help with Showa sword inscription

[Mark]

I have a katana signed by Masafusa, I am having trouble with the 2 lines on the other side. Any help appreciated

 

since the picture was flipped I removed it from here to sale bent necks. I will add the other side in a few minutes, I don't think it has anything to do with the other side but happy to add it.

[Gabriel L]

Hi Mark! I might give it a try in a bit (no guarantees). In the meantime, for the sake of everyone's neck:

[Peter Bleed]

well, gee, Mark.

This is one of those horse race related "prizes" isn't it? Looks like the donor's name and the event, but I bet we need to see the other side of the nakago, . . . please.

Peter

[Gabriel L]

I'm finding some of the kanji but it isn't really pulling together to me as I don't know "normal" Japanese. Unsure kanji in red:

 

Top: 贈

Line 1: 浦江？？奉公會

Line 2: 馬渊太？一氏

 

I'll let someone else fill in the gaps, this is not quite in my grasp.

[Mark]

for Pete here is the other side, I read it as Shoshin Kobuse Kitae Masafusa saku,

 

glad it was not something simple. I appreciate the help

[Peter Bleed]

Mark,

浦江？？奉公會

The 2 question marks are "Juu go" meaning homefront.

So it was associated with a local horsemanship & patriotic organzation

Peter

PS. See, when I was coming up we had to spend a half an hour griinding ink before we could write. So this whole kanji in text thing is beyond me.

[Gabriel L]

Thanks Peter… so that would make it something like:

 

贈 prize

浦江銃後奉公會 (Urae?) Homefront Civil Service Ceremony

馬渊太？一氏 Horse… [someone's name?]

 

Also, learning proper shodō is on my long list of things to do "eventually" as it would undoubtedly be an excellent way to improve reading comprehension (and of course the art itself appeals to me). Of course, higher up on the list is learning Japanese in general. :lol:

 

As to typed kanji, I use a variety of methods which boil down to:

 

1. Kotoeri input in OS X. This is the main one.

2. Copy-paste from various eBooks & websites, including http://jisho.org & wiktionary.com – useful for the many old-style kanji that kotoeri doesn't like.

3. The kanji by radical tool – useful for pinning down unfamiliar kanji with recognizable radicals.

4. If I'm desperate, I might try kanji by handwriting. Sometimes it works.

[Nobody]

My guess;

 

贈 - Gift

 

(From)

浦江銃後奉公會 - Urae home front patriotic service organization

馬渊 太根 一氏 - Mabuchi, Ōne, Kazu'uji (I assume three family names in the organization)

[k morita]

Moriyama sama, :D

 

Is there any possibility of the name "(to) Mr. Mabuchi(family name) Taneichi." ?

[Nobody]

Is there any possibility of the name "(to) Mr. Mabuchi(family name) Taneichi." ?

Ah, maybe you are right. That is more reasonable.

[k morita]

Thank you Moriyama sama.

 

Therefore, our conclusion is;

 

贈 - Gift

浦江銃後奉公會 -(From) Urae home front patriotic service organization.

馬渊太根一氏 -(To) Mr.Mabuchi(family name) Taneichi.

[Gabriel L]

[Peter Bleed]

WOW!, Mark thank you very much for opening this thread.

I obviously found it a stimulating - if not completely successful - exercise. But then growing up with my family name should have prepared me for the fact that surnames shouldn't be translated too literally.

But then Gabriel very gracefully - but expertly - used the thread as an opportunity educate me (and maybe others) about Kanji manipulation in the computer era.

Finally, we got an answer.

Thank you all!

Peter BLEED

[Nobody]

Therefore, our conclusion is;

 

贈 - Gift

浦江銃後奉公會 -(From) Urae home front patriotic service organization.

馬渊太根一氏 -(To) Mr.Mabuchi(family name) Taneichi.

There is one point which I am not sure.

This is my latest guess.

 

贈 - Gift

(To)

浦江銃後奉公會 - Urae home front patriotic service organization.

馬渊太根一氏 - Mr.Mabuchi(family name) Taneichi. (I assume that Mr. Mabuchi was a member of the above organization)

[k morita]

Hi,

Your opinion cannot be eliminated, either.

If so,who gift the blade?

[Mark]

wow! thanks. certainly educational. I appreciate all the input. No wonder I was in the dark.

 

thanks to all

[Brian]

Amazed as always.

 

Brian