A Hard One

[Jean]

I was in a meeting this WE and discuss with a friend who told me he had a Masahide katana with a gigantic sayagaki, almost a novel and he did not know what was written, I told him I would post it on the Board to see if some one could translate it and ask him to attach equally a few pictures of the blade as it is always frustrating to have only kanji to translate without seeing the blade.

OK here we go:

[Nobody]

The Sayagaki seems to have been written by 磯部三男吉 (Isobe Miokichi?) in the early spring of 1934.

[Jean]

Thanks a lot Moriyama san, but have you got an idea of what it is about, to be frank, I don't even know where it begins ....

[Gunome]

Hello Jean,

 

a Masahide katana

 

are you sure of the swordsmith ?!

[Jean]

My dear Sebastien,

 

I think that my French is even better than my English, so I can fluently read a French 3 lines e-mail and get correctly the smith name in Romanji :D

[k morita]

Hi,

Great find!!

The writer's name of the sayagaki is described on end of the sayagaki.

His name is Isobe(family name) Miokichi who was The Navy Colonel of IJN in pre WWII period,and one of the authors of "Nihonto-Koza"(Japanese Sword Course) of an old version.

He died in 1963.

 

I most interested in about who was the owner of the Suishinshi Masahide sword.(The owner's name is not described on the sayagaki.)

According to the sayagaki,the owner collected several hundreds swords, a very famous, a big name parson, and he(Isobe) respected him like his father.

The sword length is 2-shaku 3-sun 2-bu, Gunome-midare, ko-nie with ara-nie. This feature matches the pics.

[Jean]

Thanks a lot Morita sama, my friend will be very happy

[SwordGuyJoe]

That thing is BEAUTIFUL!

[Jean]

Two more pictures from my friend.

 

Morita sama: Is it possible to have as you usually do: the column with the kanji and translation?

[Pete Klein]

OMG - BE CAREFUL not to trip over the nie! LOL!

[cabowen]

Interesting to note that this sword was made the year before Masahide published his study on the practical usage of swords called "Token Buyoron" 刀剣武用論.

 

Afterwards, he moved away from this style with gaudy nie and wide hamon and advocated a return to koto methods....

[k morita]

Jean san,

I am going to translate the sayagaki.Please wait several days.

[Bugyotsuji]

Morita San, that sounds like an awful lot of work to ask you to do. :|

[kunitaro]

We should be really appreciate Morita san.

It will be a great study for all of us.

We will be able to catch a glimpse of old sword lover's life.

We will learn how to be a good student of Japanese sword.

Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. Morita sensei.

[Jean]

Morita sama,

 

Thank you very much for this great deed. As said Kunitaro san, it will be very educational for all NMB members and a small page of history. and a great deed...

[ROKUJURO]

Jean,

 

as a consolation for your friend: probably a good polisher could remove these ugly stains in the YAKIBA....

[Jean]

Jean,

 

I agree or he could wash them with a dose of Nie Liquid Remover

[k morita]

Hi, Jean san,

I decoded Sayagaki, and translated it into modern Japanese language, and passed it to Kunitaro-san via PM.

 

Kunitaro-san will translate Sayagaki of modern Japanese language into English, and he will post here later.

 

Attention: Attached PDF file is 1.47MB big size.

Sayagaki PDF.pdf

[Jean]

Thanks a lot, Morita sama, on behalf of my friend :D and of NMB members.

[kunitaro]

Thank you very much Morita sensei

 

Quick translation

 

***＜鞘書き現代文＞***

 

鉱夫達から父親のように慕われ、経営者(鉱主)からは師のように貴方は尊敬されました。

貴方の功績はとても大きく、また、名声は各方面に知られております。

しかし、あなたは病を得て後進のため職を辞し、湘南(神奈川県の湘南)にて療養しながらも、日夜、刀剣を鑑賞し研究しておりました。

家に伝わる刀剣は素晴らしい光を放ち、一日中刀剣を鑑賞していると、気分が爽快になり、病気を忘れる程でした。

 

病気が回復した後、貴方は、長く刀剣界にいる人たちと同ぐらいまで鑑定能力が大いに向上しました。

 

