Bugyotsuji Posted October 23, 2019 Report Share Posted October 23, 2019 The entrance to Fukuyama Bijutsukan with Fukuyama Castle behind. Some of the objects clickable here: https://www.walkerplus.com/event/ar0834e361648/ and https://news.kojodan.jp/entry/2019/09/21/101918 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Tomorrow I have been invited back to Fukuyama again, this time to see the Shinichi Minzoku Hakubutsukan, where they have a display of swords, called 'The Nakago speaks'. My friend has six blades among the collection on display. There will also be a lecture on Mizuno Katsushige, his times and how he came to build Fukuyama Castle, and I am guessing that the swords (and their nakago) will all have some connection to those times. 水野勝成 https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/koho-detail02/koho-201909/154208.html 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted November 3, 2019 Report Share Posted November 3, 2019 The museum director came out to greet us and assured us that a brochure will be put out with the collated information. And that was the trouble. This was not an exhibition of beautiful blades, although some of them surely were. It was to teach about what information can be found on the Nakago, and the panel with each piece was long and informative. In Japanese only. No English to be seen anywhere, not even the basic captions. The booklet will not be illustrated. I can read Japanese if I have the time to concentrate, but not as a guest with a group of Japanese flowing swiftly through an exhibit. Knocks one off balance, it does. One Tanto there is one of my favourites, the famous 春光 Harumitsu made for Shimizu Muneharu who committed seppuku in the boat by the flooded Bitchu Takamatsu Castle, with Toyotomi Hideyoshi watching not very patiently on the shore. Jan and I have walked the castle grounds. The Nakago records the fact that Harumitsu made this tanto by special order for Shimizu Muneharu, with the date Tensho 9, 1581, just a year before he disembowelled himself. I have handled this blade at our NBTHK meetings, as it is owned by a relative of Muneharu who is a friend of our teacher. I took a ream of photos to give the general idea of the exhibition, and then went to the lecture in the afternoon. About 60 guests. And there I managed to make a fool of myself, again. Having come to hear a lecture by the venerable Mr Sonoo about Mizuno Katsushige, I was surprised to see that they were talking about someone else, Mizuno Katsunari. Frantically I double checked the lecture title and the web pages, but nothing agreed. The last question to be allowed in the Q&A session was mine. No-one knew who I was. I summoned up the courage to ask politely why everyone local including the speaker refers to him as Katsunari, when most materials in French, German, English and other languages in the west call him Katsushige. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room as he cleared his throat and slowly spoke. "Once, it is true, I heard the old Guji 宮司 at *Kibitsu Jinja say that his name should properly be pronounced Katsushige." he admitted. The silence grew deep. "But it's the same Kanji, and it can be read either way." "Oh, no", I replied, diplomatically. "If the local people refer to him as Katsunari, that is good enough for me." (水野勝成) *Kibitsu Jinja Shrine is the spiritual home for Bitchu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted November 3, 2019 Report Share Posted November 3, 2019 Types of Mei information that you might come across cut into a Nakago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted November 3, 2019 Report Share Posted November 3, 2019 Shimizu Muneharu’s Tanto by Harumitsu. (To avoid censorship by Tokugawa authorities, the castle in the Ukiyo-e below is referred to as 赤松城 Akamatsu Jo, not 高松城 Takamatsu Jo, and Hideyoshi's attacking army is called the Gourd Army.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted November 6, 2019 Report Share Posted November 6, 2019 I have always wondered why the people of Fukuyama say they feel closer to Okayama Prefecture than they do to Hiroshima where they are located geographically. They were for a few brief years a prefecture in their own right, 1871-1876, deriving from Bingo Fukuyama Han. Did they not accept subsequent affiliation with Hiroshima in their hearts? Did they look east towards 'civilization'? I know that Bizen swordsmiths would come and ply their craft there. Perhaps the Bizen, Bitchu, Bingo factor was larger than we give credit for. There is a branch of Kibitsu Jinja there called Bingo Ichinomiya Kibitsu Jinja, meaning that their prayer compass needle also pointed east to the main shrine of Kibitsu Jinja at the foot of the sacred Nakayama mountain, where the famous Kibitsu Hiko is buried. Interestingly there is a little bridge (blink and you missed it) round the foot of the mountain just past Kibitsu Jinja, but just before Kibitsu Hiko Jinja, and the stream underneath is said to be the demarcation line between Bizen and Bitchu. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kibitsu+Shrine/@34.6744982,133.8528006,2462m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xa2d1012e50b4f4!8m2!3d34.6699186!4d133.8507217 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken-Hawaii Posted November 6, 2019 Report Share Posted November 6, 2019 Makes me want some kibi dango, Piers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted November 6, 2019 Report Share Posted November 6, 2019 Ken, Tokumori Jinja in Tsuyama were handing them out the other day and for the first time in my life I thought they were delicious. Are my taste buds evolving, or were these especially good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken-Hawaii Posted November 15, 2019 Report Share Posted November 15, 2019 We've tried making various dango out here, but they never taste the same. The Marukai samples don't taste as good, either, so maybe our taste buds need Japan air, or something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted November 16, 2019 Report Share Posted November 16, 2019 Ōishi Yoshio (Kuranosuke), 1703, 45 yrs old. