cabowen

And a crystal ball...

Good to hear you are well Tom! Been a while since we have talked- hopefully we will have a chance at a show sometime soon...

東山住大江美平 Higashiyama ju Yoshihira　perhaps....

Might be Yokoyama school, shinshinto....

Sukemune 祐宗

I have a copy of that photo as well- I always marveled at that large sword he was holding on stage... Fantastic discovery of the speech! I hope you can share it with us.... As always, thank you for your contributions.

You can compare signatures all day long with photos in meikan but It is very difficult to judge the validity of a mei without considerable study, knowledge and experience with the written language if the attempt is in earnest. Most of the experts I know in Japan can usually spot a gimei without consulting a meikan because they have written and read Japanese their whole lives. They know when a signature has hesitancy, lacks fluidity, power, confidence, etc. There is more to it than how the kanji are shaped...I have even been told a signature was gimei once because it was "too perfect"!!!

Date is Manji 3 Nen 8 Gatsu. Lots of what appear to be kitae-ware in this blade which are more consistent with kazu-uchi-mono Sukesada of late Koto than Shinto Sukesada...

I didn't give an opinion Jacques, I just provided a valid example for comparison. There is considerable variation in this smith's signature as your references show but certain points (not related to the signature) for evaluation are fairly consistent and thus there is something to learn from even a single valid example. Here is my opinion: the left vertical stroke of the 井　"i" kanji has a rather uncharacteristic sharp hook to the left at the bottom in addition to being rather broad in total. The 上 (ue) is also a bit clumsy in comparison to the rest of the signature. This gives me pause and thus judged by the signature alone, I couldn't say with confidence that the signature is valid. Comparing the workmanship to what I have seen from Shinkai, the hada appears larger and rougher, the nie, a step or so below in quality. In total, I would lean towards gimei though it isn't the usual obvious fake. With the variability in this smiths work from start to finish, and without having the sword in hand, I would recommend shinsa as well.

Was purchased at the Dai Token Ichi, so may have been on a Japanese dealer's web site???

Kantei-sho is dated September 14 of this year, so yeah, pretty new thing! I have never seen the NTHK-NPO paper a gunto koshirae before....I am a bit surprised myself....I will have to ask them about this my next opportunity....Kantei-sho looks a bit odd to me but maybe they have used a different calligrapher....

Gendai collectors may enjoy seeing this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-GENDAITO-MIYAIRI-AKIHIRA-YUKIHIRA-1943-Japanese-Samurai-Sword-Tsuba-/271674481847?pt=Asian_Antiques&hash=item3f410f9cb7 I have owned 2 and seen perhaps 6 war era Miyairi blades; he didn't make all that many blades during the war because he worked very slowly, being a perfectionist. Hopefully the seller will post pictures of the blade soon.... I am not affiliated with the seller or auction in any way. Just posting this as an FYI......

Some of these appear to be kashira and menuki. Others appear to me to be the decorations found on tobacco pouches.

That is the usual protocol with swords- shita-ji, saya, shiage....

There is actually little to no space for unpapered swords in dealer shops! But I assure you, there is a thriving private market between collectors and collectors and quasi-dealers, as you mention. These days, when older collectors pass on and their collections are sold, many, if not most, end up with a dealer, who will certainly paper those that he can. Just like in the West, there are collectors who buy on name and papers, for full retail. These are the people the dealers cater to by and large. It is hard for dealers to sell swords for big money without papers for several reasons- many collectors have few other options and most, knowing how many fakes there are, need the peace of mind they receive from a papered blade. Keep in mind that the kantei-sho business was created primarily for dealers and they are still the primary user of this service, at least at the NBTHK, from what I have been told. Historically, selling privately was not the traditional way to buy- just about everything in Japan is/was bought from "professionals". It is still like that to a great extent in Japan, though it has changed greatly the last 20 years. With the poor economy and the internet, instead of just throwing away perfectly good used items, they are now sold at recycle shops and on-line though sites like Yahoo auction. The direct contact between parties has always been culturally, difficult, as issues arise. Middlemen have and continue to be another common mechanism for sales.

Lots of changes in the Japanese postal service since it was privatized. I think Brian's suggestion is the only viable solution....Or maybe check another of the private carriers-UPS for example...

