Bugyotsuji

Wari-kōgai, iron. Said to be old, Muromachi (?) but I do not know enough about these. The slanting ‘shoulders’ below the ‘mimi-kaki’ may be one indication.

Not to be confused with Kanemitsu 金光.

Hmmm.... Nice! They look as though they are a village community making cotton wool 'wata' for stuffing bedding and winter clothing, etc..

Samurai Homer in the bath by Darth19 on DeviantArt

Looks like a Westerner's idea of a Kanji.

The history of Aizu is interesting, as is the history of these 'ken' that Brian mentions. Genuine examples are comparatively rare, so they tend to be somewhat sought after; for this reason modern smiths will occasionally try their hand at one.

Aizu Masahiro Saku Using the old kanji for Ai 会津正弘　作 Since the nakago (tang) looks clean, it could be a modern work, but using the old kanji form for Aizu, i.e. 會津

Ah, thanks for the correction. 鳥城 = Tottori, Bird Castle 烏城 = Okayama, Crow Castle Both Ikeda family domains! (I was thinking of 今泉俊光 Imaizumi Toshimitsu)

烏城, not 鳥城 I think.

烏城　 Ujō possible? (Okayama Castle)

Many years ago at an early morning market in Fukuyama, I was looking at some Edo period coins. A middle-aged man handed me a bag. "These are all fakes. Study them carefully", he said, walking off. I was left speechless! In my experience there are more real cash coins around. I have a box of Ichi monsen, yon monsen, ju monsen and Tempo hyaku monsen in various conditions. 一文銭、四文銭、（宝永通宝1708~）十文銭、天保の百文銭 As to Koban, they are so valuable it would be strange if there were not fakers out there. One coin dealer in Tsuyama looked at my little Hime-koban for me and told me that the better fakes are actually worth quite a bit; some people even collect them. There is an organization in Tokyo who will for a sum give you a certificate if they deem your koban to be genuine. Hard enough to judge in the hand, the problem will surely be magnified buying off FleaBay. If you are up for a gamble, though...

RCIN 17722 - Model of a cock on a drum (kankodori) (rct.uk) Quote: Japanese legend tells of a ruler who placed a drum at his gate to be sounded in the event of an attack or civic dispute. However, prolonged peace meant the drum fell into disuse, and birds began to live on it.

Yes, nice, and the 'umebachi' mon was used by the Maeda of Kaga.

Tempted to add some more… Chrysanthemum flowers and leaves. Water plant from Chōshū Bit of everything, another botanical garden?

Yo Shu 豫州 is the old kanji for 予州, Iyo 伊予 in Shikoku.

本 may also indicate an order batch, and/or 'belonging to', such as a castle armory.

Hmmm... that is a mystery indeed, Dale. Thanks for the background thoughts so far.

Dale, six/seven of what kind? Mokko and...(?)

If that’s on the blade, then it’s more likely a dedication than a signature. (One photo is rarely enough help to see something indistinct. Can you change the angle and lighting conditions?)

Following outrage after famous incidents like public killings, laws were passed limiting the length of swords. The dates of these laws are generally known, and can help you narrow down when the work was done.

LOL yes. It could suggest that Jesuits came by ship, as a historical fact, but if the authorities questioned you, you would still be free to say, "That is not my faith!" Or "That is the tiller, stupid!"

Late to the party! Attempting to get some 3D quality…

I used to own one of those, I think. Water under the bridge. Nice to see it again,though.

Subtle…(?)

Some real treasures in this thread. (One of my secret favorites, Tessen clematis. Nice to see so many examples here. )