Tsuka Marking????

[SwordGuyJoe]

All,

A while back I asked for assistance for sayagaki translation. When Larry took a look at the Kanehiro, he said that it may be a blade entered for competition. I didn't ask or post a marking on the shirasaya's tsuka, but could someone take a look and see if they can translate it?

 

 

Thanks again for the help!

[SwordGuyJoe]

Here is another shot. For all I know, I posted upside down. Thanks!

 

[Markus]

Hi Joe,

 

The two characters read "magoi" (眞鯉), which means "black koi carp".

However, "Makoi" (another reading) is a city on Hokkaidô. I am not sure

what those characters mean in combination with your shirasaya.

[John A Stuart]

Ha, I can't reconcile the two kanji, thinking Shinri or a name of a fishing village, but it does have a Buddhist feeling to it. Oh, I should mention it is upside down as Markus' kanji show. John

[John A Stuart]

Still working on this. Not making sense in Japanese to me, it is a name in Korean. Jin Li, but, why would it be that? John

[SwordGuyJoe]

Thanks everyone and John for continuing the hunt. I am a guy who likes to learn to fish rather than being fed. John, where would I/could I look for myself next time?

[John A Stuart]

Besides help from guys like Markus, Morita san and Moriyama san, you need to get some good dictionaries like Japanese Art Signatures by Self and Hirose, Japanese Names and How To Read Them by Koop and Inada and The New Nelsons Dictionary among others. There are on-line resources as well, like the Nihonto Kanji Pages. John