John C

Correction. I meant 1921 (did the whole 1912 + 10 thing). John C.

Isn't that a 10 (1922)? John C.

One thing I noticed is that, in many of the photos, the chape is resting on the ground. Makes me think if I saw a pristine chape, I would question the originality of the paint. John C.

Not that it means much, however I agree in principle with Calabrese - that if NMB is going to allow sellers to use the site as a business platform, they should be held to a higher standard than Ebay or some dodgy auction house. I've been burned by our "preferred" sellers as well. Before I purchased, I read so many posts about "buy from our sellers" when I, and other folks, had doubts on a purchase. Unfortunately, that trust was misplaced. Lesson learned. I think what gets to people the most is the feeling of betrayal. You expect to be ripped off on Ebay so you are somewhat mentally guarded, however this is different, this is community. Your guard is down when buying from the site. So I can see how tempers could be flared when a sale does not go as both parties felt if should go. Just my two cents on why this is more than just caveat emptor. John C.

Bruce: Is that an anchor stamp? John C.

Helo Zhangshilong: I'm no expert. But since the answers to the questions are both objective and subjective, I'll offer my opinion. What is a true netsuke? Objectively, a netsuke is an ornamental device that attaches to a cord for the purpose of holding another object to an obi or belt. With that definition, it can be literally anything. Subjectively, netsuke represent an art form. And like all art, it's beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I think of netsuke as a collector, I picture an historical object. I also tend to confine my collection to those objects made in Japan, since I collect Japanese items. This isn't to say that those items made elsewhere are not artistic, or not valuable, or not of high quality. I just prefer to collect those made in Japan and are at least 100 years old (how we define an antique). I think the reason for my collecting preferences are because of established provenance. Modern art, in any form, doesn't usually carry the value or prestige of older art because the artists are not yet established as "masters" of their craft. Some probaby are - and will be designated as such in the future. But for me, modern pieces do not have the same attraction as those that are antiques. I'm sure others will disagree, however I wanted to give just one collector's perspective. John C. 约翰 C.

Nice one, Sam. First recorded number with that particular stamp. Half way through the production run so 1895 perhaps. John C.

Not sure. The angle looks a little too much but hard to tell. Scabbard seems correct. As he is an MP I was thinking could be a Patrolman style 4, however the length is off. But could be. John C.

I have to agree with the above assessments on the tag. My initial thoughts were that it looks too new. The ink looks like it was from a Sharpie rather than brushed. Can you tell up close? I guess it could be original IF it is brushed/ink pen AND were kept in a sealed box for the last 80 years. Not even a speck of dust on the cloth. But I would question it. John C.

Yes. I looked at the top of Ray's flash cards and not the bottom section. John C.

I wouldn't be too surprised if the Sgt Major were gifted the sword. In the US at least, it takes a lot of time and knowledge to get to Sgt Major and even new LT's listen to them - particularly in combat. They are usually very respected. Just my two cents John C.

Bruce: What were the differences again between the small and large anchors? John C.

Looks odd to me too. Kanemichi written on the blade? John C.

This info is from AI, however I was unaware of the second reason (#3) for a bill. Could be a cause of some of it. John C.

Possibly, yes. As a woodworker it would be my first thought. But the wood is very thin on those so maybe not enough "fleisch". We'll never know I guess. John C.

It seems the mune-machi (and ha-machi for that matter) is deeply cut. I wonder if the blade were a little too wide and it was done to fit a scabbard? Otherwise, I would think iori-mune would be standard. John C.

Luke: I agree with Conway that the tanto has likely been mistreated rather than combat damaged. On the issue of historical weight of WW2 objects, some real heartbreaking stories can be read through the Oban Society. This group repatriates yosegaki hinomaru ("writing flags"), which every Japanese soldier carried and were a prized souvenir by allied forces. John C.

That's because we have our own issues: There is a "wa" sound at the beginning of the word "one" but no "W". Where did it go? in the word "two", of course, where it isn't voiced! Silent E's, silent P's, Ph's pronounced like F's, and vowels that change sound for no apparent reason (re: the "O" sound in Bomb, Comb, or Tomb). John C.

I wonder if a human at Ebay would have a different response. The term we use in the US is "false or deceptive advertising", which I would hope is a violation Ebay's policies since it's illegal according to state and federal laws. John C.

"So" 231. @Bruce Pennington Do you have this one? John C.

Yoshiharu or Yoshimichi perhaps? John C.

