mecox

Yes does look a bit odd. @SteveMAs noted by Ray can read smith as Yanagawa Ushoshin. There are several Yanagawa, in Awa and Fukuoka. Other kanji 正心　can also be read as Shoshin, Seishin, even Masashin or Masamune. I have no idea who it is. Date is Showa ju nen sho gatsu , which can be "new year period" e.g. January of 1935 (interesting date). Other kanji line looks to read: Oite Touto Sanshozan Humoto Tokaido. How to translate? Oite (at) Touto (eastern capital/Edo/Tokyo) Sanshozan (name of a mountain?) Humoto (at bottom of mountain) Tokaido (Eastern Sea Route; one of the old major road systems, roughly from Mino and along and up the east coast).

Hiromasa was a prolific and capable smith and also worked closely with Kokura arsenal. The erased stamp would have been a star as @Kiipu noted. A late war date of 1945 is most likely and is indicated by the 2 x "yama" 山 stamps on nakago mune. This suggests blade may have been submitted and made at Matsuyama branch. There is some discussion of this in paper on Fukuoka/Kokura smiths in Downloads:

Your Seki stamp shows that sword is not traditionally made. He is probably in the low-medium grade Showato range.

@Josharic & @Bruce Pennington as noted your swordsmith is from Gifu, Yoshinori” (嘉則), real name Matsuyama Umeharu (松山梅春). He was born Meiji 43 (1910) August 26 and from Nagasumi-cho in Seki-machi. He registered as a Seki swordsmith on Showa 17 (1942) April 9 (age 31). In the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai exhibition in 1941 he was ranked as Fifth Seat (5/5). In 1942 there was a list (Banzuke) of around 400 swordsmiths; with around another 44 smiths he was an additional late entry, in the category of Shinshin （新進) ("new comer") (5/5). Some oshigata: 1. Seki Matsuyama Yoshinori saku (Japanese Gendai Swordsmiths). 2. 勇 現代刀業物 関住松山嘉則 軍刀展刀匠第1部新作刀第五席新進 二尺一寸四分五厘 切れ味のいい傑作刀 蔵出し 刀 日本刀(刀、太刀)｜売買されたオークション情報、yahooの商品情報をアーカイブ公開 - オークファン（aucfan.com） (nagasa 65.0 cm, sori 1.1 cm)

Gifu – “Sukenori” (祐則), real name Nagata Eiichi (永田栄一), born 28 August, Meiji 43 (1910). From Seki and registered as a Seki smith Showa 16 (1941) September 12.

@spellsword and @Bruce Pennington sword in by Gifu smith Yoshikane (義兼) real name Mishina Yuichi (三品由一) born Taisho 3 (1914) July 3 living at 加茂郡, Kamo-gun, Saka-mura. This town is on the Kiso River and around 10 km SE of Seki. He registered as a Seki tosho Showa 16 (1941) January 21 (age 26). Looks like his older brother is Yoshiaki (義明) Mishina Naoichi (三品直市), born Meiji 42 (1909) July 27 at same Kamo-gun address, and registered in Showa 14 (1939) October 25 (age 30). Yoshiaki died at end of Showa (1989) February 5 (age 79). He was ranked in 1942 Banzuke as ryōkō no retsu (6/7). Oshigata below (Fuller & Gregory, 1985): 1. Mishina Yoshikane (Seki stamp?). 2. Noshu Mishina Yoshikane (sakura/Sho stamp). 3. Mishina Yoshiaki (Seki stamp). 4 & 5. Yoshiaki (Seki stamp). "2601 years of Japanese Empire" (1941). Blade also has horimono of dragon chasing pearl, and other side Buddhist bonji . 6. Yoshiaki (Sakura/Sho stamp)

@spellsword William, there is very little info on this smith, mainly due to his age. His tosho name (on the blade) is Tadayuki 忠行　and the date is Showa 17 (1942) but no month is shown. In a list of swordsmiths by Sesko: TADAYUKI (忠行), Gifu – “Tadayuki” (忠行), real name Kawamura Ichizō (河村一三) given name can also be read as Kazumi. He was born February 1st 1924 (Taisho 13), so he made this blade when he was 18. He registered as a Seki smith on Showa 16 (1941) November 7 at age 17 (which is young). He was living in Seki-machi, Daimin-cho (suburbs of Seki City). He worked as guntō smith. In 1942 there was a list ranking around 400 Japanese smiths, but he is not in it, no doubt his age and few examples of work. Your blade also has a Seki stamp, showing not traditionally made. Also note the cutting of name and date is a bit rough. The mekugi ana (hole) looks to be enlarged (Is this to fit the koshirae?).

