Help learning about this sword; plus quest to return it to the owner's family

buishi · October 20, 2025

The sword was presented to my great grandfather during World War II. The story as I know it, is that he received it from an officer of a warship for giving him life-saving surgery. In addition to the sword, you can also see bits of molten aluminum, those were shrapnel removed during the surgery. There's a small note on a piece of masking tape on the sword, which I believe reads "Gen. Okamura of Japanese army. Sword of surrender".

So my question is, what can I learn from this sword? Is it a general's sword? Any ideas on how I can find this Okamura? A cursory search turned up three General Okamura's, none of which would have been positioned in the pacific, nor who had injuries that could relate to the story.

I'm traveling to Japan in a few weeks, and I'd love to be able to return the sword to the family of its owner.

BTW this is my first post here and the beginning of my search, please forgive me if I've overlooked obvious resources, I don't know what I don't know

Karu · October 20, 2025

Hello Julian,

This looks like a nice tachi koshirae

Maybe you can show us more ?

John C · October 20, 2025

1 hour ago, buishi said:

I'd love to be able to return the sword to the family of its owner.

Julian:

Firstly, nice sword. As far as it belonging to a general, it's hard to say. The tassel that is on the sword, if original, is not the type that would be on a general's sword. Secondly, and more importantly, as to returning the sword to the family: this would be problematic for several reasons. As a military sword (assuming the blade was made during the Showa era), you most likely would not be allowed to bring the sword into the country. There are some extremely strict rules regarding swords and registration in Japan. Additionally, many Japanese families would rather not have a "war" reminder of their relatives. This is of course a generalization, however it is often true.

My suggestion would be to continue having fun doing the research and the discovery but not worry about returning it.

Regards,

John C.

buishi · October 20, 2025

Thanks so much for your replies and advice! Those are very good points to consider. I suppose my first step is finding the family and reaching out to them. I'm not tied to the idea of returning the sword, especially if it were unwanted (or perhaps even rude to return such a gift), the shrapnel may be a more significant item to bring in that regard anyway. On this forum I came across a very similar story to mine that was made into a documentary (A Doctor's Sword, https://tubitv.com/movies/596823/a-doctor-s-sword).

Here are some more pictures, let me know if you notice anything, and if you'd like to see anything in particular.

Is it possible to know the rank from the tassels?

Karu · October 20, 2025

Signed Suishinshi Masatsugu, can you show full nakago (tang) shape ?

ROKUJURO · October 20, 2025

...images without TSUBA, SEPPA, and HABAKI, please? On a dark background?

lonely panet · October 20, 2025

Let me just say afew words with out derailing your wishes.

Its not a Gen grade shingunto, its a showa period ceremonial tachi mounts of lowish quality.

The hole silly idea of returning swords to Japan is in 99% of all cases/stories is a fantasy.

Most people in Japan have very little interest in nihonto or having there history reopened.

If it was me just keep it, its worth more to your family, then the others, if if if you ever find them. Because there are literally 10 million stories of general swords.

buishi · October 20, 2025

Looks like there was one more character there under the seppa

Karu · October 20, 2025

水心子正次 + KAO stamp : suishinshi masatsugu

Edited October 20, 2025 by Karu

buishi · October 20, 2025

Fascinating! Wasn't Suishinshi Masatsugo making Katana in the edo period, up to 1860? Did they repurpose edo blades for world war 2, or would it be fake, or an "homage", or did the maker title become a workshop title? It does seem like a nice blade (to my untrained eye).

Edited October 20, 2025 by buishi

Karu · October 20, 2025

Yes but might be gimei (fake/copied signature)

During World War II, many soldiers used their "family blade" (older than WWII blade) to go to war with gunto mounts or civilian mounts. But the tachi koshirae of you is not a none of any gunto mount.

So it just might be a blade that was preserved with a meiji tachi koshirae

PNSSHOGUN · October 20, 2025

For any real insight to the Japanese officer you will need to further research your grandfathers service history.

Bruce Pennington · October 21, 2025

Hi Julian!

You have quite an interesting sword, there. The all-brown tassel was used by the civilian branch of the military called Gunzuko. You can google that and learn about them, but they did support functions like maintenance, admin., officer training, and many more functions. See Nick Komiya's discussion on the brown tassel here: The All Brown Tassel. But the sword fittings are not war fittings, but for a presentation sword. The style is called "tachi" and was seen during WWII as presentations in various context. My final point is that the signature, or "mei" as it is called, includes a kakihan, or kao, at the end that I have not seen before. There are 6 WWII smiths listed in Sesko's book with the Masatsugu name, but not with this mei. But that is not unusual as Sesko's book does not show 100% of the swordsmiths working during the war.

