A Shrine Reference?

[Bruce Pennington]

Spotted by our buddy @lucidorise.  On a Hisakuni blade.  

Thoughts (and translation, of course!), please, and Thank You!

[SteveM]

柳川住久国作　

Yanagawa-jū Hisakuni saku

 

Check out the thread below for more info. 

On the reverse side is 護国 (Gokoku), "protect the country", probably just meant as a patriotic phrase given that this smith is a wartime smith. There are indeed a few temples called "Gokoku-ji", but without any more info it would be hard to determine whether this is intended to be a connection with one of the Gokoku temples, or is just a generic patriotic phrase. 

 

[uwe]

Hi Bruce,

I think it’s “護国” (gokoku = defense of one’s country). There is also a “護国神社” (gokoku jinja). No clue if it has some affiliation to it? 
 

Beaten by Steve 🙂

[Minseito1941]

A slight issue with this is that 国 is a shin jitai character putting this inscription at a post war period

[SteveM]

The abbreviated version of kuni (国) has been around since at least Muromachi times (for example, in the sword below).

Its use on any sword isn't an indicator of date of manufacture. 

https://www.touken-world.jp/search/20831/

[Bazza]

For the interest of our 'new' Nihontophiles to the Board I looked at Steve's link above and was surprised that I hadn't seen it before.  Here is the link to the website itself and there is a lot of material there that I'm sure will be of great interest to those look into it:

https://www.touken-world.jp/en/

 

BaZZa.

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks to everyone for all the good information!