You've got a legit WWII Type 98 Army Officer gunto there. Don't know if anyone here can translate, I hang out at the "Japanese Militaria" forum, where you'll find more guys that enjoy your sword! Plus there's a couple of guys there that translate these really well. https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/japanese-militaria/
The blade could be something older, like a family blade brought to the war. They'll want a straight-line measurement from the blade tip to the notch at the back edge of the blade where the nakago (tang) begins. That's the "nagasa". Blades with nagasa shorter than 24" are called wakizashi, and are the shorter sword you often see in a Samurai's belt. These were carried into the war along with the longer blades, most often simply because the soldier owned it already. Officer's had buy their own swords.
The collector's label of "tanker sword" or "pilot sword" is a myth passed down over the decades. There are multiple photos of pilots and tank crew carrying standard, long, swords and none of the short ones. The idea sounds logical, but it's never been documented.
Thanks
I just posted it here: Mei Help for Blitz - Translation Assistance - Nihonto Message Board
陸奥守藤原歳長
Mutsu no Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga
Marcus Sesko lists three in his book, Japanese Swordsmiths:
- TOSHINAGA (歳長), 1st gen., Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Yamashiro – “Mutsu no Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga” (陸奥守藤原歳長), “Rakuyō Ichijō Horikawa-jū Mutsu no Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga” (洛陽一条堀川住陸奥守 藤原歳長), real name Nimura Yasozaemon (二村弥三左衛門), younger brother of the 1st gen. Yamashiro no Kami Toshinaga, he came originally from Tokushima (徳島) in Awa province and worked besides of Kyōto also in Ōsaka and Ise, he worked in the style of his older brother and worked for the Tōdō family (藤堂)
- TOSHINAGA (歳長), 2nd gen., Jōkyō (貞享, 1684-1688), Ise – “Mutsu no Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga” (陸奥守藤原歳長), “Rakuyō Horikawa-jū Nimura Saemon no Jō Toshinaga” (洛陽堀川住二村左衛門尉歳長), “Seishū Hachiman-jū Toshinaga” (勢州八幡住歳長), real name Nimura Saemon (二村左衛門), he accompanied his father to Ise and stayed there, wazamono, chūjō-saku
- TOSHINAGA (歳長), 3rd gen., Kyōhō (享保, 1716-1736), Ise – “Mutsu no Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga” (陸奥守藤原歳長), real name Nimura Yasozaemon (二村弥三左衛門)
Uwe, at NMB, had the same translation.
He didn't even try! Ha! (where's the bowing emoji?!?!)
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