Bugyotsuji

Which character for -moto, Ben? (There were about six different characters for' moto' used by 兼 smiths.)

Yes, Ben, that helps narrow it down but it hardly advances the game as some crucial characters are missing. Still, I am willing to stick my neck out in a sacrifice for the greater good. Hand me another beer. The top right smith name (?) two ink characters are on the other side of the tang? The long name: 鈴木Suzuki 源左衛門Gen(za or u?)emon 尉Jo (Saku?) Kore, or are the last two Kanji a name, eg (Something) -yuki? Or do you think he owned/carried the blade? 携or帯?

Those are much better, Ben. Thanks!

And to do it with just that one photo? That is a bit of a harsh request!!!

Bill, are you out there?

Hello, after some magnification I was just able to see 血気の勇を戒めむ　which roughly means "Charge like a wild boar!" (Real or fake what? It is a famous expression, or part of...)

And the name looks like 竹中重三 Takenaka Juzo (sometimes read as Shigezo?)

No worries, Chris. Just curious. Mr Tsuruta seems to be trying to be as honest as possible in his descriptions.

Tom, this is a scary one, but have you considered 刎 -fun/-nakare? http://jigen.net/kanji/21247

Chris, do you have the link to the original Japanese listing at Aoi Art. The write-up looks good in English. I wonder if there are any hints in the original?

NOBODY Sama, great to have you back!!! Many thanks. (Have you been away?)

Haha, well, in the absence of anything else, and breaking all of Mr Morita's rules, let's stick our neck out in order to collect ideas! "Passed down in the Yagami/Yakami family, death, treasure blade, Mt Koya priest, Masazumi Zen sect? attests to this"(?)

Dang, John, you beat me to it. Just found Ken, variant!!! So, updated: 矢上家先祖傳来亡寶剣也高野山僧正住禅證之 Yagami Ke senzo denrai bo/nakunari Hoken nari KoyaSan So Masazumi? Zen akasu kore

Not sure whether to believe my eyes but this seems to be describing the sword's provenance. Since 40+ members have looked but no-one has yet commented, let's get the ball rolling a little. No books, hands free!!! 矢上家先祖傳来亡寶口也高野山僧正住禅證之 where 口 = I can't read this one yet. Yagami Ke senzo denrai bo/nakunari Ho X nari KoyaSan So Masazumi? Zen akasu kore.....................? PS Half-way through I had to reach for the books!

Bazza, yes, there look to have been a series of characters there.

In the Nihonto Meikan, 国住 is read as Kunizumi. Four smiths are given, but only one seems related to 武蔵 Musashi. *However, the Nidai Kunizumi mentioned by Patrick above is listed as making yari, living in Edo at one time, Kuniyoshi Mon, and working around Ansei.

What do you mean by exist?

Chris, good luck with the gold finds. In the meantime enjoy your blades for study puposes. If gimei, it is likely that the person who cut the signature reckoned the blade was close enough to the work of a certain smith, ie that it had enough goodness in it even without a signature. This is probably what you are seeing. With a limited budget and a cool head I think you are doing the right thing, but everyone will step in and have something to say. You are doing a good job of holding your line and maintaining objectivity, IMHO. Gambare!

Our swords are up to 1,000 years old... hehehe

Brian, do you prefer it to traditional clove oil? I have a bottle of camellia oil but not used it on blades.

Japan Today, but the link is broken on my PC, so apologies and here goes: Ninja's textbooks, pledges passed down at descendant's home Today 06:10 am JST OTSU Textbooks detailing covert techniques used by ninja -- Japan's feudal mercenaries-- and written pledges on their secret missions were passed down for generations at the home of a ninja descendant in western Japan, according to analysis of ancient documents found there. Experts in Japanese history say the documents discovered in 2000 in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, are valuable because they prove ninjutsu techniques employed by ninja involved in such missions as espionage, sabotage and assassination were handed down to the next generations in the western Japan city. Koka and Iga in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, are widely known as the home of the two most famous ninja clans. Ninja gradually diminished in Japan's Edo period (1603-1868). Among around 150 items found in the house of 79-year-old Toshinobu Watanabe, 17 were textbooks on such subjects as how to make poison or conduct night attacks. Of the 17, four were written in the 1670s and 1680s, according to research by the Koka city government since last year. For example, one of the textbooks on poison instructed ninja to put into wells powder made by burning lizards or tiger beetles that were believed to be poisonous. Another one on sleeping medicines said enemies would fall asleep when smoke is emitted by burning powder made from insect shells or tobacco. As for ambushes at night time, ninja were recommended not to approach enemies immediately after attacking them with weapons involving fire since they might become engulfed by the smoke. The documents kept at the home of the Watanabes also showed ninja acquired various other skills such as gunnery, horse riding and magic. The 150 sets of documents also included copies of 10 pledges written between 1700 and 1829 and submitted to a local feudal domain. The papers showed the Koka ninja vowed to join the fighting in the event of an emergency in the domain and not to reveal their status as ninja even to their family members and friends as their contracts were classified. Ancestors of the Watanabes were farmers and they worked on a part-time basis as ninja under cover. Masayuki Ito, a researcher at the Koka city education board, said a person hailing from Koka managed five ninja families, including the Watanabes, and secretly concluded contracts with the domain. In peacetime, those "nonregular" ninja paid an annual visit to the Owari Domain in what is now Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, ostensibly for the purpose of gunnery instruction, he said. Yuji Yamada, a Japanese history professor at Mie University, said the documents found at Watanabe's home are "authentic historical materials" as many of them have been accurately dated and passed down in the family of ninja descendants. © KYODO

Does it smell right? Nicely presented! Well found.

Was your ancestor a mighty warlike warrior, sword in hand and ready to fight for the peace of his valley, or a huggy fluffy lover of peace at all costs? Was he willing, with no question of duty, or was he ready to serve, to do his duty completely willingly? Does willing mean he was not unwilling, ie not grudging about it? (Question of image.) It is possible to express it in Japanese but hard to keep it really short and succinct. If you are a public servant or a leader, the peace of the land might even be Wahei 和平. The willingness of the keeper of said peace can surely be implied in a number of ways within the phrase. Willingly taking up your sword to fight for peace is understandable. 自ら和平を守る "Mizukara Wahei wo Mamoru" (Putting myself forward to protect/keep the peace = I will protect the peace! = Guarding the peace whatever happens!) has a good ring to it, and sounds like a pretty cool motto IMHO.

Surely the reason that Koi swim up waterfalls is to become a dragon, ergo the voids are/were carp before topping the rim of the waterfall... (?)

Very nice. You must be super proud.