Bazza

Lovely TSU JIMPO kozuka from a friend's collection. Bestests, BaZZa.

Steve, Thanks very much indeed for your translation of the "watch fob/badge". This information enabled my friend who owns it to effect a trade for a bajo zutsu that was found in a tin box in an old shed in the country. One never knows what will turn up in a collector's life. When good photos are taken of the pistol I'll present it to NMB members. I'd also like to acknowledge Piers Dowding for information on the pistol itself. My friend is not a Nihonto man, rather an eclectic collector of many things who remembers me when a Japanese artifact turns up. He writes: Hi BaZZa & thanks Heaps for everyone's time on all this. Unfortunately, I don't have the medal in hand (for better pictures), but when I do (within the next couple of weeks, hopefully), I will forward some good pictures of all angles. Once again, my gratitude to everyone who has contributed. Best wishes to all, BaZZa.

I've seen HISSHO (HISSHOU???) - means "certain victory" BaZZa.

At the last Shinsa in Australia a participant informally put a "watch fob" to the Shinsa panel for translation. This object caused great excitement to the Shinsa panel who gave a translation in romaji. Can anyone please give an English translation of the Shinsa note for this object?? Best regards, Barry Thomas. aka BaZZa.

Worn by a samurai who patronised the House of the Rising Moon... BaZZa.

Hmmmm, everything that Ed M said. This tsuba has bothered me from first look. My take is that it is modern. The thin patina and wear on the high spots clearly suggest this. And to me it does have an obvious lack of age. Shinsa??? EDIT: A second look reminds me that the dewdrops have been individually inserted, so Stephen (below) I don't think a cast copy, but still modern IMHO. BaZZa.

Seeing this mei I wonder if the maker was the same artisan who made a kogatana in an en suite wakizashi koshirae I have. The tosogu are mumei Yoshioka late Edo, so it seems reasonable to presume the kogatana was made about the same time. Any information on the smith welcome. Bestests, BaZZa.

I have heard that top-end swords sell on a telephone call and not on the open market. BaZZa.

Right side ECHIZEN JUU Left side KINAI SAKU BaZZa.

My goodness me, the last person I want to engage in verbal joust is Guido, who has I'm sure forgotten more than I will ever know!! (Bows). Of course, by definition such a blade is indeed a wakizashi. However, I'd just like to elaborate on my simple and of the cuff response to the OP. It revolves around his words "It has a 23 1/2" blade but looks exactly like a katana but just a hair shorter." I immediately thought late Koto, one-handed sword, which is a distinctively different fish, say, to an Edo period wakizashi. So we do indeed need to wait on more information. Just for interest in the context of this discusion, a friend of mine has a 70cm katana with a "one-hand" nakago. It is papered to Eisho Bizen Yukikane and would appear to be a katate uchi, as Guido says, intended to be used with one hand. Two shaku 3 sun!!! BaZZa.

Katate uchi??? BaZZa.

Is anyone familiar with the article in the following link, and is it worthwhile for inclusion in our Articles section?? http://www.bcin.ca/Interface/openbcin.cgi?submit=submit&Chinkey=63355 Edit - I note its reported as being in Japanese - is there a translation?? Bestests, BazZza (it's late!!)

Link please??? And please sign with a name (beat the usual crowd handlers to it!!!) BaZZa.

Gents, Just having a run over this again it strikes me that the romaji pronunciation of kahee 加兵衛 that SteveM says is a valid first name should be kabei, exactly as it is prounounced in sword signatures. As one example among many I offer the following: 源兵衛尉 genbeijō 加兵衛 kabei Bestests, BaZZa.

Well, I've got a few of those. I call it "paying one's due to learn" and to be able to possess and study a great art form. Over 50 years I've never counted the dollars, but rather paid attention to what I wanted to acquire on the rare occasions I found something of charm and appeal. What I really want to say here is that to me the JOURNEY is more important than a win/lose equation. The good friends one makes along the journey are priceless and I consider this Board and its denizens a priceless treasure. Bestests, BaZZa.

Ah well, as I said left field. A dear friend privately PMd me "Hi Barry have you been hitting the red wine again ???". It seems pointless now to give my reasons - and I did have them - why I thought the fuchigashira were repros. I am reasonably well acquainted with Jakushi work, but in this case I did indeed "shoot from the lip". A very instructive result thanks to Morita san. Best regards to all, BaZZa.

Ummmmm... Wild guess from left field - repro??? BaZZa.

For your delicate information, a new exhibition in Japan: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/11/pornography-or-erotic-art-Japanese-museum-aims-to-confront-shunga-taboo I found this very interesting for the discussion about shunga content as "more than the salacious" BaZZa.

Here is a website that lists lots of good places to visit in Japan: http://www.oocities.org/ghougham/sights.html It is now an old site that comes with this disclaimer: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Page is an outdated, user-generated website brought to you by an archive.It was mirrored from Geocities at the end of October, 2009. For any questions concerning this page try to contact the respective author. (To report any malicious content send the URL to oocities(at gmail dot com). For question about the archive visit: OoCities.org. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BaZZa.

Took me a while to find it: http://www.lulu.com/shop/jss-us/Japanese-sword-society-of-the-united-states-2014-journals/ebook/product-22296374.html?ppn=1 BaZZa.

Dear Ffolke, Criterion has added a new KWAIDAN (Kobayashi) BluRay/DVD offering to its collection: https://www.criterion.com/films/629-kwaidan?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_criterion_collection_newsletter_october_2015&utm_content=the_criterion_collection_newsletter_october_2015+CID_2a4844820e5564c46d3d671410b16415&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Kwaidan Some time ago I tried to buy The Gate of Hell but Criterion only had a USA version and wouldn't sell outside the USA. At the time my emails went unanswered, so I'll need to check it out again, but does anybody have any experience of buying from Criterion?? Bestests, BaZZa.

That was very, very enjoyable. Moreover, inspirational for we Gaijin who struggle to learn the true arts of Nihonto. Gambatte... BaZZa.

IETSUGU??? BaZZa.

G'day Peter, Thanks very much for the link. I know a couple of people with a new interest in tsuba who will enjoy this, as I did. All grist for the mill... Bestests, BaZZa.

As I have a katana by Takahashi Naganobu I found this particularly interesting. Can I also thank you Peter and Morita san. Are any more essays by Benjamin Vincent known??? We are aware of his good paper on Gassan Sadakazu I on NMB. Bestests, Barry Thomas aka BazZa.