Toryu2020

Tametsugu - fantastic blade!

Dont forget folks, covid restrictions are to be lifted in California on June 15th. Make your hotel reservations now, you can cancel for no fee if your plans change. Just two months away! Www.ncjsc.org -tch

Thanks Brian And yes John now whenever I am in Japan, saying prayers at the Hachimangu is de Rigueur... Oh and Bobby! I dont tell this story often, pride is a thing for the inside you know, I told it once in the newsletter and figured everybody knew it now. Next time I'm in town we'll go with Hon'Ami Sensei to visit the treasure swords of Kamakura! -t

Cary Condell gave all his swords girls names. He had them all organized, Betty, Diane, Tammy, I think Tammy was Tametsugu... -t

Shows as white text on a black background here - may be because I'm in dark mode...

A Gift to Hachiman・or how NOT to conserve a sword “TSURUGAOKA HACHIMANGU ; Famous temple located at Kamakura, dedicated to the god of war-in 1103 Minamoto Yoriyoshi had erected a temple on Yui-ga-Hama, dedicated to Hachiman, the titular god of his family. Yoritomo transported it (1193) to Kamakura and erected it on the Tsurugaoka hill, where it may be seen to the present day. In 1219 the Shogun Sanetomo went there in great pomp to render thanks for his nomination to the dignity of udaijin. After the ceremony, on descending the steps, his nephew, Kugyo, assassinated him. In 1526 Satomi Yoshihiro, the governor of the province Awa plundered the treasures of the temple but Hojo Ujitsuna obliged him to retreat.- The temple of Tsurugaoka is one of the last remnants of the grandeur of Kamakura. Interesting souvenirs of the middle ages are kept in it.” - E. Papinot The layout of Kamakura today is dominated by Wakamiya Oji, the main street in town, which runs dead straight from the beach to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. It was built by the order of Yoritomo, when the Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine was erected. Moto Hachiman, or the former Hachiman is not far from my house near Zaimokuza beach. There are three Torii that stand over the road to the shrine from Ni no Torii to Ichi no Torii, which stands at the entrance to the shrine grounds; there is a raised path, which is contained within sloping stone walls like a castle. There are cherry trees set all along this path: the Dankazura. It actually tapers down to about a half its width at the shrine end, but due to an engineered optical illusion, it does not appear so. It seems Yoritomo built everything in the town with an eye to warfare; an invading army might charge down this welcoming path four or five across only to find themselves fighting in space wide enough for only two or three. April is the time to don your kimono and stroll the Dankazura enjoying the cherries in bloom. Yoritomo built the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in fulfillment of a promise he made at the Moto-Hachiman, “should I be successful in my campaign against the Taira, I will build the biggest Hachiman shrine Japan has ever seen right here in Kamakura”. As we all know, the first Shogun’s prayers were answered, and thereafter many people high and low made offerings in thanks for the favors bestowed upon them by the spirits of this beautiful place. For some four hundred years, the storehouse of the shrine collected treasure until in 1526, during the13th battle of Kamakura,・the aforementioned Satomi Yoshihiro caused the destruction of the temple. What wonderful things were lost, we might never know, but there are as yet interesting souvenirs of the middle ages kept here. Kobizen Masatsune tachi, Kokuho Bizen Nagamitsu tachi, Juyo Bunkazai Kuniyoshi tachi, Juyo Bunkazai Soshu Tsunahiro tachi, Kanagawa ken Juyo Bunkazai Tsunaie tachi, Kanagawa ken Juyo Bunkazai Hirokuni tachi, Kanagawa ken Juyo Bunkazai Kunimura, Senjuin, Chikuzen Nobukuni, and Muramasa, all number among the one hundred or so swords that are still in the storehouse of Hachimangu. Hojo Ujitsuna, the 8th, 9th, and 10th Tokugawa Shoguns and the Meiji Emperor are some of the more notable persons making offerings here. It is the ultimate in presumption to consider myself among their number, but the fact remains that late last year I, too determined to present a sword to the shrine. Last year, I retired my Iai-to and though I felt it didn’t need a polish, I decided to do my bit for the Japanese economy and have it polished and put it in a fresh shirasaya. Unfortunately, as sometimes happens, the kawagane proved too thin and the shingane was exposed during polish, to be expected perhaps with a Kamakura period tachi but the mark of death for a shinshinto blade which mine happened to be. I now had a considerable investment in a sword which had cost me too much already and there was certainly no way for me to recover any of the money spent. I resolved therefore to lovingly preserve it as it had near been a very part of my body daily for close to ten years. In the event of my passing on, on some long distant future day, it could be treasured in my family as an heirloom. Reflecting upon the loose hold my family now has on reality and the sheer lack of interest in things Japanese they exhibit, I began