Bugyotsuji

If you're interested in Bizen, try and fit in a Sunday at Osafune Sword Museum. They have a courtyard with people working in the forge and in all the little koshirae-related workshops on Sundays, (urushi work, tsuka-maki, horimono, etc.) and there is usually some sort of relatively local-flavour, fairly good quality sword exhibition in the Museum part. There is a shop with knick-knacks, books, etc. If you have extra time, the two top sword shops in Okayama City with decent swords for sale are Ando Bo-eki, and Tamayama Meishi-to. My experience has been solely with Tamayama where you can bargain to some extent, and the son speaks English, but I expect they have similar staff at Ando too. There is another shop/museum out of town with a big website called Touken Sato, but I am not qualified to guarantee the prices and business practices there.

That is a brilliant idea. Many people would like to see something like that, I can imagine!

John, that sentence above that you have toppled to the horizontal seems to have gained several 'mistakes' in the process; this could well explain the inability of your translation software to make sense of it.

Hey, that's MY brain. Where did you find it?

Got a copy of Art of the Samurai 1156-1868 Metropolitan Museum of Art today! Very pleased with this. New Yorkers don't know how lucky they are. They can just wander in and with minimal effort sample the cream of Japanese history.

Good photo that!

Sounds like a keyboard slip? :D

秀 so this is superb work, if not of the highest grade of excellence, according to his grading system? I am starting to see Ran (orchids) in the sukashi.

You are right in that it can be used interchangeably with Karakusa, according to the explanation beside Nobody's Mon link. It does not refer to any particular flower, but is a Kara-type pattern that found its way over from the continent way back in Nara times. The 5 petal version is most popular. (Can I see shades of the Chinese bellflower in some of those Mon?)

I ran a Japanese Google search on it and looked at the common readings and meanings, John. There was so much that it was difficult to reduce to one line!

Karahana seems to be the reading, and refers to certain patterns on materials. Comes in many forms. It is also a Mon. A shot of the Tsuba might clear up what it is referring to.

Reminds me of the man who walked into a pub and asked for a pint of bitter... When you know you are right but the other bloke is not listening, bide your time. It will come...

Tsuguhira?

Now that is too good to be true! :lol:

Just the one pic?

I mean I shot the picture Ian, not the gun!!! :D

More amazing stories from Ian. I love these. Many thanks. Here is something I showed you in the summer, but to put it in perspective I shot it next to a genuine 1580-1600 Japanese matchlock cavalry pistol, signed: Kunitomo-ju Tokusaemon Ju-to.

It looks very good!

Carlo, that lacquer looks new! I have a spear with red lacquer in the Hi, but the lacquer looks quite old. It's a good question to ask locally here and see if anyone has a different take on it. The sun is usually painted red in Japan, so there could be some connection with the spirit of the Emperor. Kou-haku utagassen is the great New Year's singing contest from throughout Japan. Red and white are the colour of elementary school caps, harking back to the flags of Heike (red) and Genji (white). (A bit like the wars of the Roses?) Just had a chat with someone whose opinion I usually value. He suggested that red is Kou-ki na iro, 高貴 being associated in Japan with high rank, and high in value. White urushi never existed way back when, but a creamy colour would sometimes dry to a sort of off-white. Another (Japanese) friend has just suggested that red is one of the few primary colours of urushi that were available at the time. It would also raise the fighting spirit, he offered. Black would look wrong, he said. (On another note, the floor of the surgery in Admiral Nelson's HMS Victory was always painted red, apparently.)

Actually, I think that "bokuto" is a better word to use in most cases. I've found that native speakers use bokuto, and bokken might sound a bit 'foreign'. And bokuto is definitely used by non-martial-arts folks in Japan. If you consider the kanji that are used, bokuto is "wood katana", while bokken is "wood sword (generic)". In the West, for whatever reason, bokken became the common word. Pete Hmmm... There are a lot of these subtle differences, it seems. Someone should write a book about them!

Philip and Pete, many thanks for the detailed answers, and that great link, Pete. Quite an eye-opener, not least because the word seems to be "Bokken" rather than bokuto. Not sure where I picked that up! What a variety in purpose, style and material!

Ah, it sounds as though there are more than I had imagined. Many thanks John. What triggered off the question was a really nice one with a carved and grooved dark wood 'blade' and black lacquer scabbard that came my way recently. Some Dojo owner used to swear by it apparently. I have three completely different Bokuto now...

Every so often someone gives me a Mozoto or a bokuto and I put it on the rack. There seems to be a variety available, but as I do not practice any sword-related martial art I sometimes wonder what the state of the market is? Does each branch of Martial arts hava a different wooden sword thet they alone use? Or are there two or three basic patterns? I have seen bokuto with, and without, a tsuba for example... Has anyone any insight into this area? Thanks

A few mentions in Japanese, but one in English here: http://www.google.com/search?hl=ja&rls= ... =&aq=f&oq=

Guido is correct in the reading. There are records of this mayor on the internet.