Fukunaga Suiken

[elliottshogun]

I know that Fukunaga Suiken was an expert in sword appraisal and authored one of the most advanced appraisal manuals in Japan. That's all I know. Can anyone tell me more about him, the title of his book(s) and the history of his shinsa group?

[cabowen]

He was a doctor as I recall....He was a member of the NTHK for a long time. I believe he parted ways with them some time before Yoshikawa Kentaro sensei passed away....He had a fantastic library of sword books and wrote many of his own. Do a search to find all the titles as there are more than one or two.....Do not believe he had a shinsa group though I am fairly certain he did kantei on his own.....

 

I visited him in Tokyo a few times...He was quite the character....

[elliottshogun]

Thank you Chris, as you suggest I will search for his books. Does Fukunaga san still do kantei's?

[Toryu2020]

Didn't seem to like Gendai-to much did he?

 

Elliott et al -

 

Fukunaga Sensei was very active in many of the pre-War, wartime and post-war sword groups. Including the NTHK under Yoshikawa sensei as well as the NBTHK. He was shinsa-in at both organizations. He travelled to the US in the 1970s, alone and with the NTHK, where he did do some sayagaki and I believe issued some papers of his own though not as part of any group.

 

Among his works are;

 

Biruma Jigoku-sen

Mei-to to Busho

Hizen no Katana to Tsuba

Satsuma no Katana to Tsuba

Koshitsu, Shogun-ke, Daimyo To-ke Mokuroku

Nihonto Monogatari

Nihonto Meiko-den

Hyuga Toko-den

Nihonto Omoshiro no Hanashi

Nihonto Yomoyama Hanashi

Nihonto Daihaykka Jiten

Nihonto Kantei Hikke

Nihonto no kantei to kenma

Hyuga no Katana to Tsuba

Kyoto no Token

Showa To-ken meibutsu-cho

Katana Kaji no Seikatsu

Toko ishi no kenkyu

Toko Iseki Meguri 330 sen

Kubikiri Asaemon To-ken oshigata

Uchida Sokuten Kashu

Bukyo Igaku jiten

Bukyo Igaku shosetsu

Shinran Kyodan danatsushi

Shinran no gense riekikan

Shoken ji-inshi

Ii no todoshi

Hon'Ami ke no hitobito

 

The above are given as his "major" works - many of these are indispensable to my library. Fukunaga Sensei has in recent years re-joined the NTHK as a kind of Emeritus advisor and given some talks for the membership though he does not regularly attend meetings.

 

In case you can't tell he is my favourite author...

-t

[cabowen]

Didn't seem to like Gendai-to much did he?

 

 

-t

 

No, he said they weren't interesting as he lived among them.....I suppose it is fairly common for students of history to ignore the present....

 

He will be remembered as perhaps the greatest scholar in the field....

[elliottshogun]

If no one minds, I will use this information in a new addition to my web site - I am adding a page to describe the various appraisals that I have seen and have possession of. I don't have any origami of Fukunaga sensei but I have an image which I will use as an example of what he gave as a certificate. Thank you.

[Toryu2020]

Elliott -

If you intend to use anything I wrote, I'd like a chance to sign off on it before you do. Fukunaga Sensei is someone I respect a great deal and I wouldn't want anything out on the interweb that wasn't just right.

-t

[elliottshogun]

Tom,

I would use whatever you told me to use - I want to describe his associations with appraisal groups and doing kantei on his own. I would combine what you and Chris have expressed to me here. I will use the photo of one of his 'certificates' and explain the columns of kanji as I have done on the others. One of the advantages of his certificates is the English translation. I will compose what I want to use and send it to you via email, or do you want me to use the message board?

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

He was a doctor as I recall....

 

You recall correctly. If memory serves as it should, he was the first one to use early high-end microscopes to study textures and activities and published articles about this following Suenaga's pre-war example.

[Toryu2020]

Served as a doctor in Burma, saw some of the worst of it...

-t

[Eric H]

an interesting read

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/NTHK.htm

 

Eric

[leo]

Elliot,

here is an earlier thread discussing and showing a sayagaki by Suiken:

 

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=7995&p=65307&hilit=suiken+fukunaga#p65307

 

 

Regards, Martin

[elliottshogun]

Here is the beginning of the small, paragraph that I would use to describe Fukunaga sensei in my description of his origami:

 

-Fukunaga Suiken is an expert in sword appraisal and authored many “major” works, some being the most advanced appraisal manuals in Japan. Fukunaga sensei was known for his appraisals and doing some sayagaki and was very active in many of the sword groups including the NTHK under Yoshikawa sensei as well as the NBTHK. He has in recent years re-joined the NTHK as a Emeritus advisor.-

 

Edit as you want, make changes, add text, and I will accept the end result.

And of course, "Thank you".

 

Elliott

[reinhard]

He will be remembered as perhaps the greatest scholar in the field....

 

I heard he is a Kami by now. Can't remember the shrine where he is worshipped though. Allow me to go outside for a laugh, if you please.

 

So much for NTHK promo on NMB.

 

reinhard

[Toryu2020]

Dr. Fukunaga Suiken is an expert in sword appraisal and author of many “major” works on Japanese swords, one being one of the most popular appraisal manuals in Japan. There is also his magnum opus the Nihonto Daihyakka Jiten a five volume encyclopedia of the Japanese sword. Fukunaga Sensei was very active in many of the sword groups including the NTHK under Yoshikawa Kentaro Sensei as well as the NBTHK, he is known for his scholarship and his past contributions to their publications and Shinsa. He issued his own appraisals for a time along with some written directly on the plain scabbard; sayagaki. He has in recent years re-joined the NTHK as an emeritus advisor.

 

I might say it like this...

[elliottshogun]

"A Kami!" That will give my little description of Fukunaga sensei some spunk.

I will put the web page up tomorrow afternoon...............

 

"The difference between 'living' and 'dying' is in the timing"

Elliott

[elliottshogun]

Tom,

I will say it as you wrote it. Very good!

Elliott