Baka Gaijin

Hi Paul It looks like one of the kneejerk Amber Rudd statements re possession of Acid by under 18's and banning blades on local authority property and banning delivery of knives to home addresses, mooted back in April.

Thank you Javier., They also produced one on Yoshindo Yoshihara:

Hi Piers., I didn't know what Bikō meant...... Now I do!! Bikō 備考 Notes Cheers

Hi Alex., There was a manufacturer called Maruhei in Osaka who produced high end miniature Katchu and Sonohoka for the Tango No Sekko. They were based in Osaka, but the factory was destroyed in the late WW2 period. I briefly had an armour and accessories from that maker, early Taisho, and it was superb, just like the real thing. This link may help as a start in the history of such matters: http://www.kyoto-shimazu.com/en/History_of_Yusoku_Gogatsu_Ningyo_Dolls.html Also check out Maruhei Okiheizo IV, who was a genius at facial expressions in Gogatsu Ningyo dolls.

Thank you Bruce., Excellent and good on you for acknowledging sources!! These days too many "Harvest" without acknowledgement. BTW always smile when I see Warrior......or should I say Pac Man Hey Stephen are you a fan, like me, of Treasure of the Sierra Madre?:

Sound thinking on the Tsuka and Gunto Koshirae Kevin. However, please choose your Tsukamaki shi very very carefully, and make doubly sure that they understand that the Tsuka is to be used for training. I would suggest a full Samegawa wrap and that the Itomaki is both paper packed and glued in the traditional manner at each twist. It ain't cheap, but well worth going the extra mile, as I've seen a few near misses and one unpleasant Atari with both Gunto and "Collector Display level wraps" being used for training in the UK. Good luck with the project!! PS the term for a holding blade in wood is Tsunagi

Hi Kevin., "One of the second dans at my dojo has studied Iaido and I would like to use the katana in that setting ,so more valuable to me for this reason than sitting it on a shelf." Just a heads up, it is not a good idea to use an old mounting for any form of training, due to the possible deterioration of the Tsuka. PS the Tsuka was quite a high status job back in the day.

吉源美術刀剣保存協会 Yoshigen bijutsu tōken hozon kyōkai ?

Many of the items in the sale are from the collections of senior (in age group) members of the To-Ken Society of Great Britain. Also just keep clicking on the image in the online catalogue and they get a bit bigger. Alternatively use this portal and keep clicking, gets it way bigger: https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/thomas-del-mar-ltd/catalogue-id-srthomasd10012/lot-50fb0c2d-2f88-4054-8f89-a8f901103e27 PS... Hi Ed, low estimates as a pure marketing ploy? I have never heard of such a thing...................................................

BTW you can visit Hakoyoshi main store at 1-27-12 Higashi Ueno, Taito-ku in Tokyo. They use Sanada Himo for their cords. Here is the Sanada Himo website: http://www.sanadahimo.com/en/

Sorry chaps, sold yesterday afternoon. However, I will keep you both posted by PM when more come to light. Now about that box full of Teppo at the back of the stock room...............

A selection of coins:

I may have some similar items in the stock room, I'll check tmw.

Don't beat yourself up Oyabun, you did Good!!

Spot on Piers!! Puts Odaiba into a whole different perspective. I suspect you may have touched upon something most Bakumatsu Edokko and present day Tokyoites weren't and aren't aware of....

Without letting the feline out of the portmanteau, they came in two sizes and there were 80 parts involved in both cases. You can bank on me to be discrete.

I'd hazard a guess at some form of Kashigata, possibly pharmaceutical. .

The Kamon looks like Maru ni Chigai Take no Ha. There are many variations to this form.

http://www.customs.go.jp/english/summary/import.htm

Would it fall into the general area of Keibō, being a defensive club of sorts?

Good afternoon Cerjak., Try looking up 振袖 Furisode Kimono.