@Mark C & @Bruce Pennington here's a summary of pics I could find. NAME: KANEAKI 兼明 Kuriyama Kenjirō 栗山 鍵次郎 (could be pronounced Kenjiro or Kagijiro). Has a “go” art name of 粹光斎 Suikousai. Nakago commonly has tip of pointed iriyama-gata shape, and yasurime filing of takanoha. Some blades have two mekugi ana (upper and lower). Common Sho-sakura stamp, also Tan stamp. He is an early gendai swordsmith in Gifu (see NMB Downloads) A. Suikousai Kaneaki Showa 17 (1942) February. Nagasa: 66.6 cm sori: 1.6 cm hamon: suguka. Two mekugi ana. NBTHK paper. (Samurai Shokai). B. Suikousai Kaneaki tsukuru kore wo. Showa 16 (1941) July. Sho/sakura stamp. (armouryantiques.com) C. Suikousai Kaneaki tsukuru kore wo. Sho/sakura stamp. Two mekugi ana. (F&G #226). D. Wo motte Yasuki Tetsu Kuriyama Kaneaki saku. “made with Yasuki steel from iron sands”). Sho/sakura stamp. Two mekugi ana. (F&G #12). E. Noshu ju Kuriyama Kaneaki saku Teiten Nyusen Kinpai Juryo Gold medal (Kin Pai) in Imperial Exhibition. Exhibitions giving this award were held from Showa 10 (1935) except 1937 no exhibition as not enough tosho, as many away in China. From Showa 15 (1940) there were also different awards. Records show in 4th exhibition (1939) and 5th (1940) won Kinpai (gold medals). Probably is 1939. (Slough p.38; F&G #351). This is the same sword in both references. F&G also add: “an excellent quality gendaito with thight masame hada and a suguha maidare hamon. A heavy blade tapering to a small point. F. Noshu ju Kuriyama Kaneaki saku. Blade has two close mekugi ana. Of note is a TAN stamp. (Slough p. 37). G. Kuriyama Kaneaki saku kore. Mei is rougly cut and not by Kaneaki, probably a workshop line. (Slough p. 37) H. Suikousai Kaneaki Tsukuru Kore Wo 粹光斉兼明造之. Sho/sakura stamp. Suguha hamon. Two mekugi ana. (Mark C, NMB). I. Kuriyama Kaneaki. Reported to have star stamp and to be dated on reverse. (Claes Kelibus, NMB) J. Suikousai Kaneaki tsukuru kore wo. Has TAN stamp. (Japanese Sword Index, Rick Stein) K. Suikousai Kaneaki saku kore. Nagasa: 67.3 cm, sori: 1.6 cm. Two mekugi ana. No stamp obvious. Nakago tip has been rounded? Modern remount in katana koshirae. (Yahoo Japan Auction).

