Police Surrender Tag Translation Help Please

[hddennis]

You guys helped me with this tag translation by giving me the name Kentaro when all I had was an online picture. Now that I have the sword in hand I took a better picture and a fellow online enhanced it and I'm wondering if anyone can get anymore characters translated? I'd really like to get as much information as possible before it is lost forever due to fading.

Thanks Howard Dennis

[Scout]

Interesting looking.

[hddennis]

Just got these new UV images from a professional photographer.

Can anyone make out the full name of the owner or other new information?




Howard Dennis

[ghp95134]

Hi Howard.

I might have made some progress with regard to the name in the farrrrr left column. I think the first part of the surname is peeled away leaving only one kanji that MIGHT be 保. Something-Ho [means protect]. There are hundreds to choose from; I searched using a wildcard +保.


I'm pretty certain the given name is a three-kanji name, and the first one begins with the "human radical" イ. After searching through all the results, these are the ones that might be the owner's name:

儀太郎 Yoshitarō [perhaps]

佳太郎 Keitarō/Yasutarō [the 佳 is not complex enough, I think.]

俊太郎 Shuntarō/Toshitarō [unlikely; the 俊 is not complex enough]



We definitely need a native-speaker's help.

--Guy

[SHINDENKAI]

Hi Howard-san,

Other than the previously pointed Kentarou (健太郎) - a first name, now that you have a better pic shown above, I might have more than 50% thinking the last name might be 大久保 - Ookubo.

So 大久保 健太郎 - Kentarou Ookubo

Hope that helps.

Regards
Taka

[ghp95134]

... I might have more than 50% thinking the last name might be 大久保 - Ookubo.

That makes sense -- I can see what looks like the bottom "feet" belonging to 久 -ku-.

... 健太郎 - Kentarou

AAAhhhh! I can see the 健 now that you made it easy for me!

--Guy

[hddennis]

Thank you both for taking the time to help me preserve the history of this sword before it was lost forever. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am. Who knows maybe someday the sword will end up back in the hands of it's original family because of your efforts.

Best Regards,
Howard Dennis

[BOB COLEMAN]

Thank you both for taking the time to help me preserve the history of this sword before it was lost forever. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am. Who knows maybe someday the sword will end up back in the hands of it's original family because of your efforts.

Best Regards,
Howard Dennis

It is almost impossible to locate the family of the individual who owned the sword. We do not know where in Japan this piece was collected. After nearly 70 years, there would be numerous descendants so who would it go to? As Dr. Junji Homma once told me, it is good for swords to be in the West as they are ambassadors of Japanese history and Japanese culture. Dr. Homma was responsible for saving the Japanese sword from destruction by the occupation forces. He was instrumental in the founding of the NBTHK, the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Dr. Homma was a noted expert on the Japanese sword. His family had a famous sword collection pre-war. It was confiscated by the occupying forces. I have seen several swords from his collection in the USA.

[hddennis]

Jeez, Bob you make this whole effort seem like a giant waste of time. I'm very grateful that I know not only know who surrendered this sword at a local police station, I also know it was at Oouramura, a place listed today as having very little population. I bet it had even less back then, and relatives could be found if enough effort was put into it. At least the information on this sword will be preserved to be handed down even when it becomes completely invisible because of fading because people here cared to help me.

Thanks,
Howard Dennis

[BOB COLEMAN]

Jeez, Bob you make this whole effort seem like a giant waste of time. I'm very grateful that I know not only know who surrendered this sword at a local police station, I also know it was at Oouramura, a place listed today as having very little population. I bet it had even less back then, and relatives could be found if enough effort was put into it. At least the information on this sword will be preserved to be handed down even when it becomes completely invisible because of fading because people here cared to help me.

Thanks,
Howard Dennis

Howard-
After studying and collecting Japanese swords seriously for over fourty years,I believe I likely know more of the problems involved in returning swords than you do. I also have lived in Japan and am very familiar with the problems encountered in bringing a weapon in to the country. It was my intent to give you a heads up on what can be a very difficult task However, you are free to do what you want to. No offense intended.