Jussi Ekholm

This is amazing info @Sukaira 🤩 And what a wonderful sword you have. I am unfortunately very backlogged with denrai for my data and info is currently very incomplete. There is so much more info in books that I am still missing on this field. Like these Count Ito swords are wonderful addition. I think Ian is correct and the collection was huge.

Spent absolutely amazing day with Piers and Koike-sensei today. My head cannot process all the information I got, Piers was a true gem in translating and explaining too. With my very weak Japanese I couldn't have really communicated in any reasonable sword discussion. Very cool to see the dedication ōdachi now before polishing, and can't wait to see it in restored form. The knowledge the Japanese sensei have is just mindblowing 🤯

This is a wonderful article. I learned so many new things from this. And now I have new appreciation for few swords I have seen, as this explains their background info.

On very popular museums this can happen in special exhibition when famous swords are displayed... In this case I believe it was special occasion as pictures were allowed. The crowd was always like this, even worse around the swords so difficult to get more than few minutes of view time. I much prefer the rural quiet shrines where you can just stand and look at the sword for 15 minutes without anyone waiting for turn. In these crowded ones it is difficult to even get a minute at a time.

Congratulations Robert, it is a very fine sword. Was really nice to see it on display.

I visited the exhibition second time this morning, as I will head out to other parts of Japan. Some additional thoughts. Unfortunately that is wrong Norishige Lewis. That is displayed as it has been donated by Nara Iwao to the museum recently. It is Jūyō Bijutsuhin and nice sword. However in my personal opinion the one passing Tokubetsu Jūyō is far better tantō, just a personal judgement. Nara Iwao donated spectacular items to NBTHK. In my personal opinion the hira-zukuri wakizashi by Yosōzaemon Sukesada he donated was every bit as good as TJ swords on display. Also I really liked the Fujiwara Nagasada katana that was dated 1868 that he donated. In my eyes it was very good sword, now it would never be "high ranked" but I dont care about that at all. *edit* forgot to add that the Tsunahiro wakizashi he donated was amazing. The Yasumitsu is one of my favorite items on the display. Even though it is slim and slender in form while I usually prefer the big monster swords. I am not sure if there will be photos of it as photography isnt allowed for TJ items. It is very recent Jūyō, passing in 71, so when they release the book there will be bit more info on the sword. I really don't like the extreme closeups as to me they are not something I personally see when looking at item, and I am not one seeking extremely fine details. Of course I understand that some people love these extreme details. I saw few Japanese with big cameras shooting closeup shots of the few reference items that were allowed to photography. When I am at home next month I should be able to match the majority of the swords to Jūyō level sessions. For the few mumei items I might need to wait until TJ book is released so I can match the item side by side. *edit* While I understand the multiple tier process I am not a fan of it. All of the items that passed the TJ shinsa are incredible items and display characteristic traits and experts would most likely identify them easily. If you would see any of these items with Hozon papers for example you wouldn't think about the paper level but how incredible the actual item is. I think it can be sometimes bit misleading as we talk a lot about these tier levels while I think the actual item would be more important focus point.

I went to see the 29th TJ exhibition today. All items were of course really high quality and I cannot judge their difference in level. What surprised me I didnt like all that much few of the items I was really looking forward seeing, and vice versa liked few others much more I thought I would before the exhibition. This is just my personal like list of 5 preferred items and no way judging the items by level. Hōjōji naoshi Kaneuji wakizashi Kanenaga katana (the longer) Yasumitsu tachi Norishige tantō I was really looking forward seeing the Futasuji-bi Sadamune Jūyō Bunkazai but to my surprise I didn't like that or the TJ 29 Sadamune as much as I thought I would. Of course both are incredible swords. Similarily I was really looking forward seeing the signed and dated Chōgi tachi but while very high quality sword it didn't really make an impact on me. Then on the opposite side I was very impressed by the Echizen Yasutugu wakizashi.

Thanks for posting the item. It does look to be a nice sword. I would think it could be much older than Shintō Hizen by just looking at the 2 overall shape pics. Of course the shinsa team has seen it in hand and they know much more than me. I remember few mumei swords that I looked some time ago in dealer inventory, and to me they looked like nice wide Nanbokuchō ō-suriage blades but had been attributed to Hizen Tadayoshi.

Thank you for these updates Brett. It is a joy to see so healthy and growing collecting group.

Great news Lex 😊

I am currently on train so I cannot write too long post. However as the sword seems to be 49 cm in current form and would seem to have long portion of the mei intact, I would guess it would have been under 60 cm blade originally.

I would see it as 来倫国 Rai Tomokuni

Sorry I didn't think that the picture would get compressed by the forum, here is a picture of the mei and added number 6.

This might be a bit off what everyone else is thinking but I think they could be added inventory numbering for the sword. I feel it could be 八三 - as in 83. As I personally love naginata, while it is very rare, some of the Muromachi naginata have "inventory numbers" carved on to them. Often these were made for bit more utilitarian weapons, and sometimes they were made quite crudely. Here is one example in naginata by Mino Kanenori where 六 - 6 has been added on to the nakago. (picture is not too good but unfortunately at the moment I don't have time to go through my books to take pictures of few different examples)

I feel the 珎州 that Piers posted would seem most resembling the last picture, however I have never seen that before, so my guess might be on 筑州住国重 (Chikushū jū Kunishige). In my personal feeling there seems to be different feeling between the first 2 and lower 3 kanji. Your sword seems to have very unusual blade construction as one side seems to be flat (hira) and another side ridged (shinogi), at least that is what I am seeing from the pictures.