Variations of NBTHK Hozon Papers?

[quoshy]

Don't know why I never realized it before but I have a few Hozon papers, all which have slightly different features. This one is missing the perforations in the upper left (hozon and date) but all the other features are there (watermark, etc.) including the really small "日刀保" but in different places than indicated on http://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sword_papers.html If the perforations were to be included on this paper, they would puncture the stamp on the back so I wonder if this is why they weren't included.

 

I can't find any good documentation about the backs of these papers. This one has some information on the back but the name of the certifier has been scratched off. I have another paper that has the same back as this one and also with the name scratched out. I got these two swords/papers from different dealers so I'm curious if this is a normal practice. I have a third Hozon paper that has a completely blank back.

 

Are these differences "normal"?

 

Any insights are greatly appreciated

 

Front:

 

Back:

 

 

保:

 

刀:

 

日:

[Katsujinken]

The perforated date in the upper left was introduced in the late nineties, I think. Perhaps someone can provide a more specific date. 

[Jacques]

What you have framed are signs to detect counterfeit papers (like on banknotes)

[Shugyosha]

My understanding is that the name on the back is the name of the owner of the blade, or person submitting to shinsa, rather than the certifier. It's sometimes blocked out to preserve their privacy.

[PietroParis]

Ten minutes on these two sites:

 

https://jisho.org/

https://translate.google.com/

 

Reveal that the writing on the back of the certificate means:

 

Lower right:   交付年月日  Date of delivery

Lower left:     変更年月日  Date of change/modification (?)

Top :                所有者名     Owner's name

 

I wonder what "date of change" means in this context.

 

Cheers, Pietro

[SteveM]

The name of the owner goes in the above columns, and the date of entry goes in the bottom columns. 

The first date of registration goes in the 交付年月日 (Date of issue) column. 

Any change of ownership can be updated by putting the new owner's name in the other columns, and the date of the change is noted below in the 変更年月日 (Date of change) column. 

[PietroParis]

1 hour ago, SteveM said:

Any change of ownership can be updated by putting the new owner's name in the other columns, and the date of the change is noted below in the 変更年月日 (Date of change) column. 

 

I see.

 

In the example above the "date of change" is filled but the owner's name is not. Here is an example where the name is filled:

 

 

 

[SteveM]

No, that shows the person to whom the paper was issued, and the date the paper was issued. 

There have been no changes in ownership after that. (At least, no changes recorded with NBTHK) 

[PietroParis]

OK now I understand:

 

Both of the handwritten columns on the bottom are the date of issue. The date of change would go on the left of 変更年月日, and the name of the second registered owner on the left of the leftmost 所有者名.

 

This clears it up for me, thanks!

[quoshy]

Thanks for all this information! Super helpful.

 

Any other opinions on the date perforations or the small kanji characters being in different places on this paper versus the places on the link? E.g. when they were introduced or changed?

[Schaumann]

After reading this thread I went over my paperwork in more detail. 

 

My origami seems to match with the example at the Nihontocraft website and the OPs photo.

 

What  is the stamp with the board of education number? Shown in the upper right corner reverse side of the OPs example?

 

My paperwork is also blank on the back.

 

My katana and the photo on the paperwork shows 継廣、however the actual paperwork is 継広 in calligraphy. Is this an error or did the person writing the calligraphy get lazy, or is the writing computerized and it is a spell check error. 廣 And 広　are pronounced “hiro” and are alternates to each other.

 

thanks for any input.

 

 

[SteveM]

The kanji 広 is the simplified form of 廣. They are virtually interchangeable. The process of simplification was accelerated after the war, but the simplified versions existed from before the war. 

 

(In other words, its not an error.)

[Schaumann]

Steve M,

 

thanks.

[quoshy]

Based off the dates of the papers that I have this is the best timeline of paper changes that I can document:

• Date perforations in the upper left were added sometime after March 16, 1994 (as referenced by the paper in the pictures) and before May 1, 2007. The location of the small "日刀保" also seems to have moved around the same time.
• According to Peitro's post, ownership tracking on the back of the papers existed at least up to June 21, 2009 but was no longer tracked as by February 5, 2014 so this must have changed between these two dates.

If anyone has papers that can narrow these dates down more, that would be awesome. E.g. a paper without date perforations dated after March 16, 1994 or a paper with ownership tracking on the back dated after June 21, 2009. This could help create a timeline of changes to NBTHK Hozon papers.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Here is some info about the frontside of the papers, that I have grasped from papers presented online.

 

Date perforations were probably added around the beginning of Heisei 7 (1995), as both Hozon & Tokubetsu Hozon papers from Heisei 7 now have this feature.

 

The location of small "日刀保" seems to have changed around beginning of Heisei 9 (1997), as Tokubetsu Hozon from February of that year still have old placement of these but Hozon papers bit earlier in February already had the new placement.

[Karusk]

Super informative guys a big thank you all around.