Is There A Bibliography Of Edo Period Books On Nihonto?

[Randy McCall]

Many members will know of my interest in antique Japanese manuscripts  and books;  some will know of the small Facebook group I run for collectors of the same. 

Recently I've been researching collected bibliographies of antique Japanese books on a variety of topics.  For example, I've been able to find items which lists important works published during the Edo Period for both coin collecting and medical texts if anyone wants a copy of the these collected bibliographies, let me know).  However, in the resources I've checked for nihonto and associated arts, only a scattering of old texts are named.

I'm wondering if someone in the field has compiled a similar list for Edo nihonto texts?  Or perhaps armour?
 

[Markus]

I started one a while ago in German for my own reference. I will try to take it from here and put one together in English. Might take a little.

[Randy McCall]

I started one a while ago in German for my own reference. I will try to take it from here and put one together in English. Might take a lit

tle.

 

As always, many thanks Markus!

[Randy McCall]

I've found an online resource at the Wakou Steelmaking Museum, which is dedicated to maintaining a complete history "of the traditional Japanese steel ”Wakou” manufacturing process called “ Tatara”."

A page on their site, titled 日本刀古文書一覧 or roughly "Ancient nihonto documents list", supplies an index of 561 books / documents on nihonto, their author(s) and dates of publication, from 1441 to 1955.  I'm not certain if this is meant to be a comprehensive listing of all such works, or only those the museum holds, but with 500+ books being listed it seem fairly comprehensive. 

In Japanese only. 

日本刀古文書一覧  http://www.wakou-museum.gr.jp/tosho5/

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Awesome find Randy.

 

There is article on Token Bijutsu 689 about early Edo period sword books. I can't read the article in whole with my very limited Japanese skills but I can at least try to get some titles for you.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Here are the book titles in that Token Bijutsu article. I'll put in brackets the number in the Wakou museum index.

 

解紛記 - Keifun-ki (43)

本朝古今銘盡 - Honchō kokon-mei-zukushi (30)

囗伝書 - Kudenshō? , oral transmission writings

倭朝古今銘冶之次第同名乗事 - ???

銘盡秘伝抄 - Mei-zukushi Hidenshō? (120)

古今銘盡 - Kokon mei-zukushi (115?)

銘図 - Mei-zukushi? (57)

銘尽 - Mei-zukushi?

 

There is lot of interesting information about these books written in the article but unfortunately I can't translate it fully.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Digitalization is an amazing thing sometimes. Thought I'd search some of these titles from National Diet Library database.

 

解紛記 - Keifun-ki: http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2606135

 

本朝古今銘盡 - Honchō kokon-mei-zukushi: http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/9892696

 

Mei-zukushi from 1423 that is listed as important Cultural Property: http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1288371