Akihide Presentation To A Shrine Need Help?

[Tom Darling]

Gentlemen,

 

I owned this Darling a few years pass and was told it was for a Shrine, would appreciate knowing if this was correct? Thank you.

 

 

Tom D.

[Bazza]

I'm also interested in the polisher's signature...

 

BaZZa.

[Shugyosha]

Hi Tom and Bazza,

 

This is by way of an apology to Tom for doubting his intentions on a previous thread. My stab at the translation will normally be corrected by one or more of the better linguists on the forum.

 

I've added in the entry from Markus Sesko's Swordsmiths of Japan as well which explains the signature.

 

AKIHIDE (昭秀), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tōkyō – “Kurihara Akihide kore o kinsaku” (栗原昭秀謹作之), “Shimotsuke no Kuni-jūnin Kurihara Hikosaburō Akihide saku” (下野国住人栗原彦三郎昭秀作), “Tekka Nyūdō Akihide saku” (鉄火入道 昭秀作), “Kun-yontō Akihide saku” (勲四等昭秀作, “Akihide, bearer of the Order of Merit fourth class”), real name Kurihara Hikosaburō (栗原彦三郎), born on the eighth day of the second month Meiji twelve (1879) in Sano (佐野) in Tochigi Prefecture, there he studied under the local smith Inagaki Saijirō Masanori (将応), later he became also an apprentice of Horii Taneaki (堀井胤明), he was a member of the Lower House of Tochigi Prefecture and opened on July 5th 1933 in Tōkyō´s Akasaka-Hikawashita (赤坂氷川下) the famous training site Nihontō Tanren Denshūjo (日本刀鍛錬伝習所) which gave rise to many of the later leading modern smiths, he died on May 5th 1954 at the age of 76, gō Tekka (鉄火)

 

為奉祝皇紀二千六百年靈山神社御遷座祭

Tame Hōshuku Kōki ni sen roppyaku nen Ryōsen Jinja (no) Go Senza sai

 

Senza sai is a ceremony for the movement of a deity to a different site. This took place in the 2600th year of the imperial era in Japan. 

 

栗原 米 司献之

Kurihara beishi mitsugu kore

 

The Kurihara rice (production?) bureau dedicated this.

 

So, if I have read correctly the sword was presented to the Ryōsen shrine by the rice production bureau of Kurihara to commemorate the movement of a deity in the 2600th year of the imperial calendar (1940).

 

A really nice thing to own - can we see some pictures of the blade please Tom?

 

Best,

John

[mywei]

Nice one John. I think 栗原米司 is more likely a name I.e Kurihara Yoneji

[Tom Darling]

Thank you John and Matt. These pic. were taken with CU5 polaroid camera in 1976 one to one I wish I still had this sword.Have the cu5 complete in case.

 

Tom D.