@Mark Cand @Bruce Pennington there is a bit of confusion with Kaneaki smiths. The sword Mark has is: KANEAKI (兼明): (濃州栗山兼明), real name Kuriyama Kenjirō (栗山鍵次郎), born in December 1888, student of Watanabe Kanenaga (渡辺兼永), (main sensei) Niwa Kanenobu (丹羽兼信) and of Fujiwara Kanezumi (藤原兼住), he worked as a guntō smith and died on August 23rd 1966, jōkō no retsu (Akihide), Second Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941). He is Slough p 37 & 38. Born Meiji 21 ( 1888) December 4 and from Gifu, Kamo-gun, Kajita-mura. He registered as Seki smith Showa 14 (1939) Oct 25, age 50. He was also called Suikosai, probably his "go" or art name. (Suikosai Kaneaki 粹光斉兼明). He also used the Tan stamp. The other Kaneaki in Slough (p 38) is: KANEAKI (兼晃), real name Kuriyama Mineo (栗山三子夫), son of Kuriyama Akihide (栗山昭秀), born February 1st 1915 (Taisho 4), he worked as a rikugun-jumei-tōshō and died December 3rd 1944, jōkō no retsu (Akihide). He was also from Kamo-gun, Kajita-mura and registered as a Seki tosho in Showa 17 (1942) March 5, age 27. His given name Mineo, and in the Seki record the kanji used is 三甲夫 (different in Sesko). I did not find a "Kuriyama Akihide (栗山昭秀)", maybe this is his father Kuriyama Kenjiro? He died early at 29 in 1944. Of interest is: 兼昌 Kanemasa (栗山 進 Kuriyama Susumu) [presumably born in Kajita]. Born: 1922 (Taisho 11). Listed as the son of Kuriyama Kaneaki. He is not in Seki Registration list. He was killed in WW2 13 May, 1943 (age 21) presumably conscripted or volunteered. It is assumed he trained under his father Kuriyama Kaneaki, and licenced around 1940. 1941: 6th shinsakuto exhibition 4th level of 5. 1942: Tosho Banzuke 6th level of 7 (Chuge Saku). There is also: KANEAKI (兼昭) real name Fukuda Tomio (福田富夫), born March 1st 1918 (Taisho 7), from Gifu, Bugi-gun, Naka-machi and registered Showa 17 (1942) March 5, age 24.

Sam, Kanemune background and examples in this download. Also your sword has a stamp, maybe sakura/sho.

I now see Bruce already has him.

@Bruce Pennington@Chris Wallis@xiayang as Jan notes 長村清宣 = Nagamura Kiyonobu and family name is Nagamura Matsuichi　長村松市 is a Gifu tosho, born in Meiji 34 (1901) April 10. He was from Kamogun, Tahara-mura, Osugi village. Listed in Slough page 85, was Rikugun Jumei Tosho and of interest has a Tan stamp.

Lukas, that is a nice tsuba. Some examples and background in NMB downloads:

Stamps are "cannon balls" plus “ho” ホ inspection stamp of Kokura Factory No.1

John, info and examples of Kanenori in this NMB download:

Vern, summary of Kanekado 兼門 (from Sesko): KANEKADO (兼門), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanekado” (兼門), real name Yoshida Tokuichi (吉田徳一), born March 29th 1906, he worked as a guntō smith and died September 6th 1969, student of Kurihara Kaneaki (栗原兼明), ryōkō no jōi (Akihide), Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941). Interesting to have Nagoya "Na" 名 stamp which indicated sword processed through Nagoya Arsenal. Also unusual the stamp in on date side of nakago.

@Butch Gareth, yes a nice example of a Zohei-to in good (early?) Type 98 koshirae. In recent posted article is a summary of them, some examples plus outline of Kokura Arsenal .

I watched it all, but of particular interest to me was the last sections in POW camps and the family in Fukuoka, as I just completed a paper on tosho in those areas and submitted to NMB Downloads.

@John C how the ordering process for swords was carried out. So were blades produced THEN sold through shops with the customers ordering the various koshirae types or was the entire sword ordered, blade and hamon type, then produced? John, as far as I can make out, all of the above. There were many sources of blades with or without koshirae. Basically it depended on your budget, as Brian noted, for quality of blade/ name of maker, and / or style of koshirae, and variations and quality of fittings. These combos were of a very wide range, but many opportunities to buy the full kit off the rack. This certainly applied to army shingunto, but also looks that navy had a parallel structure. I think the range of gunto koshirae we see on NMB reflects all this.

Geoff, here is some background to "kaifu" with some examples:

Nice tsuba. Some good examples of kiri stamps on Tempo tsuba in this NMB download:

@Newguymike Mike in this paper some background and examples:

@Kiipu @Bruce Pennington I dont know what the 3 kanji mean but 特 "toku" means special. But both swords are Gifu and the two dates are both July 1944, maybe that is more significant Sadatsugu, July 1944 Kanetoshi, July 1944

Ive only seen 2, including Slough p. 135, both undated.

Interesting Bruce. The trend at Kokura looks like no star with arsenal smiths......but may be only with ones I have seen? I have listed Noriaki with Tokyo 1st, as he was originally from Fukuoka. Does he have a dated blade? I have Fumitada and Yoshinori, and they are late March and May 1945, when Kokura was relocated to Kasuga and things were changing a bit.