Here are the complete 35 books of 甲陽軍鑑 コウヨウグンカン Kōyō Gunkan detailed with the type of illustration. Scenes of Courtly life CL Battles B Horses H Matchlocks M Genre Scenes G Note that some pages may be a combination of classifications. Book 1 一 No illustrations Book 2 二 Page 7 CL Page 12 B Page 15 G Page 20 CL Page 23 CL Page 28 CL Page 32 CL Book 3 三 Page 7 CL Page 13 CL & M Page 17 CL & B Page 22 B Page 28 CL Page 31 CL Page 38 B Book 4 四 Page 9 CL Page 14 CL Page 20 CL Page 25 CL Page 30 CL Page 34 CL & B Page 37 CL Book 5 五 Page 6 CL Page 12 CL Page 18 CL Page 23 G & CL Page 25 B Book 6 六 Page 7 G Page 10 CL Page 17 CL Page 22 G Page 27 CL Page 31 H Page 35 CL & G Book 7 七 Page 8 B Page 13 CL Page 18 CL Page 25 H & G Page 33 CL Page 43 CL Page 55 B Book 8 八 Page 8 B Page 14 CL Page 23 CL Page 30 B Page 37 CL Page 43 G Book 9 九 Page 6 CL Page 11 B Page 17 B Page 21 G Page 24 CL & G Page 26 CL & G Page 33 CL & G Page 41 CL & G Book 10 十 Page 14 G Page 30 G Page 35 CL Page 41 B Page 48 B Book 11 十一 Page 8 CL Page 13 B Page 19 CL Page 30 B Page 37 CL Page 40 B Page 46 B Page 53 B & M Page 58 CL Book 12 十二 Page 7 B Page 10 CL Page 17 CL Page 21 CL & G Page 26 B Page 30 CL Book 13 十三 Page 8 CL Page 16 B Page 23 CL Page 30 B Page 35 H & G Page 39 CL Page 44 CL Page 48 CL Book 14 十四 Page 6 CL Page 15 B & G Page 19 B Page 24 B Page 29 CL Page 41 B Book 15 十五 Page 9 B Page 14 CL & G Page 20 CL Page 25 CL Page 28 B Page 37 CL Page 47 CL Book 16 十六 Page 10 CL Page 16 CL Page 22 B Page 28 B Page 36 B Page 42 B Page 51 B Book 17 十七 Page 7 B Page 14 H & G Page 22 H & G Page 28 B Page 36 B Page 43 H & G Page 47 CL Book 18 十八 Page 8 CL Page 15 B Page 22 CL Page 29 CL Page 34 CL Page 41 M & B Page 51 CL Book 19 十九 Page 8 G Page 13 B Page 16 B Page 23 H & G Page 27 B Book 20 二十 Page 6 B Page 12 B Page 15 CL Page 23 B Page 29 B Page 35 CL Page 43 B Page 47 H & B Book 21 廿一 Page 9 B & CL Page 14 B Page 23 CL Page 30 B & CL Page 41 M & B Page 46 B Page 49 CL Page 56 CL & G Book 22 廿二 Page 6 CL Page 12 M & B Page 18 B Page 22 CL Page 29 CL Page 40 M & B Page 49 CL Page 53 CL Page 62 M & B Book 23 廿三 Page 8 CL Page 17 CL Page 24 CL Page 31 B Page 41 CL Page 50 CL Page 54 CL Page 59 CL Book 24 廿四 Page 11 CL Page 15 H Page 26 CL Page 33 CL Page 39 CL Page 45 CL Book 25 廿五 Page 6 CL Page 12 CL Page 17 CL Page 23 CL Page 27 CL Page 34 B & G Page 42 CL Book 26 廿六 Page 14 B Page 26 CL Page 32 H Page 34 M & G Page 43 CL Page 50 H & B Book 27 廿七 Obscure line drawings Book 28 廿八 Page 5 CL & B Page 10 B Page 14 CL Page 21 CL Page 24 B Page 30 CL Page 35 G Page 40 CL Page 46 CL Page 52 CL Page 56 CL Page 63 B Page 71 B Book 29 廿九 Page 5 CL Page 10 CL Page 15 CL Page 21 CL Page 27 CL Page 33 CL Page 36 G Page 43 B & G Page 48 CL Book 30 三十 Page 16 CL Page 23 B Page 29 CL Book 31 卅一 Page 7 B Page 11 B & CL Page 20 M & B Page 26 B Page 31 B Page 36 B Book 32 卅二 Page 8 M & B Page 14 G Page 19 B Page 26 CL Book 33 卅三 Page 7 M & B Page 12 H & B Page 19 G Page 24 M & B Page 26 CL Page 31 B Page 37 B Page 43 B Book 34 卅四 Page 8 CL Page 14 CL Page 18 B Page 26 M & B Page 36 G Page 42 B Page 48 B Book 35 卅五 Page 6 B Page 9 B Page 14 H & CL Page 21 M & B Page 26 H & B Page 30 B Page 34 B

Hi Brian., These are his websites with contact details: https://sensedged.weebly.com/ http://www.swordofinfinity.com/ Yasha Yukawa Manao 511-1 Hofu-shi Yamaguchi prefecture Japan +81 (0)80 3946 8371 sensedged@gmail.com https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@34.0897059,131.6057484,3a,75y,84.2h,90.65t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s11dCCFun8CwjZQgj9GjceQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D11dCCFun8CwjZQgj9GjceQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D146.50003%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Hi Steve, Kōyō Gunkan documents the Takeda clan, notably Takeda Shingen 武田 信玄, December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573 and his son Takeda Katsuyori 武田 勝頼, 1546 – 3 April 1582. (Both were Daimyō of the province of Kai 甲斐国 Kai-no-kuni which was a landlocked area, more or less present day Yamanashi Prefecture, which includes Mt Fuji.) It was begun by a vassal of the Takeda, Kōsaku Masanobu (高坂 昌信1527 – June 12, 1578), other authors were involved and it was completed in 1616 by Obata Kagenori (小幡景憲 1572–1663). The version we have here was begun in 1661 and completed in 1681, almost a century after the death of Takeda Katsuyori. After the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, the Takeda clan was effectively destroyed, though some of its vassals made a name for themselves in positions of power during the Tokugawa Bakufu; most however changed their names. Takeda is an extremely popular name in Japan, but most have little or no relationship to the mainline Takeda. The late Stanley Pranin made an in depth study of the Takeda Family in the Aizu area, notably Takeda Sōkaku 武田 惣角, October 10, 1859 – April 25, 1943 and had access to many of their documents. This link might help: https://aikidojournal.com/

Tremendous, thank you for sharing Guido. Here's a film from 2014: http://artofkatana.seesaa.net/article/406774025.html