Oyamazumijinja

[John A Stuart]

Hi Guys, I just finished touring the treasure house at Oyamazumijinja on Omishima. Fascinating!!! Shrine swords- one looks to have been chipped in a few places (?) some show deterioration at the ha. Old, old stuff. Some gendaito. In one corner is a pile of swords, naginata and koshirae in varying states of disrepair. Why can't they give them to me? I'll get them fixed and polished. They certainly believe in leaving them unrestored. Amazingly enough they have swords from circa 950 CE that have really nicely maintained blades. Lots of armour that could use a good cleaning. No chokuto or the like. What is in the storehouse, hmmmmm? Here is the shrine interior. A place for us sailors to ask for the watchful eye and helpful hand. John

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Old, old stuff. Some gendaito.

 

Ancient and modern offers from soldiers for their military fortune...

 

In one corner is a pile of swords, naginata and koshirae in varying states of disrepair.

 

Heartbreaking he ? Venice and Pompei are the same on a much bigger scale.

Hope the atmosphere of calmness helped to recover from the shock.

[slavia631]

I remember EXACTLY the sword you are talking about from 950 CE, it's a little katana with but a few kizu and minor pitting. Simply beautiful. Oh, and what did you think of the various O/Nodachi? Astounding, no? It's amazing that they are just as perfect as the typical sized swords around them, maybe moreso.

 

I wish that--when I was there--I had known what I know now. I'm sure you're having a ball! Bring me back one, will ya?

 

regards,

 

Andrew G.

[John A Stuart]

Hi Andrew, I went back again today as there is so much to take in. For Odachi; 1) National treasure, Gomurakami Tenno, 4.5 to 5 shaku (these are all my estimates of nagasa as dimensions are not given), 1366, different types of hamon along the length, a showcase of what he could do, mokume (hard to see these attributes here as there is preservative of some type or oxidised choji obscuring the finer details), o-maru; 2) National treasure, Omori Hikohichi, 5.5 shaku, 1350, with tsuki nodachi koshirae, mostly suguba, last third gentle notare into o-kissaki, ko-maru; 3) Yamanaka Shikanosuke, 5 shaku, 1400, various hamon but recurring square theme like hounds teeth, then irregular gunome into o-kissaki with no kaeri; 4) Murakami Yoshihiro, 5 shaku, 1250, kind of a hososuguba based gunome that turns into suguba as it enters the o-kissaki, no kaeri. That is just the Odachi. More when I catch my breath. John