It is possible your sword was the Suishinshi Masatsugu of the 1800's but that would require evaluation of the Nihonto experts. Here is the bio on him:

"MASATSUGU (正次), Tenpō (天保, 1830-1844), Musashi – “Kawabe Hokushi Suishinshi Fujiwara Masatsugu” (河部北司水心子藤原正次), “Ushū Yamagata-sh Masatsugu” (羽州山形士正次), “Suishinshi Masatsugu” (水心子正次), “Tatebayashi-shin Kawabe Suishinshi Fujiwara Masatsugu” (館林臣河部水心子藤原正次), “Masatsugu” (正次), “Masatsugu saku” (正次作), real name Kawabe Hokushi (河部北司), gō Suishinshi (水心子), he was the son of the 2nd gen. Suishinshi Masahide and succeeded as 3rd gen. of this lineage but without using the name Masahide, his father died early so he had to finish his apprenticeship under Taikei Naotane (大慶直胤), he also married Naotanes daughter and worked for the Akimoto family (秋元), the daimyō of the Tatebayashi fief (館林藩), but from Edo´s Shitaya-Kachimachi (下谷徒町), he died on the eleventh day of the third month Man´en one (万延, 1860), he was well versed in all traditions and hardened for example a narrow kō-chōji-midare in the Bizen tradition or a chū-suguha-
– 573 –
hotsure in the Yamashiro tradition, sometimes Honjō Yoshitane (義胤) carved horimono onto his blades, we find also works with a kijimomo-gata nakago, the yasurime are kiri and he mostly signed with a kaō, jō-saku"

Grey Doffin · October 21, 2025

Hi Julien,

Here you will find a Care and Cleaning lesson. https://nbthk-ab2.org/sword-characteristics/ Unless you know all this already you should read it. I'm nearby in Duluth; if I can help let me know. I'm no authority but I have been studying for 40 years.

Grey

Brian · October 21, 2025

I would take Grey up on his offer. He's too modest. He knows more than most of us here, and will be able to guide you properly.
I agree with the statements above about returning swords. The successful ones are by far in the minority, and most modern Japanese do not want reminders of this past, and regard these as weapons. Plus the logistics are considerable. Preserving and researching it would be a fitting tribute.
Nice sword that does deserve some research, and appears in decent condition.

October 21, 2025

Hello Julian,

A wonderful legacy from your great grandfather!

Below are side by side photos of your sword's signature (on the right) against a papered (authenticated) blade by the smith in question, Suishinshi Masatsugu.

Unfortunately, it appears yours may be gimei (false signature) which is not at all surprising given the fame of Masatsugu.

Dee

Lareon · October 21, 2025

Julian,

to myself the sword is part of your family history now and you are the owner of it, this is a fascinating part of your grandfathers past and I would suggest not returning it to Japan, I have heard many times the Japanese do not wish to have the swords back and there is usually an exodus of swords from Japan rather than into it.
the sword may not have been unwanted, but after the war, swords were taken from Japan, especially to the USA en masse.

keep it as a legacy, learn more about it and your grandfathers service history. I think for many of us, things like this are what started our hobby in collecting and preserving these swords.

Bruce Pennington · October 21, 2025

1 hour ago, When Necessary said:

a papered (authenticated) blade by the smith in question

Dee,

Would it be possible to get a full-length photo of that papered example for my files? I also want to put that kakihan in the Stamps doc.

October 21, 2025

5 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Dee,

Would it be possible to get a full-length photo of that papered example for my files? I also want to put that kakihan in the Stamps doc.

Certainly Bruce.

It is papered Juyo and has a Tanobe sayagaki from 1999. Sold by Sotheby's.

Bruce Pennington · October 21, 2025

Excellent, thanks!

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

buishi · October 31, 2025

On 10/20/2025 at 9:33 PM, Grey Doffin said:

Hi Julien,

Here you will find a Care and Cleaning lesson. https://nbthk-ab2.org/sword-characteristics/ Unless you know all this already you should read it. I'm nearby in Duluth; if I can help let me know. I'm no authority but I have been studying for 40 years.

Grey

Grey, I will definitely take you up on this when I have a bit more time and a car at hand, thanks so much for the offer.