xiayang

The blade is signed 兼宗 = Kanemune and dated 昭和十八年十一月 = November of Shōwa 18 (1943 CE).

Out of these characters, only the second has a standard form: 抬 = lift, carry The fourth one is a rare variation (see here) of 指 = finger I have no idea which standard character the first and the third one (扌+合+辛) might correspond to though...

一刀斎安綱 = Ittōsai Yasutsuna 二千六百年 = year 2600 (in the Imperial reckoning, corresponds to 1940 CE) You can find a few discussions about this smith on the forum, e.g.,

That's right. 安藤兼基鍛之 = Andō Kanemoto forged this Sesko's Swordsmiths of Japan has the following entry (though the last name Adachi in this listing is probably incorrect – there are plenty of Google hits for 安藤兼基 and none for 安達兼基):

Looks good to me: 包矩 = Kanenori

濃州関住谷口義包作 = Nōshū Seki-jū Taniguchi Yoshikane saku 濃州住谷口義包作 = Nōshū-jū Taniguchi Yoshikane saku

Hi Chris, The information on the note in the first picture is not quite correct. The blade is signed: 濃州住小島兼則謹作 = Nōshū-jū Kojima Kanenori kin saku (carefully made by Kojima Kanenori, resident of Mino province).

濃州関住清宣作 = Nōshū Seki-jū Kiyonobu saku 昭和十七年 = Shōwa 17 (1942 CE)

For the first gold seal, I agree with the reading 宗孝 (Munetaka). The second gold seal reads 貞隨 (Sadayuki). Above the seal it says 物軒森貞隨 (?? Mori Sadayuki). Not quite sure what to make of the first two characters.

Hi Peter, your blade is dated: 昭和壬午秋 = Autumn of Shōwa, year of the water horse (1942 CE).

It's probably worth pointing out that from the Muromachi period onward these titles were essentially purely honorary and do not imply any administrative powers whatsoever. A modern-day US equivalent might be something like the honorary title of Colonel, which does not make the bearer is a high-ranking military officer either.

Hi Michael, you're right on the first one: 福本田秀 福本天秀= Fukumoto Amahide I'm not entirely certain about the second one and haven't been able to match it to any recorded smiths. My best guess: 臼田定年 = Usuda Sadatoshi? 臼井定年 = Usui Sadatoshi Third one: 兼宗 = Kanemune 昭和十七年 = Shōwa 17 (1942 CE) Edit: Silly mistakes on my part, thanks Steve and Koichi.

Coincidentally, the same sword was posted on reddit a couple of days ago (including pictures of the blade and koshirae and a note from the person who purchased it): https://www.reddit.c...vv/inherited_katana/

John is correct: 兼松兼達 = Kanematsu Kanetatsu

出入平安 = peace wherever you go 一帆風顺 = smooth sailing 一路平安 = safe trip 阿彌陀佛 = Amitābha The first three are standard idioms to say to someone who is embarking on a journey.

The katana is attributed to 新々刀寿命 = Shinshinto Jumyō, and the wakizashi to 宇多国久 = Uda Kunihisa.

The sword seems to be slightly suriage and the last character is incomplete. To me it looks like [丹後守]藤原壽命 = [Tango no Kami] Fujiwara Jumyō Compare with this example: http://nihontocraft....ami_Jumyo_Katana.htm

This is not so straightforward and I'll have to admit I'm slightly out of my depth here. Here's my best guess: (金象嵌) ニツ胴入土壇村井三丞長止 (花押) 試焉 (金象嵌) = kinzōgan (gold inlay) ニツ胴 – I believe this refers to a cut through the chest area (https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/uploads/monthly_05_2020/post-18-0-44763600-1590555052.jpg) 入土壇 = entered the earth mound (i.e., the cut went all the way through) 村井三丞 = Murai Sanjō[?] (the cutter's name, not sure how to read his given name though) 長止 = Nagatome? (花押) = kaō 試焉 = tested (銀象嵌) 下ヲケスエ落岡田十郎兵衛重長 (花押) 試焉 (銀象嵌) = ginzōgan (silver inlay) 下ヲケスエ落 – I suspect this may refer to another type of cut, but I'm not sure at all 岡田十郎兵衛 = Okada Jūrobei (a name) 重長 = Shigenaga? (花押) = kaō 試焉 = tested

（金象嵌）ニツ胴入土壇村井三丞長止（花押）試焉 （銀象嵌）下ヲケス工落岡田十郎兵衛重長（花押）試焉 Here's a link to the original listing: https://www.e-sword....1210_1088syousai.htm

Slightly uncertain about the second to last character, but perhaps: 武州神田住兼勝作 = Bushū Kanda-jū Kanekatsu saku

Western names are usually transliterated phonetically into Japanese using katakana, so that would be somewhat unusual, I suppose. That said, one possible reading of 哥德呀 in Japanese would indeed be Kadeya which does sound a bit like Cardeilhac. Alternatively, could it have been a Chinese transliteration instead? The standard Chinese reading of 哥德呀 is Gedeya, and all three characters are very commonly used for Western names.

Hi Thomas, Your sword was shortened (suriage) by a few centimetres at some point, leaving only a part of the original mei: 越中國 = Etchū-no-kuni

備前國長船住源八良祐定 = Bizen no Kuni Osafune-jū Genpachirō Sukesada [Note: Markus Sesko‘s Swordsmiths of Japan has him listed with the spelling 源八郎] 横山上野大掾藤原祐定 = Yokoyama Kōzuke no Daijō Fujiwara Sukesada 合作 = made [this] together

長曽祢興里虎徹入道 = Nagasone Okisato Kotetsu Nyūdō

Looks like a genuine Japanese-made blade. The signature is 兼秀 = Kanehide