Bugyotsuji

The writing is just to small to read, making it hard to follow up. I had a look around the net, but nothing definitive came up. I tried asking the horse...

That must be it, Eric. So you reckon it's the front part? Well, that's even better as I was afraid I had the rear not-so-clean end. Thanks for that! Fascinating shots. Where did I read that those pack saddles were very unstable affairs and could swivel round and drop off the unwary passenger? It's a pretty thing for decorating the house perhaps, somewhere, but I paid far too much money for it. This morning I saw a very large dipper at an antiques show, probably to water or de-water a horse. It was black and had the two main Kamon of Mohri in gold on it, a flower Mon on the side and the single stroke with three blobs on the bottom of the bucket section. The dealer, who works for the internet seller Daimyo, told me there had been two, but he had sold the better one.

No, it's happened again. Sadly I am still getting logged out here at home (but never for some reason at work). Maybe the software likes firewalls. At least the rest is now all dark grey and charcoal and I have a nice new button selection along the top of the page!

Theory Two. This was a memento to celebrate the 1919 opening of the 華南銀行 Kanan Bank in Taipei, Taiwan, a joint venture between Japan and rich Chinese merchants when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. It served most of Soth-East Asia and was called the Kanan Ginko, (or ”Nangin” for short) and that is why these letters are used NAN銀... http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8F%AF% ... 0%E8%A1%8C

Nihonto theme, he says? ... ... Yah finally got me to abandon the African Queen and switch over! :lol:

Brian, luckily this site logs me out every time. I have just read your reply logged out and lo and behold! there was a completely different FAQ section way up top left of the screen with the missing information large and clear!!! Normally when I am logged in, the FAQ section is top right and completely different, certainly not including that article! Only just by luck discovered this just now... :D (Is this something to do with the colour scheme? I have light blue on white.) PPS Sorry for being a pest.

Ron, you are my guardian angel! (Again) Bet you've never been called an angel before! Many thanks for that. Sept 11, 2008, so how on earth did you find that? Brian had once mentioned an intention of putting it somewhere but it is still where it was I guess.

Looking for the article on how to open/dissassemble a Tanegashima but can't for the life of me find it. Not in Articles, and not in FAQs... what am I doing wrong?

Drago, how large is this piece, and can you post close-ups of the NAN (is it written like that in English capital letters?). Nanking? If it was made from parts by a western silversmith, or if it was broken and fixed at a later date, could the Hono sign possibly have been put back on upside down?　Certainly it would be easier to do the work on your workbench with the Torii gate upside down!

Yes, that is a little optimistic, but perhaps he had some built-in bargaining leeway? :|

Thank you Malcolm. I forgot to mention that the guy who sold me the magic gloop said you should always use a microfibre/fiber cloth with it. His words, but he was not talking about lacquer. I used it all over the house and fell down the stairs after getting some on the soles of my slippers. As to the Fuji San lidded Otoso pourer above, I only wanted the little dish but the dealer said I had to buy the whole box with the kettle included. As a sweetener he threw in a delightful little porcelain ochoko depicting a Koi and Sakura petals. So how much is all of that? I asked, scratching my head in bewilderment. A thousand yen, he replied. (Well, it was New Year.)

Jan, check out the Mo-ri Kamon, ichi (one) stroke on top and three hoshi (stars or dots) underneath. Mohri, Mouri, Mo-ri were based there. 長門 Nagato Mittsuboshi

Now I need to be clear that I am not recommending this in any way, but when I am in Japan I have used this with good results. What is good for an expensive car shine... What will happen ten years down the road I have no idea. I would suggest using it (or something similar) on experimental bits, but I would not use it on my very best pieces. When in the UK I have something similar, but cannot remember the name right now, so I have called it magic gunk. It cleans, fills in tiny scratches in the surface, protects and brings up a wonderful shine. It lists 'resin' in the applicable surfaces. http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%97%E3%83 ... 2_edpp_url

Going back through some old photos. Bought this a while ago and it came with a flat Urushi drinking dish. Gave it a bit of a clean with a dab of magic gunk, the stuff they use for glass, mirrors, car paintwork etc.

Bit of teamwork really feels good! Here is the "2012 Best Scenes" video again, but now with some English subtitles artfully blended in by our splendid cameraman! Enjoy it more!

Thanks Ron, but it's just the one video which contains scenes from 2012, a compilation, set to Bolero. About 15 mins long. The first one that comes up. If you liked that one, then go over to some of the others on the right indeed! :D

A friend's set.

Oops, there's an illustration on p416 in Sasama too.

Jack, there are several pages in Sasama showing some evolution in Abumi, pp 411-422. In another book I found a detailed illustration with the names of the Abumi parts. Do you need the readings in English?

You spotted Wally? :lol: These were taken in the west of Japan, mainly in Tottori, Okayama, Hyogo, Kyoto and Tokushima. The place with the tower is Tanabe Castle in Maizuru, where the Hosokawas were located in Oda Nobunaga/Hideyoshi Muromachi/Momoyama. I bowed to Mrs Hosokawa (wife of the ex-Prime Minister) as she was there to wave the Saihai and shout "Hanate!!!" (In a previous year they asked me to step forward and fire my long gun for the salute as it is a Hosokawa gun from Kumamoto Castle in Kyushu, a later Hosokawa stronghold.) Ball for the 100 Monme hand cannon

Beautifully done. What a work!

This is my rough translation of the titles and subtitles and some of the background calls. The video link is below that. Find somewhere you can turn the volume up loud, or use earphones! 備州岡山城鉄砲隊　Bishu Okayama Jo Teppotai (Okayama Castle Matchlock Troop) Scenes from 2012. 1. 礼射　Reisha (Opening Salute) with single 馬上筒 Bajo-zutsu (cavalry pistol) @1:52 2. 軍用筒　立ち放し一斉　Gunyo-zutsu (Army long guns) Tachi-hanashi Issei (Standing Line broadside/s) 2:39~ 構えてKamaete! (Get ready to fire!) 火蓋斬れ Hibuta Kire! (Open your panlids) 放て　Hanate! (Fire!) 　 3. 膝台放ち　Hizadai Hanatchi (Kneel & fire) 3:30 4. つるべ撃ち Tsurube Uchi ("well-bucket drop" quick succession fire) 4:19 5. 千鳥の構え　Chidori no Kamae (Mixed Kneel & Stand) 順射　Junsha (Fire in regular succession) 5:08 6. 公開演舞　Kokai Enbu (Show & tell the public how to load a matchlock, abridged) "Remove one preload from your Do-ran case, pour powder and ball down muzzle, ram home with ramrod, pour priming powder into pan,... blow and place your matchcords", etc. 7. 馬上筒 Bajo-zutsu (pistols in line, for those that have one) 6:48 8. １０匁士筒　Ju-Monme Shizutsu (10 Monme, 18 mm diameter lead ball, Samurai heavy guns) 7:52 9. ２０匁大筒　Niju-Monme Ozutsu (20 Monme = 22mm Large Guns, or Hand Cannons) 9:08 10. ３０匁大筒　Sanju-Monme Ozutsu 10:47 11. ５０匁大筒 Goju-Monme Ozutsu 12:20 12. 100匁大筒 Hyaku Monme Ozutsu 14:00 (Hand cannon fired by the Taicho) First posted on NNK; I have now slightly improved my own translation. A version with this English translation will be appearing on YouTube soon.

The tag reads 大日本国防婦人会

On top of the rump above the tail... Quite sexy!?!?

Does anyone know what this is? From about 1700, apparently, around about the time of the 赤穂浪士 Ako Roshi incident?