Toryu2020

Eric - i believe your read is correct. A samurai on horseback, likely the battle of Uji-gawa from the Heike-monogatari. A famous scene where two samurai race across the river because the bridge has been dismantled. A shame you do not have the mate to this one menuki. -t

Remember boys, Japanese sword collectors deliberately use odd readings for kanji just so that their wives DON'T know what the hell they are talking about... -t

Eric et al - Hate to be-labour a point, but perhaps I wasn't very clear in my post. What you say is true about lengths and if we are only looking at the blade with no other evidence then I would likely call it a wakizashi myself. However, if this pairing is original to some date before 1868, then the dai is a katana. It wears the clothes of a katana. Hardly think that a "Chonin" marching about Edo with this pair on would get very far before being stopped. I doubt even more that the authorities would have measured his blade and said "very sorry sir, wakizashi that, carry on!" "just two wakizashi fellas pay im no mind!" I have tremendous respect for our sword clubs and museum catalogers but they are working in different times with different criteria. If the state of this pair convincingly shows that it was put together and worn in pre-restoration days by a member of the samurai class then I say that trumps any artificial designation based solely on length. If it was dressed as a katana, worn as a katana, then i'd lay odds that the samurai who wore it considered it a katana and not "my wakizashi in a daisho koshirae..." It is both at the same time and like so many things in this nihonto world I think we need to be flexible in our thinking when considering such things... -tom (Jo-sun sounds more natural to me) helm

Dr. Fukunaga Suiken is an expert in sword appraisal and author of many “major” works on Japanese swords, one being one of the most popular appraisal manuals in Japan. There is also his magnum opus the Nihonto Daihyakka Jiten a five volume encyclopedia of the Japanese sword. Fukunaga Sensei was very active in many of the sword groups including the NTHK under Yoshikawa Kentaro Sensei as well as the NBTHK, he is known for his scholarship and his past contributions to their publications and Shinsa. He issued his own appraisals for a time along with some written directly on the plain scabbard; sayagaki. He has in recent years re-joined the NTHK as an emeritus advisor. I might say it like this...

Black-Hat (if I may call you that) Though we cannot see the kojiri on the longer of the two swords it seems pretty obvious that this is the Dai for your Dai-sho and is a Katana, whatever the length. Some things to keep in mind; 1.most folks were not that tall and their hands were only so big. Thus shorter katana like yours are not so uncommon. 2.the koshirae often makes the sword; a mumei blade in original tachi mounts would be referred to as a tachi. a mumei blade say 26-28 inches and not of great age would be called a katana for lack of other evidence. A tanto could be put into wakizashi mounts then it would be a wakizashi until you were looking at the blade alone. You can see yari mounted as katana and other examples of things like this. Therefore you need to learn to recognize length and blade geometry as indicators of how it might have been used if there is only shirasaya. Length is not the only criteria though. 3.Dai-sho are more an Edo period thing. So while your blade may have been a katate-uchigatana when made the longer handle suggests two handed use as you point out. 4.Katate-uchigatana not only had the short nakago but also had shorter handles, any sword though can be used for a katate-uchi strike... Also I hope someone will tell the SFI folks that "Katte-uchi" sounds like mumbling and not a contraction of Katate - not a commonly used one anyway. -t PS it looks like your set is original and that sir is pretty rare, size not being everything

Served as a doctor in Burma, saw some of the worst of it... -t

Elliott - If you intend to use anything I wrote, I'd like a chance to sign off on it before you do. Fukunaga Sensei is someone I respect a great deal and I wouldn't want anything out on the interweb that wasn't just right. -t

Didn't seem to like Gendai-to much did he? Elliott et al - Fukunaga Sensei was very active in many of the pre-War, wartime and post-war sword groups. Including the NTHK under Yoshikawa sensei as well as the NBTHK. He was shinsa-in at both organizations. He travelled to the US in the 1970s, alone and with the NTHK, where he did do some sayagaki and I believe issued some papers of his own though not as part of any group. Among his works are; Biruma Jigoku-sen Mei-to to Busho Hizen no Katana to Tsuba Satsuma no Katana to Tsuba Koshitsu, Shogun-ke, Daimyo To-ke Mokuroku Nihonto Monogatari Nihonto Meiko-den Hyuga Toko-den Nihonto Omoshiro no Hanashi Nihonto Yomoyama Hanashi Nihonto Daihaykka Jiten Nihonto Kantei Hikke Nihonto no kantei to kenma Hyuga no Katana to Tsuba Kyoto no Token Showa To-ken meibutsu-cho Katana Kaji no Seikatsu Toko ishi no kenkyu Toko Iseki Meguri 330 sen Kubikiri Asaemon To-ken oshigata Uchida Sokuten Kashu Bukyo Igaku jiten Bukyo Igaku shosetsu Shinran Kyodan danatsushi Shinran no gense riekikan Shoken ji-inshi Ii no todoshi Hon'Ami ke no hitobito The above are given as his "major" works - many of these are indispensable to my library. Fukunaga Sensei has in recent years re-joined the NTHK as a kind of Emeritus advisor and given some talks for the membership though he does not regularly attend meetings. In case you can't tell he is my favourite author... -t

from Yokohama...

