Toshihide follower Watanabe Yasuhide

[Ron STL]

A friend has loaned his gendai tanto for a JSS/US newsletter article that I'm just beginning to pull together. A related article on Toshihide student Akihide appeared in the March 2010 newsletter. This smith is named Watanabe Yasuhide. I've noticed a number of WWII era smiths carry the name Watanabe (which is quite common in Japan) in their mei. Does anyone know why this name is used by these smiths? It would seem to come from some family/teacher origin...but I've not a clue. Thought it worth asking about. Will include a rough rubbing of the Yasuhide tanto.

 

Ron STL

[cabowen]

It's his family name and the smith choose to include it in his signature....just that simple....

 

Any pictures of the tanto? Is it dated?

[Ron STL]

Chris, sorry for the delay but I finally took some photos of the tanto. Tanto is slightly uchizori (1mm), 22.7 cm with 9.2 cm nakago, suguha that slightly widens as it approches the kissaki, bright nioiguchi, small ko-nie with a splash of larger (but ko) nie at the hamachi. It is dated and also carries the notation about Toshihide. If you or anyone has some background to share about the fellow I'll include it in the JSS/US article. As I said, a very similar blade to the Akihide used in the previous newsletter article. The owner thought it would be interesting to show another example by a Toshihide student.

 

Ron STL

[cabowen]

Not sure I would call that ko-nie Ron....looks pretty big to me...

 

Not sure which Akihide you are talking about...Not aware of any Akihide students of Horii Toshihide. Do you mean Kurihara Akihide? I don't think he studied under Toshihide...

 

Tanto looks nice! Thanks for the pictures.

[Ron STL]

Oops...intended to say this is similar to the Arisaka Yasuaki shown in the earlier newsletter. I'll show the nakago for reference. And yes, that splash of nie larger than what should be called ko-nei. The detail really makes it look ara-nei, but it's not that large. Hope you or somebody else can come up with some background on Watanabe Yasuhide. Still looking...

Ron STL

[cabowen]

Interesting how they both sign with the same 俊秀門人. Are they both similar in workmasnship too?　I have seen a tanto by Numazawa Toshimitsu signed the same way...

 

The Yasuhide tanto was made after Toshihide had passed away. I imagine several students stayed on after he died and continued until the end of the war.

 

I would bet a good place to look for info on these two smiths would be the book on the Horii family published some time ago titled "Enishi" if I recall correctly...

 

I would wager that Horii Toshihide made more tanto than any other gendai tosho.

 

Horii Toshihide is said to have had 10 students. We know that during the period November 17-23, Showa 15, Horii Toshihide attended a sword forging ceremony to commemorate the 2600 year of the empire at the Minatogawa Jinja. He went with 7 of his deshi. Those seven students were:

 

堀井信秀　(his son Nobuhide)、堀井胤次 (his son Tanetsugu)、渡部保秀 (Watanabe Yasuhide)、沼澤俊光 (Numazawa Toshimitsu)、長谷川俊長 (Hasegawa Toshinaga)、中尾忠次 (Nakao Tadatsugu)、藤田忠光 (Fujita Tadamitsu (brother of Tadatsugu). Tadamitsu and Tadatsugu were from Hizen and spent only a short time with Horii. Since we don't see Arisaka Yasuaki in this group, he may have become a student after Showa 15....

 

Please find below a joint work made by Yasuaki and Yasuhide. It looks just like a typical Toshihide blade and the workmanship looks first rate...

 

I found this info which may be of use:

 

Yasuhide was the early mei of Yasuhide (different kanji for Yasu 安). He was born in Taisho 4 in Sobetsumachi. He became a student of Horii Toshihide in Showa 12 at Horii's forge in Muroran. He retired from working at the forge for the Nihon Seikojo in Showa 50 and moved to Wakagusacho where he opened his own forge and signed his works "Hokushu ju Watanbe Yasuhide...

 

[k morita]

Ron,Chris

Thank you for the sharing of pics of rare sword and tanto.

 

Arisaka Yasuaki(有 坂 保 明) appears in Uchiyama book, His real name is Arisaka Umajyurō/Bajyurō (有 坂 馬 十 郎).

 

The photograph of Yasuhide 保秀 face appears in a book "Enishi" on page 184.

Book Title: えにし(Enishi)　,　150 year history of the Horii family of smiths.

[Ron STL]

Thanks Chris, Morita san. Always great to get help with finding this kind of information. Yasuhide's early mei (different Yasu) must the Yasuhide in Gendai Toko Meikan, but without a photo. I wasn't sure about this since I could not read the text. As for the Horii family book, Enshi, I'm surprised I do not have this! I'll have to check it out and buy a copy, if available.

 

Ron STL

[k morita]

Hi,

 

Here is a Watanabe Yasuhide pic on 1940 ,fom the book "Enishi"pub 1996.

(The photograph of Arisaka Yasuaki also appears on page 152 of this book. )

[cabowen]

Perhaps this photo was taken during the visit of these same people to the ceremony at the Minatogawa Jinja?

 

Any idea Morita san who 丸一さん　is?

[Ron STL]

What a great photo! Thanks for sharing. Ron STL

[k morita]

Hi,

Chris,

Yes,at the Minatogawa Jinja in 1940.

In the caption of the upper photograph, Mr.Maruichi(a man of a suit),his job title is written only as " head of the secretarial section".

So i reread the book [Enishi].

 

Then, it became clear in the following fact.

1. His name was Maruichi(family name) Samon.

2. His occupation was Head of the secretarial section of Muroran Steelworks of Nihon Seikosho(at that time).

3. In 1943,at the time of the funeral of Horii Toshihide,the chairman of the funeral ceremony was Mr.Maruichi Samon.

[cabowen]

That is very interesting! Thank you!