Bugyotsuji

Congratulations on a fiddly job well done, Ron. Many thanks for the update, and for saving and restoring a once-fine example. Now I was discussing your project with a friend on Wednesday and he alleges that an acquaintance of his has one of these guns. Whether it is in working order or not, I do not know. The problem is a very Japanese one in that the guy 'Hideyoshi' left our matchlock group under false pretenses and is now seriously persona non grata. Personally I have no issues with him, and might be able to sneak a visit to his house in exile, but if the rumor/rumours got around I would be tarred with the same brush. I am tempted to risk it, being Gulliver here... but those silken cords...

Many thanks for the pics, Tony. (My PM box is always full) Sorry, I should have said that he was talking only about the characters and had no complaints about the blade itself!

There seem to be at least two types of games, the safer indoors ones and the outside ones at the Edo equivalent of arcade games, the latter with a more 'Western' shape of bow. There was a form of gambling called 揚弓　あげゆみ Ageyumi which was considered morally corrupting by the authorities, and frequently prohibited on public noticeboards during the Edo Period.

Showed this to my respected sword teacher here in Japan and he says the characters are reminiscent of gobbledy-gook characters he has seen inserted by people over on the mainland.

Some shots of my (I wish) Yashiki.

Gilles, Henk-Jan, Ken, thank you. I managed to wipe it gently yesterday without cutting myself too badly. No, I really believe she hasn't seen it. The 'blind eye' could be hard at work, though. Malcolm, yes, the Kanji are 槍印 yarijirushi, in Sasama's dictionary. According to the entry, "In the middle of the tachiuchi of the yari, there is a ring set in the Dogane from which a small flag or other device of choice is tied, to indicate the owner." p.515, my rough translation. Chris, thanks for the pointer to the Ishido School. Just had a quick read-up. Yes, it does seem to fit what I was told. He may well be a disciple of Koretsugu. It could be a little project to submit this for shinsa. PS Putting together a few facts from here and there, if this is the right smith, he was born in 1632 and died at age 69 in 1701, the year that Asano struck at Kira with a naked blade in Edo Castle. Swords by him are recorded in 1675, 1676, 1684 and 1700, according to the Meikan, p.1006

Henk-Jan, where I am now is my Yashiki. (Please do not tempt me!) I'd love one of those overhead (some are upside-down T-shaped) quick-grab yari racks in the genkan, like the ones I have seen in Buke Yashiki. http://ftown.boo.jp/takahashi/map/haiba ... 060584.jpg http://ftown.boo.jp/takahashi/map/haibaratei/naka.htm

Malcolm, the haft is bound in samegawa, yes. (The night sky section with the white stars). As to the Yari-jirushi, it seems that yari carried a small flag or streamer with a Mon or other mark denoting to which which army the foot-soldier belonged. There is often a little eyelet or hook on the haft nearer the sharp end. I have a friend here in Japan who has a collection of yari-jirushi (Yari + Shirushi), but genuine ones are rare and far between and fetch a hefty price for such a little wisp of a thing. That red one you see above was most probably adapted from those red streamers they used to decorate horse armour with. (As in the Stibbert in Firenze.) Yari-jirushi should be the same colour on both sides.

Thanks, Ian, Marius. Been renting this old house for 20 years, and it's not at all bad, but just discovered a much nicer one up the road, about 10 times the size!!! It is like a fort or something out of an old black and white Samurai film, with a fantastic gateway etc., and I fell in love the moment I saw it. The wife would freak out at the amount of work to keep it running, but we (I) can still dream. Will get some shots of it very soon...

Thanks, Brian. Well, I guess I am stuck with it here in Japan. I have long wanted one though, and this one came from an unusual direction in the form of an offer I could not really refuse... My wife hasn't discovered it yet, cleverly blended in with other odd pole arms.

RE: Kabu, turnip, round. (Not Daikon, which are long and fat.) Guido's Zhuge Liang Three Kingdoms theory makes most sense to me after reading all these comments, because of the martial aspect. The Goto theme may also stem from there. There is also the famous traditional children's story of the giant Kabu (turnip) which could not be pulled up, so the whole family and all the animals had to pull together to pop it out. Shades of everyone being part of a team, pulling together? An army marches on its stomach. Japanese troops probably had one pleasure during their day, the meals. During a siege or a battle or a march, the thought of food must have kept them going and a beautifully artistic depiction would surely have been a delight to behold. Kabu is also the sound for another word for head, = Kashira. The Kabu turnip was also used as a Mon.

Oh, and one last shot of exploded Shirasaya and Nakago.

As in the title, this Jumonji yari came my way and I'd like to know a little more about the smith. Enpo (follows Kanbun) Kuroda Han smith? Blade length, 18.6 cm. In polish. One Nakago-ana. The Nakago is badly rusted so there may (or may not) have been more to the Mei once upon a time. (?) The registration paperwork records simply 築州福岡住守次. Shira-saya and long fairly good quality koshirae with this.

Joined the family yesterday. Relatively small 'Ginkgo nut blade', in polish. Papered. Nagasa 9.6 cm Not so many Sukesada spears are said to exist. Dated Kaei 6, ie 1853. (Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Uraga Bay, Edo that year.) Medium length E and fairly conventional black saya. Does anyone have any background information to this smith?

Many thanks, Brian. Good point. Will make a small Sunday project out of this then.

Munetoshi or even Muneyoshi would be possible, yes.

Better late than never, Ron. (It was your e-mail that got me back-tracking this thing down and only just now this evening did I find this gun, so similar to yours that it may well be the same smith! The faint strokes seem to match...) If this name is correct, it may interest you to know that there is a gun recorded by this Kunitomo Tamba Nidai smith with the date 元和五年　Genna (or Genwa) 5.

Ah.... that feels good! :thud:

This kind of pistol is called a Hitori-aki (opening by itself) in that, depression of the trigger automatically opens the pan lid. On horseback you cannot reach out over your right hand to open the lid, so the process is made easier by the concealed spring... Pic borrowed for educational purposes from Sawada Taira's Nihon no Furuju, p.107. Under "Seki Ryu, Yoju". 関流用銃

1 1/2 days left, over 60 bids and still at 33,000 JPY as of... Today I bought two spears, one a little Ginnan-Po signed by Osafune Sukesada in Kaei 6 (1853), a yari by him said to be a rare find, but I know little about this smith and my search only now begins. It does not need registration as it is shorter than the legal limit, but it does have some old NBTHK paperwork certifying it and the signature as genuine. The other is a Jumonji yari, in polish, from around 延法 (1673-80) by Moritsugu of Fukuoka, a smith belonging to the Kuroda Han. This one is registered. Been wanting a Jumonji for many years so I feel very lucky with this one. If anyone has any episodes, interesting information about either smith, please post away!!! Thanks.

Apologies for the ignorance and thread-napping. I withdraw my comments above. It was just a snatch of conversation and I had got the wrong end of the stick. What they were saying was that it was approaching the time that the Shinto smith Kozuke Daijo Sukesada might be among the candidates to be considered for Juyo...

??? Shinto blades, as well as shinshinto, have been awarded Juyo for many years....???? Oops, yes, they must have been discussing Tokubetsu Juyo...?

That is simply beautiful. I love the wording below, "I am starting from a very low price..."

Nothing to do with the price of fish but I heard a breath of a rumour that some early Shinto swordsmith blades may be allowed for consideration in the very near future.

Yes Mark, something like Orderly or Despatch/Dispatch belonging to the Chemicals Team for Ward 2 in the town/city.