The yosegaki hinomaru that wasn’t… sorry for putting this here. Seemed the most logical of the forums. This short monograph is about a flag I bought, or more appropriately the box it came in. I’m sharing this as a small example of rudimentary translation, historical research, and how the potential story can mean more than the item itself. So if interested, get your favorite beverage, sit back and relax, and read on… While perusing an online auction site, I came across this seemingly uninteresting Japanese flag (hinomaru 日の丸) in a box. What intrigued me was the number and variety of labels on the box. I assumed the flag was a modern one. But intrigued none-the-less. Fast forward two weeks and the box arrived. The first thing I noticed was that the flag seemed original – possibly silk or Rayon, silk himo cords on the corners with leather corner stiffeners. A quick measurement confirmed this suspicion with a Silver Ratio of 7:10 Y to X ratio and the center “sun” being 3/5Y (see Nick Komiya’s articles about yosegaki flags on Warrelics.com for an explanation on what this means). So the flag was from the time period; a pleasant surprise. Next, was to tackle the various labels. A dream for practicing a bit of translating and research; though a bit frustrating as it turned out. I do not speak, read, or write Japanese. So I use a technique that I suppose many use, however I wanted to talk a little about it for those who struggle as I do and need a method. As shown in the pictures, there were 4 labels, writing, and a stamp all over the thing. To affect the translation, I started with pictures of the individual labels. I then take screen shots of the labels and, in some cases, part of the labels or individual characters. I drop those pictures into the Google search bar and hit the translate button. Here’s the tricky bit – you can’t trust the translation. It’s always something weird. But it can point you in a direction. So the next step is to reverse the process. I ask google “XXXX (whatever the words were) in Japanese kanji.” I then match the results to the kanji on the label. If it matches, great. If not, then I start putting in the individual characters and repeat the process. Sometimes I use the drawing app to draw the kanji and get an individual word. Eventually, I get to what I believe to be the closest meaning to what is written on the label. I know, it would probably be faster to just learn Japanese. But teaching an old dog new tricks and all that… So get to the results, you ask. Okay, here it is. The first question is whether or not the box is as old as the flag. And I think it is. The writing on the front says “National Flag” and the stamp says “Great Japan National Flag Association.” (大日本國旗協會). The long vertical label in the center translates to Chief Priest of Meiji Jinju Admiral Arima Ryokitsu.” That’s interesting. Why is that there? More on that later, however he lived from 1861 to 1944 so if the label is period, that’s good. The round label translates to roughly “Humbly made by the Japan National Flag Company, Ltd. (日本国旗株式会社)” and their address of Tokyo City, Kyobashi-ku district, Kobikicho (a neighborhood). The important part of knowing that is because the Kyobashi district was merged into another district in 1947. More evidence the label is period. The horizontal label, says “Great Japan National Flag Association.” This was a nationalistic group that promoted the military, nationalism, and the use of the hinomaru flag. If you look at the two sets of kanji marked by arrows, you’ll notice on both labels that those characters are the old style characters used prior to the 1946 revision. This further points to the labels being period. Now to the small label on the back. The kanji means “stop”, however when combined with the .25 yen it most probably means “discontinued” or what we might say in the States “clearance.” The whole package paints an interesting potential picture. An unmarked period flag in a period box labeled with the Greater Japan National Flag Association and the Japan National Flag Company with the label from Chief Priest of Meiji shrine Admiral Arima Ryokitsu. How does it all fit together? Well, Admiral Ryokitsu was the Chief Priest of Meiji Shrine from 1931 to 1943, which matches the period for the box, labels, and the flag. Additionally, flags were sold, and sometimes blessed as an amulet, by various shrines to citizens to be used as yosegaki (寄せ書き) flags. But this flag has no writing and it has a clearance tag. So here’s my theory: the flag was made by the Japan National Flag Company Ltd. for the Greater Japan National Flag Association who donated the flag to the Meiji Shrine sometime before 1943. As it’s chief priest, Admiral Ryokitsu’s label was attached. But the flag never sold. So when Admiral Fujita took over as chief priest in 1944, the flag went on clearance. It must have sold at that time because US fire-bombing destroyed the temple in Feb 1945. And for whatever reason, the flag was never used. Disclaimer: The translations, and therefore the theory, may be completely incorrect. And of course, the true story of the flag/box may never be known. John C.

The label under that one might be interesting as well. John C.

I think I have those in my backyard. Horsetail grass? Not sure what I would use them for. I treat them like weeds, though they are too hardy to get rid of. I guess you could use them as straws? John C.

@Bruce Pennington FYI John C.