Bugyotsuji

Anyone care to extract some more juice from the 10 purple ones?

They were giving these to participants in the national meeting at the Keio Hotel some years back. If you were lucky they even had a flash of colour in them. (As I understand it, they are designated 'cultural materials', only supposed to be for swordsmiths and not for general release.)

Half a day’s run in a Norimono/Kago if you ‘encourage’ the runners, and an hour or two on horseback.

PS Distances. It’s about 30 minutes by car from Okayama to Osafuné, a day’s walk in them olden days.

Okayama Prefecture prides itself upon three great rivers, the Asahi right down the middle, upon which sits Okayama City, the Takahashi River on the left which goes through Matsuyama/Takahashi City, and the Yoshii River to the right which goes down through Tsuyama City and then further down Bizen and Osafuné. The purple flags denote Bizen swordmaking areas, the red Bitchū to the west, and blue in the north Tsuyama/Mimasaka. (Not shown is Bingo, further west over in Hiroshima.)

Quiz question! How much information can we all get from the following map? To start with, what does it show? Photo follows...

OK Gen, I'll keep an eye out, but don't expect any immediate updates as I am travelling and teppo are on the back burner. If anyone else can help Gene out, please join in! There are also extant examples of (brass) 'yagura' sights, detachable folding ladder sights that could be inserted for distance shooting. (Just as an aside, you do occasionally find a rare teppo with a 'hokin' bronze barrel, so naturally these will have bronze sights on them.)

That's funny, I saw a very similar one yesterday! One member here said it was definitely gimei. Assuming the third kanji is Shu (?), then Bizen Shu Munetsugu... (But I cannot recall Bizen ever being called Bizen-Shu. OK, Bishu, yes, Bizen no Kuni, yes, but... anyone?)

Agreeing with Uwe, but on balance I would go with 吉武 Yoshitake... Edo Period without much doubt. See https://www.samurai-nippon.net/SHOP/V-1761.html

No, I was curious, as it is such an unusual question! Forgive me. Looking back through my photos today in order to answer your question, I discovered that iron sights are definitely in the majority. They would need to be strong in case the teppo ever got dropped, something that must have happened with some frequency. Damaged serpentines you often see, again probably because someone dropped the gun. The other factor is that battle weapons need to be dull, not glinting, so barrel inlay was frowned upon. I do have one decorated 'Daimyo' gun, which has gold and silver nunome zogan on the front and back sights. Sadly a previous owner 'cleaned' the barrel too enthusiastically, losing much of the inlay. Nunome zogan is a kind of surface foil inlay squashed against a filed surface, as opposed to properly inset deeper inlay called hon-zogan.

Here is a front sight with missing inlay. Guessing the brass tip had been knocked out, I later had a new piece made and inserted.

Hi Malae, Are you saying iron front sights, ok, but with various other metals inlaid? (Why are you asking this question?) Yes, I have seen examples, but not sure if I have any photos right now. Here is an iron front sight on a Bizen gun, with a blob of silver inlay.

Moriyama San, this getting old is no fun! Big oops!!! Need to double-check and edit!!! Many thanks.

兼忠 Kanetada 正和十七 Showa 17 it seems

February Eiroku 12 it is.

The registration card simply records what you see and the local education committee assigns a number. 20 March Shōwa 44. Hiroshima. 31011. Wakizashi. Length 42 cm. Sori 0.5 cm. 2 Mekugi holes. Mumei.

Even upside down(?) it’s hard to make anything out.

There are all kinds of background hints that can suddenly help smooth the way in your language-learning journey. For example, someone told me that the Emperor does not need to look up or down on anyone, so he uses simple, almost elementary-school Japanese, necessarily devoid of register. The only male in Japan actually permitted to do this? In the same way, foreigners coming into Japan and the Japanese language will be forgiven for using simple 'desu/masu'verb endings, since in the beginning they are automatically given similar honorary 'neutral' status. As with Japanese children, the ability to communicate basic desires is of primary importance. Refinement of the language will come later. By the same token, you cannot lean on this forever. It is rare (but a valuable insight when it happens) that a Japanese person will correct your usage of Japanese, so you need to listen and be aware of things and to grow in wisdom, otherwise you can become over-confident, and a walking laughing-stock. My life is full of, "Oh, yes, how come I never noticed that before?" (This is why tutors and teachers are useful!) Actually I experienced similar in the US, although on a gentler level. I remember one day when a bunch of us were in the car and I pointed out "Look, there's a car park!", as we were searching for one. My good buddy Charlie March laughed at me. How long have you been here, and you still call it a "car park'!!!" This was a shocking moment for me!

Interesting story about the ukebari, Russ. I always hesitate to cut a hole in one, knowing it will not be easy to sew the edges of the new peephole. But now that you mention it, I once glued one in place, under supervision, so JA’s take does make sense.

Good point, yes, definitely some later adjustments to what may well be an old hachi bowl underneath.

Thank you Jacques! (Which two smiths?)

Vocab usage here, wearing my translator’s hat. 三光鋲 Sankōbyō, (or Sankō no byō), are the three ‘shining’ rivets holding on the mabisashi (and centrally the harai-daté dai), named it is said to represent three heavenly bodies, i.e. the sun, the moon and the stars. Personally speaking, on balance I like the package above, but it is not easy to judge, especially from photos. The hachimanza may be newer, and the suemon on the fukikaeshi look slightly too large, as if a later addition.(?) No big deal though.

Probably I am a bit thick, but Jacques, could you please spell out your question? In the jumble of Gassan signatures above I can see many similarities, and many differences. Your question is heavily suggestive, and the pain is unbearable, but I am not sure what exactly you are asking…

The two-volume Lazarnick set and the two-volume MCI (Meinertzhagen Card Index, British Museum) are the standard Netsuke references, but heavy and generally not cheap! (There are many other wonderful books on Netsuke but Eijer’s book treats kagamibuta specifically.)

Would never say this on a public forum, but when I was at college in the US we were given hiragana and katakana to learn as homework. I sat on my bed, leaned back against the wall, lit up, inhaled deeply, and then set to work. Amazing sometimes how you can concentrate. Anyway, I learned the whole bang shoot at one sitting. (Not for a moment suggesting that this would work for anyone else!) Some things were hard, though... too many to record here!