Interesting Mei

[brentlewiis]

Hey there...

 

I recently acquired a katana in gendai mounts and am having trouble with the mei. The nagasa is 27 inches and the blade is magnificently forged with many effects. No date, no stamps, just a 3 character signature; blade has ubu ha and strong machi. Mounts all have matching single digit assembly number.

 

http://s350.photobucket.com/user/brentlewiis/library/

 

Any assistance in translating this mei would be greatly appreciated.

[C0D]

EMURA (江村), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Okayama – “Chōunsai Emura saku” (長運斎江村作), “Emura saku” (江村作), “Bishū Chōunsai Emura saku” (備州長運斎江村作), “Doshū Chōunsai Emura saku” (土州長運斎江村作). Emura came originally from Kōchi (高知) what was the former Tosa province and was from aroud 1940 onwards the head of a prison in Okayama (岡山). He returned to Kōchi in 1943. His gō was Chōunsai (長運斎). In the prison, he operated a forge and a kind of swordmaking school that trained several students. These students in turn worked from time to time as daisaku-daimei for him. It is said that he was a self-taught swordsmith and we know reports that mention that his blades were polished by prisoners. He signed the left radical (氵) of the character for E (江) as curve like ( and the character for mura often like the hiragana syllable o (お). Emura died in 1960.

[brentlewiis]

Thank you so much. I overlooked the entry in Slough.

[Brian]

https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/emura.htm

[cisco-san]

Hi,

 

any pics from the blade available?!