Assistance request in translating a Mei

[CuriousNewbie]

Hello dear Nihonto Message Board community!

 

I am new to this community, as I am very new to the world of Japanese swords, but an inheritance has kind of forced me into the topic and to be honest I am finding it rather interesting. I am curious about translating what I have already found out is known as a "Mei" in the hopes that this will tell me a bit more about the sword we found it on. As Kanji were previously also a closed book to me, I have my doubts wether my amateur attempts to translate them yielded any usable results. So I searched for a community that is passionate about exactly this topic and might be able to assist me more professionally with years ahead of me in research into this new-to-me world... and I found you guys :)

 

So, my questions are: can anyone help me translate what this says? And... what does this tell me about the sword? Is it possible to reliably tell from this Mei where or when it was made or who made it?

 

Thank you very much in advance for your time and effort

[Ray Singer]

Bishu ju Masayasu saku, dated 1942.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mano+masayasu+site%3Amilitaria.co.za&rlz=1C1YTUH_enUS1164US1164&oq=mano+masayasu+site%3Amilitaria.co.za&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRiPAjIHCAIQIRiPAjIHCAMQIRiPAtIBCDYwNDVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Ray Singer]

43 minutes ago, CuriousNewbie said:

 

 

So, my questions are: can anyone help me translate what this says? And... what does this tell me about the sword? Is it possible to reliably tell from this Mei where or when it was made or who made it?

 

 

Jay:

• Bishu in the inscription indicates the smith worked in Owari.
• Masayasu is his art name.

[CuriousNewbie]

Wow, Ray, thank you very much vor that incredibly swift and equally helpful reply! :)

So the sword was forged in 1942 in Owari by a smith going by the name of "Masayasu", that helps a lot! Would there by anything more to be learned from this about the sword? I will try to read through the threads you suggested, thank you very much for that as well!

[mecox]

@CuriousNewbie    Jay , as noted by Ray your sword is made by Masayasu.  and dated 1942.   For interest are there any stamp marks on it?

 

For more examples of his work and background see this paper from NMB Downloads (at top of page):

 

[CuriousNewbie]

Thank you very much for your additional reply! I found that file through the links, very interesting read My signature looks a bit different from the examples shown. Is that common? As I said, very new field of research for me, thanks for the assistance

[CuriousNewbie]

Oh, and I forgot: there are no stamps on it at all...

[CuriousNewbie]

21 hours ago, mecox said:

@CuriousNewbie    Jay , as noted by Ray your sword is made by Masayasu.  and dated 1942.   For interest are there any stamp marks on it?

 

For more examples of his work and background see this paper from NMB Downloads (at top of page):

 

 

On 1/2/2026 at 8:49 PM, Ray Singer said:

Jay:

• Bishu in the inscription indicates the smith worked in Owari.
• Masayasu is his art name.

 

 

Thanks to you guys and all the info you gave me to further my research, I have come to learn a lot about this sword. Thank you very much I also noted that you two guys are exactly the people I was looking for - I had a look at your profiles, you guys are not only years ahead of me, you are decades ahead in experience. So a special thank you for your uncomplicated and extremely swift help in solving a longstanding mystery.

 

I have now learned that the sword is likely a gendaito gunto (am I getting the lingo right?), likely from Masayasus workshop, probably not made by the man himself but certainly meeting his standards. I have sadly also learned that the blade has been mistreated... apparently someone inexperienced must have tried to polish it, as there are a lot of microscratches on the blade and I can't make out the hamon easily at all. The nagako has also been "freed" from rust. Oh well, a pity, but that was long before I met this blade. Don't worry, I don't intend to do anything with it other than carefully use some chamomile oil on it.

 

I have also learned that it is not exactly very valuable in the monetary sense. But I wonder if it might actually be valuable to you guys and other nihonto enthusiasts like you to maybe learn a bit more about the sword, as it is another previously unknown example of Masayasus work? I am fairly certain it is not a fake (I know for a fact it was bought at a knife fare over 25 years ago... fake nihonto apparently were not common then, and who would fake a Masayasu sword 25 years ago?). Would more pictures of it be helpful to you guys? It comes fairly fully mounted, missing only some little bits (like a tassle) and the leather cover of the wood scabbard is in really bad condition, but the blade looks functionally quite alright, although it is not sharpened.

 

If more pictures would be helpful or appreciated, I am happy to post it in a new thread elsewhere, if this helps you guys in some way. I don't think I will ever share your level of enthusiasm for Japanese swords to be honest... but as I am a big fan of Damascus Steel (think Manfred Sachse... have a quick look if you never heard of him, also a master swordsmith of a very different kind), I at least share your enthusiasm for beautiful steel.  So if more pics would be a suitable way to thank you for your assistance, I am happy to take some.

 

Thanks again guys  

 

PS: I don't have any papers or anything to officially authenticate anything. I have the sword and reliable oral history from the point it was bought at the knife fare around 25 years ago, everything before that is a complete mystery.

Edited Saturday at 08:13 PM by CuriousNewbie

[Brian]

No, there is no reason to think it's a fake at all, it is what is presented. 
Btw...correction to above...not Chamomile oil... it's Cammelia seed oil that is used, basically light mineral oil. Don't need to get too complicated. A decent light oil such as sewing machine oil will do.
Also, not very valuable is relative. Even a basic military sword can be $500 to $1000...not exactly zero value. 
Enjoy it, and learning more about it.

[CuriousNewbie]

My apologies, that's a translation error on my part, of course I used cammelia seed oil But important to point out, thank you! Sorry, english is not my native language.

 

Not very valuable is relative, true, but while a beautiful piece despite its mistreatment, this is nothing a museum would salivate over is what I meant. Don't intend to sell it (I collect knives/swords as is, just no nihonto other than that), but sounds like the full "polish and get it papered" treatment is not worth it in the monetary sense. Might still do that some day (not myself if so, only a fully qualified and trained craftsman, no worries), but not for a while.

 

I'll probably disassemble it again, take some more pics of the full sword, tsuba etc. and upload them to one of these forums eventually. Seems like this is the main place for serious research, so providing more info may help future researchers. And as so many of you guys seem so enthusiastic about nihonto, one of your members may enjoy it.

I suppose I would post something like that to the military swords forum?

 

Thanks again, you guys have been incredibly helpful