Very plain simple Black Katana signed

[Tonkotsu]

Here is a very plain Katana that I have had for years. The fuchi and kashira are horn and the tsuba is plain iron. The tang is signed. Any information on it would be very much appreciated. I hope the calligraphy can be read it's somewhat corroded. You can mostly see the straight temper line. Thank you in again. I collect mixed metal work which is straight forward but there are so many subtleties when dealing with sword blades. Its mindboggling, at least to me.

[mtexter]

The pics of the tang (nakago) are actually upside down, for what it's worth.  An experienced reader can still translate it though I'm sure.  Do you have the overall length of the cutting part of the blade (nagasa) by chance?  This looks more like a wakizashi to my (inexperienced) eyes than a katana to me, but this length will tell for sure.

[Tonkotsu]

Here is the tang flipped. The length of the cutting area of the blade is 21 1/2 inches. Thanks.

[ChrisW]

Anything typically under 24 inches is counted as a wakizashi, so you have a signed wakizashi!

[Ray Singer]

Bushu ju Terushige. Shitahara smith. Shinto. 

[Yasaka Azuma]

I'm more interested in kachushi-tsuba, which seems to be old, and the scabbard with elaborate decorative paint. If it is 21.5 inches (54.6 cm), it is the standard length and style of Wakizashi used throughout the Edo period.

Bushu's research papers, including Terushige.(Unfortunately, no English summary is included.)

https://www.lib.fussa.tokyo.jp/digital/digital_data/others/pdf/1503/0001/0005.pdf

[Dave R]

 The whole wakizashi status thing is a bit odd. Nowadays we tend to go with 24 + ins = Katana, anything under is a Wakizashi until we hit 12 inches and then it is a Tanto, but.......

 The Japanese army in WW2 counted a new purpose made blade over 22 inches as a Katana, and when under pressure in the late war happily took old blades over 21 inches. We also know of more than a few of these under 21 inches in military mounts.

 Back in the Edo period, a Wakizashi was legally limited to 18 inches and under, and later (but still Edo) further reduced to a maximum of 16 inches blade length. That is why you get so many swords made as Wakizashi, with that second mekugi-ana just a couple of inches away, altered to fit with the change in the law. Interestingly, the Chūshingura deliberately carried swords longer than legally allowed because they were about to make themselves outlaws anyway and the extra length would be an advantage in the coming combat.

 Personal opinion only here, back in the day the Daito was made to (or bought at) whatever length suited the customer, governed by his height, the intended use, his circumstances , and the school of swordsmanship he followed. As for the 24 inch rule, what a good way to save a lot of swords from the occupation government's policy of destruction, defining anything under 24 inches as a Wakizashi and except from destruction.

 

[Tonkotsu]

From the information Mr. Singer supplied I have tried to research this sword smith and I believe this sword was made by Bushu Ju Terushige from Musashi province of the Shitahara school during the late Muromachi to early Edo period? Is this correct or am I way off base. Here are a couple of better photos of the sword. Thank you Mr. Singer for the translation

Edited October 23, 2020 by Tonkotsu
added information

[Ray Singer]

Not a problem. I think it likely to be one of the Sue-koto Terushige. Please see below.

 

https://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths/meisearch?type=All&mei_op=allwords&mei=武州+照重

[French nihonto]

I am not a specialist in tsuba but the tsuba is older than the blade, I have already seen this style dating from the first half of Muromachi.