Itomagoi

No chance to see the blade, Luis?

Hello Bruno, I am absolutely no an expert. But when I saw your tsuba I immediately thought of Ishiguro school, because I have a tsuba with a similar motif. Mine tsuba is signed with: Ishiguro Masayoshi (石黒政美).

I would like to have it polished at some point, but at the moment I can't.

Hey Trystan, here pic's of Nakago. The Typ98 Koshirae is not a repro. All fittings with the number 29 and Kabutogane has a Sakura Mon. Yes, it is very likely that it is the original Lt. Colonel's koshirae. Ingenious Volker, that is very special! I have been trying to get in contact (email-address) with Fujino Masatsugu Sensei, but no success. -.-

Thank you, Timotheus. I do not know, Bruce. Unfortunately, no one has taken care of the sword, because it is rusty.

Hope I could help.

Source: Modern Japanese Swords and Swordsmiths: From 1868 to the Present by Leo Kapp, Hiroko Kapp, Yoshindo Yoshihara; page 203

Hello, I have this beautiful sword which was made around 1988 by Masatsugu (政丞), real name is Fujino Yoshisaburo (藤野芳三郎). He is one of the fifth students of the famous swordsmiths Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa (酒井一貫斎繁政). It is a "Memorial sword" and has the following Mei (thanks and greetings to SteveM): 知知夫住藤野政丞作 応桜井三郎造之 為旧近衛連隊陸軍中佐 桜井冨治十三回忌供養造之 明治十九年一月二十三日仙台生八十九才武州川越没 The sword is by Fujino Masatsugu from Chichibu city in Saitama Prefecture. It was made at the request of Sakurai Saburō, on the ocassion of the 13th anniversary of the passing of his relative Sakurai Tomiharu, who was at one time a Lieutenant in the Japanese Imperial Army. Tomiharu was born in Sendai city on January 23rd, Meiji 19 (1886), and died at the age of 89 (1975) in Kawagoe city. On the Gunto Kabutogane and Habaki is a Sakura Mon. So this fits great with the Sakurai Family. I see such a sword for the first time. Have any of you ever seen a modern sword put into a Gunto Koshirae as a memorial sword? Thank you for your opinion. Peter

Hi Bruce, I found two Yoshifusa, but found nothing about Yoshiharo. Perhaps do you mean Yoshiharu!? Kanehide (Kanematsu Akira) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Kanetake (Iwata Isao) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Kanetsuna (Ikeda Tsutomu) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Munechika (Sanjo Koyata) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Naotane (Ishihara Kan'ichi) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Suketsugu (Inoue Seiji) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Tadakatsu (Hanabusa Minoru) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Tadayuki (Kawamura Ichizo) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Toshiharu (Yabunaka Toshio) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Yoshifusa (Sugimoto Fusao) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Yoshifusa (Yoshida Sadao) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Yoshiharo -> Yoshiharu? Yoshiharu (Ando Hiroshi) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Yoshimichi (Kojima Yukiyoshi) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Yoshishige (Komiyama Ryozo) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Yoshisada ? Yoshimitsu (Yabushita Fujio) Gifu *Source Markus Sesko Yoshitada ?

Hi George, you're right. I was too quick and didn't think.

Jumyo (Kato) Gifu *Source: Japanese SWORDSMITHS IN GIFU 1937 by Malcolm Cox 2021 Kanekado (Yoshida) Gifu *Source: John Scott Slough Oshigata Book Kanematsu (Niwa) Gifu *Source: Japanese SWORDSMITHS IN GIFU 1937 by Malcolm Cox 2021 Kanemichi (Kojima) Gifu *Source: John Scott Slough Oshigata Book Kanesada (Furukawa) Iwashiro (Fukushima) *Source: John Scott Slough Oshigata Book Kanetada student of (Asano Shinichi Kanezane) Gifu? *Source: Japanese SWORDSMITHS IN GIFU 1937 by Malcolm Cox 2021 Ujifusa (Shinoda) student of Kato Jumyo Gifu? *Source: Japanese SWORDSMITHS IN GIFU 1937 by Malcolm Cox 2021 Ujinaga (Miwa) Seki (Takayama) Source: Japanese NAVAL SWORDS Swordsmiths & Workshops Part 2 by Malcolm Cox 2021 Yasutsuna (Asai) Gifu *Source: John Scott Slough Oshigata Book Yukiharu

Thank you very much, Steve. This is very interesting for me. I see such a sword for the first time. Have any of you ever seen a modern sword in a Gunto Koshirae as a memorial sword?

Could not find a photo of the blacksmith so far. Also nothing to Lieutenant Sakurai Tomiharu or Sakurai Saburō. If someone should find something I would be happy. The Koshirae is in very good condition. Blade is rusty, but not dramatically so. Nagasa: 61.5 cm (Ubuha); Nakago: 16.6 cm (Ubu); Sori: 12.0 mm; Moto-haba: 30.5 mm; Moto-kasane: 7.1 mm

Thank you, Volker. Moriyama Koichi help me to translate a nice Kogatana Mei in a other thread and I would like to thank you all for this and for the translations in the past with a donation to the NMB.

Hello Moriyama san, yes the last kanji is very weak and not well recognizable. Thank you for the translation with kanji. I really appreciate it. Thank you!