Hi Howard-san,
The Kanji are 五月雨 (Samidare, or Satsuki-ame) - An old term for Rice Planting. (Literally means May Rain)
Regards,
Taka
This looks like it is the name of the blade: Samidare [also pronounced Satsuki-ame]
五月雨
May Rain [poetically: "Early Summer Rain"]
--Guy
Taka .... I would have posted first, but my wife required my attention!!! (honest).
(^__^)
--Guy
LOL ! By one minute !
That' s funny.
Cheers!
Taka
There was an IJN Destroyer called Samidare.
--Guy
Thanks very much for your help translating this. Any idea why a Samurai would name a weapon this name or phrase?
Howard Dennis
Hi Howard,
It might have been named by the bladesmith in honor of the IJN Samidare (commissioned in 1937). If it is an older blade, perhaps the bladesmith (or patron) felt poetic.
I named my sword and the bladesmith engraved its name on the nakago.
--Guy
Regarding the IJN Samidare, I see that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has a destroyer named Samidare (DD-106). The write-up is in Japanese, but I see they reference the former IJN Samidare.
JMSDF Samidare (DD-106):
Instead of kanji, ships' names are written now-a-days in hiragana on the stern. This one is the Inazuma (DD-105; same class), but it gives an idea of what I'm talking about.
いなずま [Inazuma]; on the Samidare, it would be さみだれ
--Guy
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