Can anyone help me ID this Katana

[DFitzgerald]

I'm sorry I don't have more information it was a gift from a friend's friend.

I promise I'm not the one who let it get into the shape its in.

[MAP]

Welcome to the forum!

There are many well versed experts here who should be around shortly to give you some insight. However, I recommend that you try to rotate the pictures so as to make it a bit easier for them to view. Thanks for the different exposures to aid in the reading.

My knowledge of translating kanji is non-existent besides a characters or two, but I would venture a guess that each picture should be rotated clockwise 90 degrees. Not counter clockwise..

Regards,

Michael

[Stu W]

Looks like an older blade mounted for war in Type 98 mounts for an IJA Officer.

Whatever you do don't clean that nakago (tang) as it could well devalue the blade. Show us some full photos of the blade.

Regards, and welcome to the forum,
Stu

[Stu W]

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[BOB COLEMAN]

It looks as though someone has already been at the nakago with steel wool or another abrasive. The kanji are struck very light and are difficult to read. Possibly some chalk in the kanji will help if a better photo is not possible.

[DFitzgerald]

Thanks for the quick responses.

I'll take pictures of the full blade today and try chalking the nakago for you.

[BOB COLEMAN]

Thanks for the quick responses.

I'll take pictures of the full blade today and try chalking the nakago for you.

Please post the pictures vertical like Stu has done with your original pictures. Trying to read lightly cut kanji sideways is a real pain!

[DFitzgerald]

I hope these are more helpful, sorry about the orientation of the originals

[tomp]

Interesting sword! It looks like the sword was presented to the Western Army District Commander in 1943. The Western Army was a designation for one of several districts that were over the many depot divisions throughout Japan. The Western District Army encompassed some of western Honshu island and Kyushu Island. Depot divisions were where newly activated soldiers were given training before being shipped off to their duty stations outside of Japan. If I am reading the presentation kanji correctly, you should be able to find out who the commander of the Western District Army was in 1943 and ID the sword to a particular officer, quite a rarity!

Tom

[DFitzgerald]

Wow Tom thanks!

Is there any chance you could post a translation of what you could read? Sadly I know nothing at all of how to read kanji so a translation would help me search.