Jon Bowhay

Yes, as you now know this is Yoshimitsu of Bizen Province. One thing I may mention to you is that please look at the kanteisho sent to you and compare the signature by looking at the slant of the kanji, whether the chisel was used right to left or left to right on each stroke, how each original stroke begins and ends and how close or seperated the entire character is; and of course the spacing between kanji. This will help you with having some idea about the authenticity of the signature. Of course, a specialist usually in Japan (not all Japanese are specialists simply because they read Japanese) would be necessary to judge it correctly. Still if you look at the points I mentioned it will help you a bit. I hope I have not spoken out of turn. Just an idea on my part. Best regards and good collecting, Jon Bowhay

Dear Andrew, Thank you. I read your email yesterday and enjoyed it very much. Good to see new people interested in the Nihonto. I posted you a message back. Perhaps it got lost in the great cyberspace. You may write me at: I did explain some things and give my viewpoint on your blade. Please have a look at your private mail again. If you cannot access it, by all means write me at my yahoo and I will answer you back. On the other hand I wish to mention that I have polished the blades of many gendaito smiths. About 30 years ago I espcially had alot of work by Yasuoki who lived in Kunitachi and was an original Yasukuni Jinja smith. Of course he has passed away these many years. I recounted this in another area here on our website. Best regards, Jon

Hi Ted, Good to hear from you. At my age I think the culture shock will be ongoing. Never really lived here to any extent. Let's stay in touch. I wish you and your wife the very best. Again soon, Jon

Dear Dan, If you need restoration of your sword/mountings, this is, of course my field. Please ask anyone and they will tell you the qualiity of my work. I now am in the US and working in my Denver studio. I served a ten year apprenticeship, have lived now in Japan for yearly 54 years, and have nearly 30 years as a togishi. I wish you all the best in collecting. I will try to answer any questions you may have. Regards, Jon Bowhay

Dear Stephen, Yes, time does pass doesn't it. Hope you do not leave collecting Japanese swords. It is such an interesting field. Do you still attend the shows from time to time? Best, Jon

Dear Carlos, Your English is fine. I use Japanese, English and Spanish daily; sometimes I do not know what language will come out of my mouth. I was raised in Japanese, educated in English and use Spanish in my home daily. If you have any questions about Japanese swords you can ask me anything and I will try to answer you best I can. Regards, Jon

Dear Guido, My old and dear friend, you most certainly may send these articles to Brian. I hope everyone enjoys them. Yes, it took only a few years for me to join. I am, I suppose...a.. little...conservative in making a decision to do something. You always have alot of good questions that make me think, so I do look forward to spirited discussions about sword restoration and creation/restoration of koshirae. Best to you, Jon

Dear Phil, Alas, I do not. But I will be happy to answer any questions about restoration and soforth that you should have. It may be of use to others as well. It is embarrassing to be so computer-illiterate; though I do use my computer daily and find it absolutely indespensable to daily life and my work. Very best, Jon

Dear Gabriel, Thank you very much. And best to you as well. Jon

Hello Brian and all. Well as some of you may know, I have been restoring Japanese swords for nearly 30 years. My field is the Hoami style of Japanese sword restoration. I was apprenticed for ten years and worked 10 to 14 hours a day during that time. It was a traditional apprenticeship, but as I was raised in Japan and have lived there for a total of about 53 years it was something that, while difficult, was something that I expected and considered a matter of course. Here in the US I have finally managed to be able to provide all the services that one would desire. From habaki, shirasaya, koshirae, lacquer, handle wrapping, and of course my restoration work. All this can be done here in the US and will be done in the quality that I would expect of the artisans whom I have worked with these many years in Japan. My speicalty has always been restoration of old blades. In Japan we do not have gunto as they cannot be registered. Of course some that have been traditionally made can be owned and I have restored some of these. I have, especially during my apprenticeship years ago, polished arami, that is the new blades. I used to do work for Yasuoki, who lived in Kunitachi. He was one of the original Yasukuni smiths. His blades were very hard indeed. Also the form was not so beautifully and completely done so I as a togishi had to do alot of work on them. In addition, many smiths of that era and sometimes today, did not namasu (draw the tempering) on the blades. This was to keep the brightness of the hamon. Unfortunately it caused the blades to be very hard and rather moroi (brittle). My teacher's father told me that he used to draw the temper of the hard blades by running them through bundles of glowing rushes. Also that it was considered a job of the togishi and that the smiths appreciated this. Today, I think that the smiths would...definiately....not appreciate this as it would be considered tampering with his work. But in the old days this was done as a matter of course. Mr. Igarashi also told me that Chiba Hirai the father of Mr. Hoami was a master of namasu. He could judge the heat of the rush bundles just by the colour and as the fire died down would run the blade through the rushes to draw the temper, but would not lessen the brillance of the hamon. Well at any rate I have written too much. At this I will say: Oyasuminasai, Gokigen yoroshyu. Jon

Hello to all. I wish to send my best to all my old friends and to new friends as well. I am Jon Bowhay. I am writing from my studio here in Denver. It is quite a change from Shimoshakuji in Nerima-Ku. The cultural shock is quite something for me here in the US. I suppose at my age one cannot expect to change so very much in a short time. At any rate, again, all my best to everyone and hope to enjoy the conversations concerning the subject dearest to our hearts, the nihonto. I welcome any questions about sword restoration. Jon Bowhay