) who signed this way, and I would guess that this was the signature that was on your sword before it was shortened. But there are many forgeries in the sword world so there is no guarantee your sword is an authentic Kanenori sword.

Edited my post: the number is 六十九 (69)