Akaryu

There is a Inntel Hotel in the centre of Utrecht https://www.inntelhotels.nl/utrechtcentre/. They give a reduction in price when you have a JAF ticket. It is next to the Utrecht Central Station, a 15 minute stroll from the Karel V. Pierre

We stayed in the Karel V hotel at last year's JAF, not cheap but top class, rooms, breakfast & catering all very good and of course very convenient to be on the spot. Pierre

I will be there for the second time and eagerly looking forward to it.

70+ Started in 1985

For what it's worth, there is also written 'Bac Ninh' and 'Langson', both places northeast of Hanoi, Vietnam. A wartime relic from the French?

Thank you very much for sharing this very impressive work!

That is something to consider, btw I am a member of the NBTHK-EB, as well as of the JAS. I'll just have to coax my old diesel to get there. Pierre

Thank you very much for your input, gentlemen. Rest assured Geraint, I ignore none of the comments kindly given here. However, I still wonder about the second kanji on the nakago, for Shinryūshi Harushige is written as 春茂 ? As for presenting the tantō for shinsa, I'll have to wait till next year's Japan Art Fair to see Hataya Daisuke-san, or sooner if an NBTHK meeting takes place in a neighbouring country. With the Belgian laws on sending "blade weapons" by post or courier, that is the only option left. Anyway, if a shinsa takes place and yields some interesting result, I'll share it here. Thanks, Pierre

Thank you Piers, Your observations made me thinking, but I can't find a nanori reading for the non-standard writing of "shige". Other than working my way through more zuikan, it is probably wiser to consider him "meikan more" for the time being. Anyway I am very happy with the tantō, despite the nagging question to know more about the smith. Pierre

Thank you very much for your reactions, Bobby and Kirill. Maybe I'll take the tantō to next year's shinsa at the Japan Art Fair? Pierre

Some months ago I acquired this tantō, niji mei signed Harushige 春重. Markus Sesko mentions one Harushige from Sōshū in the Tenbun era 1532-1555. I don't find further details about this smith, not in the Kotō-shi, nor in the Shintō-shi or in the Tōkō Taikan. Any info would be very welcome. Pierre

Bonjour Eric, Non, un petit Belge, but thank you for the welcome. Pierre

Hello everybody, New to the forum, allow me to introduce myself. Born in 1953, a Year of the Snake, I studied in Japan from 1985 till 1987, while practising kendō. A lifelong interest in Nihonshi and classic Japanese is the result, with a special interest in nihontō and katchū. After retiring from civil service in 2013, time has come to extend my modest collection and knowledge of nihontō. Glad to be here, Pierre

My thoughts on these questions: Luc's talk on the evolution of the kabuto was an excellent concise and reasoned overview in the time allowed. The same goes for Simone's talk on the history of the Gassan school, both excellent and very interesting talks. As for the positioning of the blade, a picture says it all: All in all, a fantastic and very enjoyable happening, with a Tokubetsu Iga no Kami Fujiwara Sadatsugu keeping me company on the way home! Pierre