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austus Posted November 17, 2019 Report Share Posted November 17, 2019 What a fascinating image. I had to look him up (ashamed to say); and now I want to know more. But there are so many things going on here, it will be hard to get explanation locally for those dynamics: why some are purposely not watching, others appear to be bored; and it looks like there's another of the 47 ronin being guarded in the wings. His turn, next? Even if you could read Japanese, you would need a lot of historical knowledge to know who those dignitaries are, and what else is going on socially and politically. So much in just one image! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 Very true, Austus! (I notice that Wiki has a similar but not identical painting to this one.)In the same antiques fair last week at Ako Castle, I found this lacquer dish, and despite the damage could not resist its charms. About the size of my spread hand. Nasu no Yoichi ... (?) on a smiling horse. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted December 25, 2019 Report Share Posted December 25, 2019 Having Christmas 'set' lunch with the other half today, and... can you follow my thoughts?PS The little shellfish in the osumashi soup were Asari. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 25, 2019 Report Share Posted December 25, 2019 Hi Piers, ハッピークリスマス Thank you for your input on both Fora this year passed. There, a post from me without profanity, sarcasm or sly innuendo. Silly Boy, This is my Crimbo gift to you, it is upstanding and Teppo based of course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLCDqi-UbL8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted December 25, 2019 Report Share Posted December 25, 2019 Thank you for the generous prezzie, Malcolm, but you have not answered the question! Pay attention in future! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanB Posted December 25, 2019 Report Share Posted December 25, 2019 Malcolm, The plural of forum is florums as any fool know! Have a great Crimble Buddy. Ian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted December 25, 2019 Report Share Posted December 25, 2019 And.... the answer is that the twin Asari shells with those anchor points suddenly reminded me of Ménuki, and Maé-Kanagu for purses. The concept is often reflected from Nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 25, 2019 Report Share Posted December 25, 2019 And there was me too embarrassed to mention the other name for Asari, as I thought you were being subtley frisky... (Ruditapes philippinarum (syn. Venerupis phlippinarum), or Venus Mussel..... As any Fule Kno... Have a great celebration....I am celebrating an Azuchi Momoyama Heianjo Tsuba, just arrived (24/12/2019... thank you Parcelforce at 15.32Hrs). Ian, you are the Man, and I am humbled to know you......PS lend me a fiver!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted December 26, 2019 Report Share Posted December 26, 2019 Dang, your shyness saved you. You avoided the pitfall trap with sharpened stakes at the bottom. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 Not really old, but refers to those times and what the populace might have found exciting. A little trifles dish found in an antiques fair the other day. Can anyone see what it says? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 阿蘭陀船長崎入津ノ図 Picture of a Dutch ship coming into Nagasaki 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John A Stuart Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 阿蘭陀船長崎入津図 A Dutch ship arriving at Nagasaki, perhaps. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John A Stuart Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 Ah, Beaten to it again, haaaa! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 Oh, that quiz did not last long! Too easy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 Design based on this...? https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1307089/1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 And this too http://www.ikm-art.jp/degitalmuseum/num/001/0011337000.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John A Stuart Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 That must be the flagship, haaaa! John 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 Like to see you Navy guys translate all them flags... LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazeaglory Posted January 18, 2020 Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 Whoa! Reminds me of one of those RV motor homes that retired couples travel the country in and put stickers on the back from all the state's they've visited! Lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted January 18, 2020 Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 In post 655 the description underneath the scene mentions 39 石火矢 (Ishibiya), an old word for 大砲 (Taiho) cannon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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