Bugyotsuji

Jim, yes, that is what I gathered from the original Japanese version. He leaves open two possibilities. Thanks for the complete translation!

Great to see you again Carlo. I have really missed your friendly and encouraging posts. Sadly my wife does not support my collecting habits, so they have been suppressed, or driven largely underground. Since I retired my meagre Japanese pension does not allow me to splash out, but the elves always find extra cash for me in times of need, especially if it is something quirky.

Ah, Bazza, you beat me to it. Very interesting, both the similarities and the differences! Thank you.

Tsuba shots for Dirk, from the tachi koshirae. Oh, and no I have not tried to clean it! Someone before me must take that credit... 8.2 cm x 7.8 cm, thickness at Mimi around 0.3-0.4

DirkO, yes, I am sure you are right and I misheard him. I will try and get some better shots of the tsuba. Watch this space! 八代 is pronounced Yatsushiro there at Yatsushiro Castle, but Yashiro is how I mistakenly read it when I looked it up to check! (Nuts)

To get back to the topic, my sword teacher has asked for the Hirotsugu Tanto/Wakizashi which started this thread to be part of the display this weekend at our local two-day sword society exhibition. Among the preponderance of Bizen blades there is a little So-shu section of three or four blades. Being a humble sort of chap, moi, I am proud to be asked to contribute. He has also asked me to provide background decoration in the form of Tanegashima-style Matchlocks and related equipment.

Cool. The photos do not quite clarify whether the DVD is in Japanese and English.

My sword teacher looked at the Tsuba yesterday and said "This is a Jingo tsuba, of Yashiro in Higo, probably a later generation." I asked if it would be worth getting the sekigane plates that have fallen out replaced, and he suggested not as it would be a labour of love to get the shapes exactly right.

Jussi's look good. I too look forward to seeing your end result, Ken.

Bruce, start a new thread and post some pictures. Then sit back and see what happens. Like fishing... (PS Give due thanks if you catch a fish!)

I am not saying that it is not, Oliver, but what convinces you that this is old, or even a Maedate? I have seen so many Maedate made more recently by craftsmen, that I am always suspicious first. Assume nothing if you can!

Back to Steve's assertion above, I am coming reluctantly to the conclusion that my previously iron-clad informant may be wrong here. Sadly he is not a person to argue with, so I will keep schtum on this. Despite other assertions on the internet as to the existence of such a tax, the owner of a Juyo Bijutsu sword here has assured me that he is not liable for such a tax. The curator at the Okayama Prefectural Museum seemed unsure but pretty positive that there was no tax-avoidance issue involved in lending a private sword to a museum. So to Steve, and also to those up in the peanut gallery who took my side, I must apologize and eat crow/humble pie. (I tried to translate that expression for my sword teacher in the car yesterday!)

The coverage of this event went out on NHK on Sunday evening but I was too tired to watch it. This evening it will also be aired on RNC, (Nishi Nihon Television?), from around 7:00 pm. Took loads of photos myself, including the generous throwing of the red and white mochi to the crowd at the end, but sadly I could not get any good shots of the polished long blade.

Yup, sadly I have to agree with the above. I have a beautiful wakizashi koshirae covered in the sideways Mitsu Hikiryo Mon on your Do above. "Miura?" Hopefully wagging my tail, I have shown it to several Japanese sword experts but they all seemed to shy away from naming any one family.

They are being given to people who paid a certain amount towards crowd-funding this project. It was 5,000 JPY for an oshigata of the long Kunishige, 10,000 if you wanted your name recorded in the book at Takaoka Jinja, and 20,000 if you wanted the oshigata on a proper background scroll. The Togishi made the decision to leave the hakobore in the greater interest of keeping the original shape of the blade. In the old days such oshigata used to be two sheets stuck together I was told, to get the length but these are one long diaphanous sheet. You can see an example in one of the photos of yesterday, although for some reason the one they hung up at the shrine does not bear the Mei.

Like a scene from Spirited Away. I can't get it out of my mind.

I know the curator at the Prefectural Museum where the Sanchomo is kept, so I will ask him.

Shishimai

Spent six hours yesterday helping to stamp and roll up 300 oshigata and box them.

Spent the morning at Takaoka Jinja near Mizuta where the two Kunishige katana and one Sukekuni wakizashi have been brought back with fresh polish for blessing and public display before they are sent off to the museum. The ceremony went on and on until the priests were satisfied and my legs were dead. Ended with a Shishi-mai performed with 150-year-old Shishi heads.

A very rich friend who knows the ins and the outs of the system, Guido. Perhaps the best way to solve this might be to call the tax office and ask them directly!

SteveM "There is no annual tax imposed on an asset like this in Japan. There are storage requirements imposed on national treasures, so these storage requirements may be something of a burden. The usual capital gains taxes and inheritance taxes apply if/when ownership of the item is transferred." Just went back to check my sources on this as I do not want to be called out in public! Apparently this sword would be considered liable to Koteishisanzei, 固定資産税 ie property tax, like a house or a Porsche (if it is declared to the tax authorities). The source said that the owner of such a sword would be expected to pay taxes yearly on it to the tune of 数百万円, ie "several tens of thousands of dollars". The way to avoid this is, as was said above, to lend it to a museum. This tax is not because it is Kukuho National Treasure, but because it is a possession of value. On the other hand, a Kokuho is not liable for tax at point of sale. You can only sell one though, if the central government, the prefectural government, the town and the village have all turned you down first. Mrs Oxxxxx offered it repeatedly to Okayama Prefecture, but they turned her down. Now some citizens are complaining that this artefact should never be leaving Okayama as it is a tourist draw and worth much more to the city in the long run. The Prefectural Museum has nothing else of value to show people it is also even being whispered!

You are forgiven, Stephen, for your blasphemy.

Jan, you said you would give it to me! Apparently the yearly taxes on this sword would be crippling, which is why she lent it out to the Prefectural Museum.

Chris, did you look at the photos in both links? If you still want more, then maybe it's time to jump on a plane.