to have my doubts about future generations the more I thought about it. How then to conserve this blade in a way I could be reasonably assured it would not be mistreated in the future. As you must have guessed, I hit upon the brilliant idea of donating the sword to the Hachiman shrine. Owing to the poor condition of the blade, I felt it would surely be rejected by the priests. To my surprise Hon’Ami Koji Sensei, my iai teacher, a sword polisher and conservator of the Hachiman shrine sword collection was delighted with my idea. In fact he sat down and immediately started working on a schedule for the presentation. April, 2001 was determined to be the best time so we set things in motion to carry out our Ho-no-shiki or offertory ceremony. What sword you ask is worth all this. It is not at all special, I assure you. Signed OHIRA TO YUKISADA, Dated MANEN GANNEN HACHIGATSU HI. It is a 2 shaku 5 sun 8 bu katana with chu kissaki, shallow koshizori, tight tight itame hada and a rather wide choji midare hamon. The nakago is 27cm long with kurijiri and kattesagari yasurime with kesho yasuri. The gojimei is located in the shinogiji, midway between the mekugi-ana and the habaki moto. There are 2 mekugi-ana, one of which is a shinobi-ana, which was a popular addition in the Bakumatsu era. Ohira Yukisada or Yukikazu is listed as a Musashi area smith who worked around the time of the Meiji restoration or a little before. He styled himself Yu no shin・or bird of progress・ The To (藤) in the signature is also read Fuji・as in Fujiwara so this is an abbreviation. The year 1860, Manen gannen, started out with the assassination of the great elder II Naosuke, by a group of Mito ronin, angered by his policies of placating the foreign powers and punishing those who opposed him including the lord of Mito. The country was taking sides for a battle many were certain was soon to come, one has to wonder which side of the conflict this blade was destined for. This sword was originally purchased at the Great Western Gun Show, at the San Francisco Cow Palace sometime before 1983 for $700. At that time it was in shirasaya with late Edo/Meiji period copper habaki, iron tsuba, iron fuchikashira, a blue linen wrapped tsuka with white same and menuki which had been stripped by the owner prior to me. I bought it in 1987 in this condition. There is perhaps some justice in this sword finding peace back in Japan after the abuse it suffered in America. I immediately sanded down the shirasaya and painted it with green auto-lacquer. Then began the years of swinging, whacking and cutting. Over time I had a new saya made and rebuilt and rewrapped the handle. Now it has a new silver habaki, shirasaya and proper Japanese polish. On a gorgeous Saturday in April some thirty members of the Kamakura Iaido Kyokai and guests gathered at the Hachimangu Shrine. Dressed in formal montsuki and hakama We collected in the maeden, on the same stage that Shizuka Gozen stood upon as she plead for Yoshitsune’s life in song. We bowed before the priest where receiving his blessing we presented for all the gods and buddhas to see, the faithful sword which had seen me through three thousand days of determined practice. Following this, myself and two others had their new swords blessed in a ceremony known as Nyu-kon-shiki and here upon the stage practiced for the first time with those swords. The swords used in the ceremony to be invested with the true spirit of a samurai sword were tied with mizuhiki cord, after each was blessed an attendant handed the swords to Hon’Ami Sensei who then drew his Umetada Myoju tanto and cut the cord. After which each of us presented five kata or forms to the gods of the shrine. As I took the stage to perform my forms, in each corner sat a friend acting as guard against evil, the Shitenno. In the Northeast sat Iwamura Nobuhiro, who some of you have met, 6th dan Muso Jiki Den Eishin Ryu. To the Southeast from Brazil; Candido Roberto Nunez Sequiera, 3rd dan Toyama Ryu Batto-jutsu. To the Northwest from Sri Lanka, Siri Herath, 2nd dan Toyama Ryu Batto-jutsu and in the Southwest from France, Evelyne Sentenac, Shodan Muso Shinden Ryu. Thus all the parts of the globe were represented as I drew my sword and symbolically cut down evil with my newly christened blade.　 Following the ceremony there was a luncheon, where I was presented with a certificate acknowledging my gift and where I was asked to give a little speech. I thanked everyone and expressed my hope that the sword would reside within the shrine as a symbol of amity between San Francisco and Kamakura, between the U.S. and Japan and persons everywhere. So now this vet pick-up old beater iaito with Mike Virgadamo saya, Russ Axt handle and wrap, Fred Lohmen menuki, Cary Condell oshigata and lacquer job by yours truly, will join the other swords in the treasure house of the great Tsurugaoka Hachimangu where it will be lovingly cared for, for perhaps another 800 years carrying with it a tale of woe all too many swords know today, along with my sincere thanks for the life changing lessons it taught me during our brief journey together and of course the dear friends it has brought me to. @Kamakura in Japan, Thomas C Helm

