saemonjonosuke

Two ways of wearing the Model 1883 naval sword. Both officers were KIA in 1945.

swords in the exhibition Tachi — Property of Captain/Pilot Ōhori Mamoru, forged by Kanenobu (Nōshū-jū). Mounting: shin-guntō Type 98. Katana — Property of Lieutenant General Nakamura Aketō, forged by Shizumasa. Mounting: shin-guntō Type 98 with general’s tassel. Katana — Presumably belonging to Major General Shimura Fumio, Vice Chief of Staff of the 7th Army. Blade: ō-suriage, Aoe school (Nanbokuchō period). Mounting: shin-guntō Type 98 with general’s tassel. Wakizashi — Kyū-guntō Model 1906 (Japanese police), worn by a keibu (police lieutenant). Blade: hira-zukuri, Mino workmanship from the early shintō period (ca. 1615). Wakizashi — Kyū-guntō Model 19. Blade: kotō period (pre-1596). Hiriyō-mon in silver on the tsuka. Katana — Kyū-guntō Model 19. Blade signed Kashū Komatsu jū Kanemaki, dated 1642. Tassel indicates the rank of lieutenant or captain. The tsuka bears a mon of two crossed feathers (Abe family). Equipped with a “surrender tag” inscribed: Saikai-mura; Minami Kōhachirō. Nagamaki-naoshi — Kyū-guntō Model 19. Blade from the late 14th century, forged by a smith of the Sōden-Bizen school. The signature has been lost due to ō-suriage. Katana — Signed Yasutsugu, made with namban-tetsu, inscribed Bushū Edo. Featuring the Aoi-mon of the Tokugawa and the Gosan-kiri-mon on the tsuka. Mounting: cavalry kyū-guntō Model 19 for field-grade officers. Tachi — Yasunori kinsaku (Kenzō Kotani), dated August 1937. Mounting: shin-guntō Model 94 with red-brown tassel for field-grade officers. Tachi — Yasuhiro, dated June 1934. Mounting: shin-guntō Model 94 with red-brown tassel for field-grade officers. Katana — Yamato daijō Fujiwara Masanori (Keichō period, 1596–1615). Mounting: itomaki no tachi with Gosan-kiri-mon. Tantō — Yasumitsu, dated October 1935, with original wooden presentation box. Inscription: “Made by Yasumitsu” and “Received by Nihontō Tanren Kai.” Interior dated April 1936. Tantō — Yasuaki kin saku. Mounting: shirasaya. Tantō — Yasutoku saku, dated March 1936. Mounting: shirasaya. Katana — Yasutoku Kajiyama kin saku, dated 1939. Mounting: shirasaya. Tachi — Yasuhiro Miyaguchi, dated July 1937. Mounting: shirasaya, with sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro. Tachi — Takenori (Kenzō Kotani), signed Geishū-jū Takenori and dated Shōwa 18 (1943). Mounting: shirasaya. Tachi — Yasumitsu (Ikeda), dated September 1937. Mounting: shin-guntō Model 94 with general’s tassel. Mokko-mon on the tsuka. Tachi — Yasuyoshi, dated April 1943. Mounting: shin-guntō Model 94 with red-brown tassel for field-grade officers. Kuruma-mon on the tsuka. Katana — Shin-shintō, mumei, with horimono. Mounting: kai-guntō Type 94. Katana — Mumei. Mounting: kai-guntō Type 94. Feature: Ikeda-mon on the menuki and tsuka. Katana — Ikkanshi Tadatsuna. Mounting: naval Type 1883. Maru ni Jigami-mon on the tsuka.

On the left Nishioeda Yutaka

This temporary exhibition has been assembled from objects in the collection of Museum Bronbeek and loans from three private lenders. I understand that a catalogue will also be published. The permanent exhibition also features two shin-guntō, complete with general’s tassels: Major General Mabuchi Itsuo (katana signed Taira Nagamori) Lieutenant General Nishioeda Yutaka (tachi signed Osafune Jū Morikage saku) (ex coll. Han Bing Siong)

Sneak preview...

On view at Museum Bronbeek from Friday, 17 April 2026: the temporary exhibition on the shin-guntō. The Japanese officer’s sword of the Second World War was both a symbol of centuries-old samurai honor and an instrument of military authority. The exhibition Shin-guntō: Tussen Eer en Terreur (Between Honor and Violence) shows how tradition, ideology, and warfare converged in a single weapon. More than 25 swords are on display, including 10 Yasukuni-tō. https://www.bronbeek.nl/onderwerpen/t/tijdelijke-tentoonstelling

Prince Kan'in Kotohito, Rikugun-gensui (陸軍元帥), with his sword...

find the difference

March 1944, General Tanaka? something? Nice, thanks.

Very nice!

yes, please.

Mainly from auctions in Japan.

From the perspective of someone living in a deep valley, you have a point.