Translation of Kanji Characters on a Sword Help?

jayke · (#1 (**permalink**))

Hello,

I was hoping someone would help me translate the attached. I would like to know what it says.

Thanks.

Nagoyankee · (#2 (**permalink**))

It's just a name/address tag for Mr. 稲村太郎 （Inamura Taro）, who was probably the last owner of the sword. It's nothing to do with the making of the sword.

Nagoyankee · (#3 (**permalink**))

On a second thought, the first name looks more like 六郎　（Rokurou）.

jayke · (#4 (**permalink**))

Does it have any other information besides name and address?

Nagoyankee · (#5 (**permalink**))

No, nothing at all.

jayke · (#6 (**permalink**))

Is there a particular region associated with the address? I think it may have been obtained in Okinawa. Thank you very much for your help.

Nagoyankee · (#7 (**permalink**))

I'll just put ALL of the address in your letters here.

District 2, Sakae-chou, Wakamatsu-shi

The address has nothing to do with Okinawa as far as I can check on the web. Wakamatsu-shi is in the Fukuoka Prefecture. (shi means city)

I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do with this name tag. What I know you already know.

RadioKid · (#8 (**permalink**))

The signature of the sword maker is often engraved at the part called "Tsuka" just covered by the handle grip as shown below.

Sangetsu · (#9 (**permalink**))

Swords were often kept in storage (temples and such) for safe keeping, and these tags were attached so that the owner could be identified.

The ownership information is not important, all swords were forbidden and confiscated after the Japanese surrender at the end of the war. The Japanese were by then sick of war and militarism, and gave them up willingly, for the most part.

The information that is important would be found on the tang of the sword. Drive out the bamboo peg holding on the hilt, and remove the hilt. The majority of swords will have a makers mark engraved on the tang, and these marks often include a date "made on a lucky day in such-and-such" etc.

If the tank is too rusty to read the signature, don't try to scrape or brush it off, put a piece of paper over the tang and rub a pencil across the paper to get a relief of the signature.

Most Japanese swords have some kind of value, depending on the condition. If it's very rusty, is bent, or has a badly chipped blade, it's not going to be worth very much. On the other hand, someone went to the trouble of having it stored in a safe place, so it either has intrinsic value, or had personal value to someone at one time.

I once found a 14th century sword in America which had been beaten pretty much to death. What had been a sword which was worth at least 5 figures was made worthless. I bought it for $300 for the hand guard and fittings, which were all that had any remaining value.

KyleGoetz · (#10 (**permalink**))

A 14th century Japanese sword worth five figures? There's no way you found a Masamune just lying around in the US...if you had, man, I'd buy the crap blade from you in a heartbeat. Of course, not for five figures!

That's like finding a beaten-un, unplayable Strad violin. It's still priceless: It's a Strad!