Elliott - I fondly remember going to the monthly meetings of the NBTHK Tokyo and seeing Takahashi-san there. Oddly enough he would be there later in the day at the regular meetings of the NTHK. Add to that he would some times show up at the NBTHK meetings in Kamakura where there was of course our own local Takahashi-san. None of which could be confused with my father-in-law, Mr Takahashi who was Yokohama anyways. Seriously, a very common name... -t

聖光 Try putting Sei-Kou into your computer... -t

For those who are interested a slightly different take on the Boys Day thing; http://tinyurl.com/28t2xnl -t

Niclas - Another thing to look at when considering "Iai" swords listed as such is the koshirae. The handle, scabbard and fittings are often of recent manufacture or a mixed bag of old and new. The quality being just good enough for everyday use but not the very best. Museum level restorations of antique koshirae are meant to be preserved not banged up in the dojo, "The finest blades stay in their scabbards" as it were... -t

No worries Ron, Just the American in me... -t

Gentlemen - Do a Google search for Benkei under images and you will see what I am talking about. Perhaps the armour looks a bit nicer than a monks, and perhaps the doll has a full head of hair but I ask you to consider the following; Maybe the doll does not need to be of giant proportions to suggest Benkei to a Japanese audience, perhaps all that is needed is a hood (now lost) and a naginata (now lost) and a "back-pack" full of weapons clearly still present. Perhaps the doll maker makes only one warrior doll and all that needs to be done is to add little details like a hood or a fish-tail kabuto or a gunsen to suggest different characters... I still think it is Benkei. -t

Ron et al - While Yoshitsune is certainly a popular figure, what I see is a nokogiri, a tetsubo and a wooden mallet. All items associated with Benkei (see link for reference). It is possible the hood he is usually seen wearing is now missing or this is some other character spoiling for a big fight. I would say the jury is still out on just who this is... -t http://www.kusanohonke.jp/koukai/tango.html

Chris et al - Could be my dictionary but the listing says Kokkô-in Kai-in Meiyo Sôshô Nyûsen (入選) or "awarded in a competition" - of course I could not find any info on the group Kokkô-in Kai or who might be giving this award... -t

Joe et al- The Toko Zenshu says; Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi (Ken) Kiyomitsu Okazaki Masaru Saku [Mei] Okafuji Masaru [given name] (recipient of the) Kokkô-in Kai-in Meiyo Sôshô award.

Jock et al - This may go without saying but I'll say it anyway. Polish does not equal preservation! Keep a blade clean and well oiled and it is preserved, nothing more needs to be done. Many fine blades have polishes that are 100 or more years old. There is a tendency to polish everything one finds. Great if you have the money but not always a necessity. It doesn't hurt to leave off the polish for some future generation if the blade can be appreciated as is. MHO... -t

I would agree Meiji export, They did a lot of this parquet (sp?) stuff in the Hakone area - not sure I have any useful information beyond that. Not my taste but certainly an eyeful! -t

Ray - Looks to be a boys day display doll. Hard to say what era this is from without seeing it up close and getting a good look at the materials used. The character will surely be some famous person from history but given the photos cannot really say. What is that at his back, a standard or some kind of weapon? Also the "bubble" seems a very Victorian kind of presentation as opposed to glass and plactic boxes that are more the norm. Not sure what that tells us though... -t

J - Don't pay too much attention to Steve he is always a little tongue-in-cheek. It is true the page is laid out in such a way that makes it unclear what exactly we were supposed to do with that link. Your sword may be very nice indeed but without the proper photos people will assume the worst and walk away. No one is saying you are evil, simply that evil people selling questionable swords have listed items with similar shortcomings in the listing. You asked for input, don't take it too much to heart, but you might consider correcting some of the things mentioned before re-listing your sword if that is your intention... -t

looks to be a prewar Juyo Bijitsuhin certificate, I'm a bit dubious of the condition of that sword... -t

George - Han-dachi originally appeared during the Muromachi period when there was a transition taking place from Tachi to katana. The sword was being worn more and more edge up when on foot, but edge down on horseback as it had always been. The handachi is a response to the need to be worn in either style. The placement of the kurikata, menuki and sometimes the other fittings were altered for a better presentation depending on which side was worn outward most of the time. I believe this is the first time we see swivels and kurikata on the mune side of a koshirae. In the Bakumatsu period the idea of a "return to the past" took hold of the popular imagination and along with talk of returning to the righteous government of old we see folks wanting to wear tachi in the style of their ancestors. Of course the majority were not riding around on horseback so the handachi again becomes popular and we see alot of Late-Edo mounts that were clearly set up as katana but with tachi mounts. Your example looks to be modern to my eye - the loop/swivel on the saya looks like it comes straight off of a naval mount - the other fittings are definitely tachi style fittings. Though it lacks a semeganamono I suppose you could call this a handachi koshirae but I am dubious about its age... -t

Autumn in Sekigahara? Definitely Showato, dirt and leaves can't hurt your sword unless you leave it there. Would hate to see you treat your other swords like this... -t