My second sword which I used for Iaido practice I named "Tsukiyuki" or moonlit snow. I chose this name owing to the choji-midare Hamon that looked like rolling hills of moon lit snow, and the fact that the maker of the blade was Yukisada. I was inspired by the poem "Tsukiyuki no, Naka ya, inochi no, sute dokoro" which may be rendered "The moonlit snow, is where life, is to be tossed away..." This sword was lovingly donated to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura in 2001. I published an article about the whole ordeal in the newsletter of the Northern California Japanese Sword Club, it has been a while since I have revisited that article ー I believe I will post it here in its own thread for the amusement of the members.. -t.

Is the other side decorated? If not then I vote for "door handle" as suggested... -t

A word of caution - we have heard from Japan that some sanitizers will discolor kodogu - even if you're wearing gloves! Isopropyl alcohol seems to be the only accepted sanitizer for sword groups. Wishing I could be there... -t

Do a search for Nagao Tori 長尾 鳥 Long-tailed birds inspired by continental species not native to Japan... -t

Kudos to you for asking BEFORE buying! Lots of valuable links here and very knowledgeable people I envy you the adventure! -t

$75 is about right - remember that samurai families did not have Boys Day displays - they put out REAL armor for their displays! -t

I would be inclined to say gunome midare becoming a thin sugu-ha in the monouchi with kuichigai, Kinsuji? and Uchinoke, Komaru Boshi with long kaeri. Shintogo Kunihiro?

Bob - Thats the spot! Brian - Sounds perfect! Who's buried there!?! :-) -t

Brilliant! Go ask Yamamura Sensei, I am sure he can clear it up. His place is just the other side of the station and I know a good place to get a drink over there... -t

On the omote you have the kutsuwa (snaffle bit) and tazuna (reins) on the ura you have the shirigai (crupper) What I can't figure is the two right-angled sticks - these are not muchi (crops) still looking thru references to see what they might be... -t

So the temple is steps away from the station, very much in the center of Kamakura - there are houses all around the graveyard. Kamakura is a pretty pricey zip code I'm not sure I would want to house hunt there... -t

As noted - I did find the one Kazutada in the meikan - pretty sure this is him but was hoping someone had seen one of his works. Apologies, I do not have pictures of the blade or of course I would have posted them... -t

What a great afternoon! I spent many a day here when I lived in Kamakura - actually the Kamakura Branch of the NBTHK holds their monthly meetings at this very temple, so we were literally studying at the foot of the great master. I would like to make some small additions to the information. The large stone that Guido is standing in front of is from the Edo period - it was dedicated by a collection of sword dealers, who owed their prosperity to his excellence (Masamune not Guido). If you were to look closely at the square stone at waist height on Guido, the names of all those who donated to have the stone erected are inscribed there but the years have nearly worn them away. The grave where Bob is standing is the grave of Masamune. As Guido pointed out Masamune can also be read Seiso and means "true teaching" however he got the name he was a devotee of the true teaching of Nichiren. The very ancient pair of graves in the last photos are held to be the family graves of the Yamamura Family, so may include Sadamune and other early members of the school (family). Incidentally Yamamura Sensei still practices sword craft in Kamakura as the 24th generation Masamune, Yamamura Tsunahiro. Kamakura is absolutely the place to visit for anyone interested in the sword, Bob is very lucky to make his home there taxes or no... -t

I believe this is read Kazutada 一忠 - there is a Taisho era smith listed using this name. Anyone seen this before? Any help appreciated, -t

Piers - Do you know if anyone received any of the "premiums"offered as enticement for donors? -t

Moriyama san - Thank you very much - I can see the Ko (Oka) but just could not decipher the Hen (Kata)... -t

I only have this one picture - I can read the signature and know the smith is Kunihiro 国広 - what I don't get are the two kanji at the top of the Nakago. Any help appreciated. Please don't ask for more photos this is all I have. Also does this look like a Komonjo special? -t

John - swords are evaluated on their quality and given an assigned number - better than 85 would be something really special and the team would recommend the blade be sent to Japan for Yushu Shinsa. There have been a number of such blades come thru our shinsa and based on our appraisal we know that some have gone to Japan for full restoration and NBTHK papers. So it does happen. We do have a mail-in service and a FAQ page on our website... -tch NTHK Hyogi-in https://nthkamerica.com

Sad news