Translation Smith and Date...old age, too many head injuries or early onset..

[J Karner]

Used to rember this off the top of my head, now Im spending hours trying to peice it together, going through what books I have and down the rabbit hole of the internet, never was good with dates.

Of the 5 character mei....I think I have the first two and last two; Hizen......Kunimitsu.  That third character has me stumped.

Date of 7 characters first 4 and 6th, Showa Ju Ku space Ju space.

 

Lenght 65cm

 

I find a showa Kunimitsu ref in Hawley, no matching oshigata in Fuller Swordsmiths of Japan and Slough lists 4 Toko Taikan pg 216 (I dont have Toko Taikan)

 

As a side if anyone has info  regarding this smith, his lineage or general history please feel free to share.

 

Thanks in advance and hope that these rough photos may spark some dialog regarding this swordsmith and the blades members may have by the same.

 

Regards J Karner

[J Karner]

Sorry for the upside down photo...going to try again.

[Ray Singer]

Hizen ju Kunimitsu 

[Ray Singer]

Showa ju kyu nen ju gatsu 

[mecox]

JK, as noted by Ray S, mei is Hizen Ju Kunimitsu and date is Showa ju kyu nen ju gatsu (Showa 19 (1944) October).  Also has star stamp of Rikugun Jumei Tosho. Typical Hizen style cut mei.

Sesko notes:  KUNIMITSU (国光),  Saga – “Hizen-jū Kunimitsu saku” (肥前住国光作), real name Shibata Tsuneo (柴田常雄), born 1895, he studied from 1942 under Kurihara Akihide (栗原昭秀) and worked then as rikugun-jumei-tōshō.   In 1942 ranking of swordsmiths he was Jōko no Jōi (Akihide) 4 out of 7.  In 1941 exhibition he was Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941).

Also in Gendai Toko Meikan 1971.  Also translated name as Shibata Tsuneji.  Born 3 March 1895 (Meiji 28).  Registered as tosho post-war  Showa 29 (1954) January 16.   Showa 13 (1938) went to war zone to make swords (maybe Manchuria?).  Showa 17 (1942)  enrolled in Zama Tanrenjo of Kurihara Hikosaburo (Akihide).  Showa 18 (1943) June became Rikugun Jumei Tosho by Kokura Zoheisho (arsenal).

Note:  The Kokura arsenal was at Kitakyushu, near Fukuoka in N Kyushu and was established there in October 1935, after the original one in Tokyo was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1923.

Note:  In Tokyo Kindai Tosho (Chris Bowen)  Kunimitsu is listed as a student of Akiyoshi (Yoshikane) who was a student of Akihide.  

        

[uwe]

Strange “jū”…

[Bruce Pennington]

Star stamped RJT gendaito.

@vajo

[J Karner]

You gentlemen never cease to impress me.

 

If you think it would be of interest or beneficial I can shoot better photos next week and post here some where (?)for the general membership to evaluate, contribute and learn from.  Ray, thank you, I could do the same for your face book group. 

 

I agree about the Ju character, I still cant see it. I will keep looking.

 

Mecox, thank you.  What clear consise info you provided.  I dont have the books you referenced by Sesko or Chris for that matter, so thank you for that lead as well...though obviously my ability to read Kanji is extremely limited I should have had them.

 

I hope you all have a great weekend.  Regards J Karner

[John C]

On 8/25/2023 at 4:18 PM, mecox said:

Sesko notes:  KUNIMITSU (国光),  Saga – “Hizen-jū Kunimitsu saku” (肥前住国光作), real name Shibata Tsuneo (柴田常雄), born 1895, he studied from 1942 under Kurihara Akihide (栗原昭秀) and worked then as rikugun-jumei-tōshō.   In 1942 ranking of swordsmiths he was Jōko no Jōi (Akihide) 4 out of 7.  In 1941 exhibition he was Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941).

Also in Gendai Toko Meikan 1971.  Also translated name as Shibata Tsuneji. 

Mal:

Firstly, thank you for your hard work and valuable information! Secondly, I have a question about which Kunimitsu is attributed to this sword.

There were no less than 6 Kunimitsu listed in the rankings. There is a Shibata Kunimitsu listed under the Chujo Saku ranking. Is this the one referred to above? 

 

Thank you,

John C.

[John C]

@vajo

Chris:

I am trying to figure out how to determine which RJT smith is being referenced when looking at rankings. For example, the sword above is signed Kunimitsu, however there were 6 ranked smiths named Kunimitsu. What factors or characteristics are used to determine this was signed by Chujo Saku ranked smith Shibata Kunimitsu?

 

Vielen dank,

John C.