貴方が所蔵している数百振りの名刀の中の、水心子正秀が鍛えた刃長ニ尺三寸二分、互の目乱、荒沸小沸の刃文の刀で

試切りしたところ、巻藁が夢のように切れ、刀は土壇に達した。刃は刃毀れなど何も損傷が無かった。

この試し切の結果を聞き、貴方はニッコリして満足そうでした。そして家に伝わる刀を愛玩しておりました。

 

先祖から立派な行いをしてきた家系は後々良いことが起こるものであり、貴方は資質が聡明で学識もあり、また賢い夫人が

おります。今、貴方は刀剣界の人達の期待を一身に集め、光り輝いております。

 

過日、貴方から試切と鞘書を依頼されたので、私の思う所を記しました。

昭和甲戌早春(昭和九年、1934年)　　剣XXX(雅号か良く見えず)　磯部三男吉　

 

****************************

 

******

 

You were loved like a father by all miners and highly respected like a master from the owner (of coal mine).

Your achievement, your fame were all over.

Unfortunately, you lost your health, you left your job for recuperation.

The time at Shonam (the cost of Kawanaga), you kept studying sword day and night.

The swords of your collection were giving out great brightness, when you were looking at sword, you felt better, almost forgetting illness.

 

After recovering from illness, your "eye" for Kantei was greatly increased to same level as old masters of the sword society.

 

It was honor to receive your order for Tammeshigiri by one of your a few hundreds of sword collection,

The katana 2 sahku 3 sun 2bu, Gunome-midare with Ara-nie, ko-nie, made by Suishinshi Masahide was cut through Makiwara like dream and sticked into Dotan.

The blade had no hakobore, no damage at all.

When I reported you a result of tamshigiri, you gave a big smile, seemed you are satisfied.

You were loving and fond of your sword collection.

 

Your noble ancestor's good karma brought you good luck, very bright and highly educated personality with excellent wise wife.

Now, you are the shining star of the hope for all of sword world.

 

This description by your order of Tamashigiri and Sayagaki.

Showa 9 (1934) Ken(XXX) Isobe Miokichi.

 

*****************************

[Maurice_lmb]

Great job

 

maurice

[kusunokimasahige]

Domo arigato gozarimashita !!!

 

[Jean]

Thanks a lot Kunitaro san

[kunitaro]

Furthermore,

Morita san guess the owner of the sword could be

山田復之助 (Yamada Fukunosuke)

 

who was a scholar of mineralogy worked for

古河鉱業 (Furukawa-kogyo).

Story of "He was loved by all miners(workers) and the owner (of coal mine)

Fukurukawa kogyo was one of the biggest corporation of mine industry in Japan.

 

Yamada Fukunosuke was an elite scholar graduated Tokyo Imperial University.

Later he was teaching at the university and keio-gijuku university.

published many books about coal mine and its business.

His house was Kanagawa.

and he retired/left his job in Showa 6 (1931) is fit with story.

Also his sister was married with 小倉惣右衛門 (Ogura Souemon) who are the owner of famous sword shop "Amiya" published many books.

 

Also, Tsujimoto tadao wrote an article about Yamada Fukuosuke in "Token Jinbutsu-shi" Token-sunju-sha 2012.

 

This Sayagaki is telling one episode/story of a sword collector before ww2.

[Stephen]

[cabowen]

What Stephen said....Very interesting piece of research....Thanks to all...

[k morita]

Thank you Kunitaro san.

 

Mr.Tsujimoto tadao wrote an article about Yamada Fukuosuke in "Token Jinbutsu-shi"(People of the sword world) pub 2012.

This is the book.(attached pic)

[george trotter]

Thank you Morita san and Kunitaro san for your great work.

A very interesting research task.

Regards,

[k morita]

Hi,

Thanks George san.

 

After that,I wanted to read Mr.Isobe Miokichi's written thing and bought an old edition of Nihonto-Koza(Vol#5,pub 1934).

 

And i could get to know his pen-name(gago) which was not able to clearly seen on the Sayagaki.

Mr.Isobe Miokichi's pen-name was "Ushu"(wu-syu/u-shu) ( 雨 舟 ).

[Jean]

Thanks a lot, Morita sama.