Bugyotsuji

Very good question, Alex. 9/10

Agreed. Also, note that where Tachi Shi has been well rubbed away, 'Den' looks to have been added at a later time.

Studied under Suishinshi Masahide, so 1800s. Sayings, prayers, exhortations were often cut into sword tangs.

國安 Kuniyasu, first half of YBBB’s translation above.

Fantastic news, congratulations. Lack of communication between departments places heavy stress on everyone!

Been a bit busy lately so just reading this for the first time. Japanese without question (all parts), as others have said above, but using Classical Chinese, just as Europeans might once have quoted ancient Latin or Greek.

Unable to take part recently in the live firings with a bad knee, I have been able to concentrate on doing these static displays, and taking photographs. This time we chose a few representative guns, and I brought some different accessories for variety. (If we show the same objects every year, things can get really stale.) Although it is a Japanese shrine and we were ostensibly showing Japanese hinawa-ju related stuff, I included a couple of Korean pole weapons which Hideyoshi's troops would have encountered on the Korean peninsula. 'Bunroku-Keicho no Eki' in Japanese, and to the Koreans the 'Imjin Wars'. In the back of my mind was the possibility that the shrine priests might not approve, so I was prepared to take flak, but everyone accepted it in their stride with no negative comments. Left foreground Bronze 勝字銃 'Victory mark' 'Seungja Chongtong' hand gun, dated 萬暦 Banreki 11 (1583) Three-barrel 'Sanyan Chong' gun, iron, 1590s(?)

Photo of our recently departed leader Mr Ōmori

Golden Week includes Children's Day on the 5th of May (formerly called Boys' Day). This year our matchlock troop were asked to perform during the morning at the Kibitsu Hiko Jinja, head shrine for the Ikeda family of Bizen (Okayama) which is close by the dividing line between Bizen and *Bitchu provinces. The blessings ceremony was fairly elaborate. The Shojitsu Kenrikata IchiRyu Katchu Battojutsu sword group also performed, and we all provided entertainment for families and their children throughout the day. During the afternoon, still in armour, we sat for photographs with families, and displayed some of our swords and guns and accessories for the public to see and learn about. The day was special for me too with visiting family and friends. *(Kibitsu Jinja next door is the head shrine for Bitchu and the Abe family of Fukuyama, now Hiroshima.)

Oh, but that was my first opinion, and you asked for a second opinion, no? Hmmm...

梵鐘・仏像・銅像・寺院仏具の　老子製作所 | 梵鐘(釣鐘)・寺院仏具・仏像・銅像の老子製作所は、伝統工芸高岡銅器と共に 鐘の専門メーカーとして、寺院仏具金物や洋鐘、カリヨン、モニュメント等の鋳物製品を製造しています Although Lao Tsu or Laozu is spelt like this, the Buddhist manufacturer of bronze bells is called "Oigo" (Old Child) 老子 with these characters, so presumably that is how they would like it to be read. Their blurb says that they made/make objects in the spirit of Laotsu. 老子青銅作品 - 検索

Nick, notice your original thread was still alive with more information.

Today I had a chance to see it again, luckily at a time when there were fewer visitors, so I tried some different shots. A B

I have a kozuka signed Sukekane on the blade. One of our NBTHK members questioned it with the sensei, who took one glance and said 'genuine'. Another kozuka has a rubbish-looking wildly inscribed (Kunisada?) Mei on it, but after polishing the hada and hamon on the other side are totally beautiful. I still have no idea who chiseled the Mei or why. So, as expressed above, the exceptions do sometimes seem to prove the rule!

Quick follow-up. Further requests from overseas have nudged them into finally expanding their web page to include bank details in order to accommodate donations from abroad. Quote: (On second thoughts anyone interested please find the details from the QR code in post#2 above.)

Agreed! It’s a wonderful old house. Looking out across the fields of young barley towards Osafuné and the hills beyond. Saw this from the car window as I was about to drive home!

And D E F

Some general shots of the place. A B C

It’s upside down, but that’s the easy part. Are we seeing Masa(?)hide(?) Saku(?)…正秀作? (Something)hide Saku? Or is that 守？ *just to get the ball rolling. But usually these are names of smiths who the makers aspire to.

As part of the Golden Week display of Sanchōmō they were running a shuttle bus today to the old Nakazaki-Tei in Fukuoka Village next to Osafuné. Spread over three rooms were a display of Koshiraé (no blades), a display of Tsuba, a case full of Tōsōgu, and a display of Bizen guns and accessories, etc. The latter was my allotted corner. Not expecting anyone to visit our humble exhibition, I was surprised to see more than *a hundred people come through during the day, from all over Japan. *Later confirmed as a daily record for that residence, at 110 guests. What pleased me particularly (apart from the obvious interest shown by the visitors) was that I was asked to provide some Koshiraé, and everything that I had brought with me got added to the display. Seven Koshiraé! This is the very first time that my pieces have been considered worthy of their displays. No negative comments, all silently accepted. Made me all warm and fuzzy inside, it did.

Nick H?

It could be 18th c but as you say more likely 19th, although there are couple of indications of age. Is that old-looking pan cover/lid original, for example? Hizen no Kami is decorative and probably added later, post Edo. In the blue box the remains of the nationwide Jinshin registration of 1872. A Mei under the barrel would tell us more.

The Koshiraé is Inaba Koshiraé typical of Tottori on the Japan Sea, black lacquer with silver chrysanthemum fittings. I bought it because it straddles the two Ikeda Daimyo strongholds of Okayama and Tottori, the wife being from Tottori. I thought one of the offspring might want it but thankfully 😅 not, (“I don’t like black”) so I get to keep it.