Mei translation WW2 wakisashi ancestral blade

[Retromodo]

Hi

 

hope everyone is well,

 

I’ve come across this wakisashi in ww2 fittings and I believe the blade is an older ancestral one. The Mei is 5 characters. The only one I’m sure of is the 3rd one which is 住 (Ju) . The first one looks a bit like a capital I so it might be 江 (Go) . The second one looks to have multiple vertical strokes which could be 州 (shu). So that would be goshu together which is an abbreviation for Omi . The last two characters I’m not sure about.

 

Any additional info would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[YourBabyBjornBorg]

Hi! This is signed 武州住廣重 Bushu Ju Hiroshige, from the Bushu Shitahara school.

 

There was one Hiroshige in Koto period (starting from the end of Tensho), 4 to 5 Hiroshige in Shinto period with existing examples.

 

It's quite rare for Hiroshige to sign only Bushu Ju Hiroshige and not Bushu Shitahara Ju Hiroshige.

 

 

[Retromodo]

Thank you very much for the info, really appreciate it.

 

How would I be able to find out which generation of Hiroshige it is?

 

Thanks 

[YourBabyBjornBorg]

I'm afraid it would be very hard to tell which generation, or even whether the signature is genuine, due to the current state of this sword, and information about Hiroshige is rather scarce overall. Hiroshige's signature style is also said to change a lot even within one generation.

[ROKUJURO]

Jon,

as you know now, it is certainly not a WWII WAKIZASHI.

[Retromodo]

 

Oh I see,

 

Thank you very much, really appreciate it.

Also there was this piece of paper tucked in the scabbard. It reads ‘Ezaki Kimie’ . Is this the Japanese officers name? Or possibly a family member name?
 

Thanks 
 

[YourBabyBjornBorg]

I think Kimie sounds more like a female name.