Shin Gunto

[DaveR]

So Mr Takayama was the Navy version of a Gunzoku! Interesting.

[ghp95134]

So Mr Takayama was the Navy version of a Gunzoku! Interesting.

Yes. I did some further reading about gunzoku, and they seem similar to our Senior Executive Service (flag officer equiv); Civil Service (colonel ~ corporal); and Contractor ranks.

In the Imperial Japanese Army, civilian workers (gunzoku) were roughly divided into four classes: 傭人 Employee; 雇員 Junior Clerk; 判任官 Junior Official; and 高等官 Senior Official; more specifically, ranks were distinguished such as 判任官一等 "Junior Official 1st Class", 奏任官三等 "Emperor/Prime Minister Appointment 3rd Class", etc.

Senior Officals are equivalent to general officers and colonel; Junior Officials equivalent to commander/lt. colonel through 2d lieutenant; and Junior Clerks equivalent to warrant officer through NCO. "Junior Officials" comprised about 3% of the entire Gunzoku.

The classification of these classes is almost the same for the Navy.

Sourced from Japanese Wiki

--Guy

[BOB COLEMAN]

If your blade is a traditional water tempered laminated blade, they can be polished in Japan. The registration fees would make it cost prohibitive plus the shirasaya and tsunagi. It also could be submitted for shinsa at the NBTHK. If you are going to have your blade polished outside of Japan, I would suggest either Moses Becerra who is listed under Nihonto Antique Collectables in Florida or Bob Benson whose business is Bushido Antique Japanese Swords in Honolulu. Both gentlemen are Japanese trained and preform excellent work. You can google their business names for their web sites. BEWARE "polishers" who are not fully Japanese trained and have gone through a five year training. There are a lot of sword butchers out there with big talk and no knowledge or training.

[ghp95134]

The article with children is titled
高山流
白兵抜刀術を見る
Takayama-ryū
Hakuhei Battō-jutsu o Miru

"Takayama Ryu: A Look at Close-quarters Swordsmanship"

Wish I had a copy of that issue!!!


--Guy