Taiken 帯剣

[Kiipu]

How would one render this into English?  Is this literally belt knife/belt sword or is the meaning more akin to armed/wearing a sword?  The longer phrase is 巡査帯剣.

[Bugyotsuji]

The phrase is still a little short, lacking larger context, but it goes back to when Tachi (even Ken) were ‘hung’ from the left.

I think your phrase ‘wearing a sword’ is good. ‘Girding’ is possible but a little older.

[Kiipu]

Thanks Piers, the phrase is coming from the title of a book.

 

Mori Yoshio 森･良雄. Junsa taiken no rekishi 巡査帯剣の歴史 [The History of Police Wearing a Sword]. 2003. A 72-page monograph with drawings.

[Bugyotsuji]

Ah, that's great, Thomas. You can really play around with that! Is it limited to Japanese police? For an international audience you might have to insert that.

 

The Tradition of Sword-wearing among the (Japanese) Police. The History of Wearing Swords in the (Japanese) Police Forces.......... etc. 

[Kiipu]

The monograph covers the Japanese police from 1868 to 1952. Besides swords, it also discusses keibō 警棒, what we call a baton or nightstick here in the States.  The monograph is almost entirely text.

 

As an aside, you may find this of interest in regards to police swordsmanship.

警視流

 

Thanks for the valued input.

[Bugyotsuji]

Interesting, thanks.

 

As a longer aside, a colleague of mine, a former Judo champion, taught the local police and prison officers from this area in the local dojo for many years. Must have retired by now!