Translation and info on WW2 japanese sword

[BBMATT]

[ghp95134]

Sorry! This one is kicking me in the butt!

The closest I can get is
即宗

But that's not right. I can't find the first kanji!! The second kanji 宗 is mune.

Sorry.....

--Guy

[dramos]

Possibly try posting better and clearer pictures. Pictures taken outside, in indirect sunlight with no flash will make the pictures come out the best.

Guy,

Where do you get your translations? Can you read kanji or do you use a reference book. I would love to start learning more and a good reference book would be great.

[ghp95134]

Doug,

I studied intensive Japanese for two years, then lived in Japan for five years [well ... on an army installation]. I tried to self-learn, but it was too doggone hard. If you take formal Japanese (I was in grad school) and learn kanji, then you learn the proper stroke order and how to use dictionaries. Believe me .... even Japanese get confused and have to look up kanji. Wellllll .... that's true, but they look up the real hard kanji!!

Good luck!
--Guy

[BOB COLEMAN]

A better and clearer picture of the mei would help. After WW2, MacArthur insitituted a new educational system that eliminated over 100,000 kanji from the school curiculum. I once owned a two signature hirazukuri(flat blade)wakizashi from the early 1500's with a two character signature. I could not read the first kanji and neither could my wife. On my next visit to Japan, I took it with and visited the NBTHK sword museum and visited with my old friend Michihiro Tanobe Sensei. I showed him the piece and he, an expert, could not read the kanji. I gave up on it and sold it to a dealer friend in Tokyo. After leaving Tokyo and going to Kyushu to visit my wife's family, we did a little antique shop touring. In one shop, the owner had a standard shape wakizashi with the same signature! To this day, I have no idea what the name was or who the smith was.

[BBMATT]

[ghp95134]

Had to ask my wife!! It is 助 and means "help" [tasuke]. As a given name, it is pronounced "suke" [s'kay]
It's a relatively easy kanji -- I just couldn't recognize the "chikara" strokes 力 on the right side. I feel like doing a face-palm!

助宗

Sukemune


There were many:

Sukemune SUK310 助宗 Yamashiro Heiji (1159-1160) Sanjo 40 / /
Sukemune SUK304 助宗 4th Suruga Kanbun (1661-1673) Shimada 20 / 250 / Chu-jo saku
Sukemune SUK303 助宗 3rd Suruga Kanei (1624-1644) 70 / 250 / Chu-jo saku
Sukemune SUK302 助宗 2nd Suruga Tensho (1573-1592) 15 / 300 / Jo saku
Sukemune SUK301 助宗 1st Suruga Tenmon (1532-1555) 15 / 400 / Jo saku
Sukemune SUK298 助宗 Suruga Bunan (1444-1449) Shimada 20 / 450 / Jo saku
Sukemune SUK297 助宗 Shinano Anei (1772-1781) 15 / /
Sukemune SUK296 助宗 2nd Shinano Kyōhō (1716-1736) Sukemune 15 / /
Sukemune SUK295 助宗 1st Shinano Kanei (1624-1644) Sukehiro 30 / 250 / Chu-jo saku
Sukemune SUK294 助宗 Shinano Kanei (1624-1644) 15 / /
Sukemune SUK291 助宗 Settsu Jōō (1652-1655) 25 / 300 / Jo saku
Sukemune SUK286 助宗 Mikawa Tensho (1573-1592) 15 / /
Sukemune SUK279 助宗 Bizen Tenmon (1532-1555) 25 / 200 / Chu-jo saku
Sukemune SUK274 助宗 Bizen Ninji (1240-1243) Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukemune 30 / 2000 / Sai-jo saku
Sukemune SUK273 助宗 Bizen Jōgen (1207-1211) Fukuoka Ichimonji Norimune 200 / 2500 / Sai-jo saku

Nihonto Club source.

That's all I can help with. Now perhaps one of our resident experts can help.

--Guy

[BBMATT]

Thank you and your wife.

[BOB COLEMAN]

If the smith is one of the ones listed by Guy, it is definitely one of the later smiths. The shape and form is incorrect for any of the early smiths of this name. With a two character signature, this may be difficult to pinpoint as it is likely an obscure smith. I will go through a couple of my references that show signatures of some of the obscure smiths. His manner of signing the Suke character is unique so if I have his signature in a book, it will be easy to spot.

[Alan M]

There is nice age showing on that tang !