When one considers a blade for purchase, one should also consider who is selling it and where- kantei shouldn't stop with the blade, but include all the circumstances of the sale. Who is selling is often as important as what is selling in determining whether or not the item is a "good deal", has "upside" on the papering front, etc. There are several different markets one may patronize when buying swords. Professional dealers are but one. One needs to be informed and keep in mind that most Japanese dealers, those who have been in business for a long while, know their merchandise, the market, and the game extremely well. They do vary a bit though in their business models: some handle only the bigger or biggest names at tony locations with marquee prices. There is a slice of the collector market that likes to buy from the 5th Avenue boutiques...This has long been the model many aspire to...There are those who are more about quantity though and get by with slightly lower quality, lower prices, and volume. Many collectors, especially those buying online, don't care about the Ginza address and the tea service; they like the lower prices. This model has worked well for some. Regardless, it is difficult and rare to somehow "outdeal" an experienced Japanese dealer. With the "lost decade" in Japan and their comatose economy, several Japanese dealers have been consigning quality items with dealers in the US or simply selling to US dealers. While it makes for finding great merchandise, it is tough to find any great "deals" in these situations. When I was in Japan, one of my collector friends was very close with a buddhist priest who was the head of a large temple. Quite frequently, widows would come to him for advice on what to do with swords they inherited. He talked to other priests at other buddhist temples and because of his connection with my collector friend, became the "go to person" when these situations presented themselves. Consequently, my friend became the "executor" charged with selling off these swords. There was an almost continuous stream of them...Knowing of my collecting interests, as well as those of others in our circle of friends, he became our "dealer" of choice. Many of my favorite blades came via this route. Many collectors in Japan have similar situations whereby they acquire swords from other, frequently older, senior collectors, friends, etc. A lot of the really top quality material never sees a display case in Ginza. Speaking as someone who was lucky enough to have had connections with this "ura genkan" and also attended dealer auctions, etc. for many years, I can say that many of the advanced collectors I associated with very rarely, if ever, bought anything retail from a dealer. Many of these swords were juyo or better level. Another common source for swords in Japan was through craftsman. They were almost a clearinghouse of information on swords for sale/wanted by their customers. This is a very popular way to find good swords and good deals in Japan. It is no surprise that many dealers started out as polishers or other sword related craftsman. Not everyone is in the position to buy in this manner, which I understand. However, it does indicate that by cultivating a circle of friends with similar interests, additional avenues can present themselves for buying and selling. If one is looking for "deals" this is often where the best deals are found. I bought from dealers on occasion, sometimes from some of the well known, Ginza names. This was usually when something specific I was looking for turned up and I had little choice. I have found that after knowledge, the greatest asset a collector can have is patience. Too often emotions kick in and we "have" to have something. In almost all cases, another "must have" is down the road, at a better price, in better condition, of better quality, etc. Few swords are above being bettered. Additionally, most of the advanced collectors I know had little interest in whether or not a blade had kantei-sho. Some even went so far as to say that if the blade had been submitted to the NBTHK, they wouldn't even consider buying it! I once, early on, made the mistake of asking a collector, whom I had just met, at a private kantei gathering, if the sword he was showing around was Juyo....By the sharp look at me, the tone of his voice, the acid that dripped out of his mouth, it was clear I had just insulted both him and his sword...While his reaction was extreme, his disdain for those riding the paper carousel was common. On another occasion, I was shown a bundle of swords by a collector who also bought and sold sometimes out of his home. Many local collectors had bought from him at one point over the years...He showed me several very nice swords at very nice prices. I asked if any had kantei-sho and everyone in the room started laughing....He told me to go to Ginza if I need kantei-sho....Paper collectors need not apply...Juyo this, TokuJu that: never heard collectors mention anything about NBTHK kantei-sho in these private get-togethers. Then again, these guys were by and large extremely knowledgeable and didn't feel the need for third party opinions. The lesson I took from these experiences was to learn what a good sword is before shelling out dollars and I would have "deals" a plenty to choose from...If you are rich and money is not an issue, then all one needs to do is head to Ginza or the like and buy whatever you wish. If you aren't in that income bracket, learn all you can, be patient, and deals will find you. When you have learned to differentiate quality, you will have freed yourself from dependency on the opinions of others and will know when you are staring at that gift horse...

The great thing is that these kinds of exhibits take place in numerous places all over the country, quite frequently. It's amazing how many fantastic swords one can see and study in a year by exhibit hopping...Nothing like studying swords in Japan. Thanks for sharing...

Yes, it is very common as most gunto were put together during the war, clearly, and have stayed in that state since. Sure, some have been disassembled and the parts scattered, reassembled, etc., but in the grand scheme, these put togethers are smaller in number and usually easily spotted as they don't fit together in nearly all cases as well as they should.

Ship using Japan Postal Service; select EMS shipping rather than surface. That is how I did it in the past without any problems.

My guess: the top says "yama" 山, on the right, "six"　六, on the left, "inada X"　稲田　？ Almost always, the writing on tsuka, saya, etc., are names and assembly marks/numbers. Nothing of any real importance. Perhaps this is why no one has bothered to reply.

Thank you! I would bet the Miyairi blade was wonderful..

That's what I thought....Thanks for the confirmation...I have been to Miyairi san's home several times...

Can you post a close up of the entire nakago? It does not look like Emura to me, but rather Aki something....

I have seen a few Imaizumi Toshimitsu blades for WWII and they were all excellent. He as a very good smith. Odd how, after being a center of sword production for so long, few top class smiths worked there during the Taisho/early Showa eras.... What other WWII era blades were on display? Thanks for the report...