Take a look at the WWII Japanese blade collection that my grandfather brought home.

**DJVCuda** · 09-02-2021, 01:49 PM

Hello! After reading so much information I had to join the group!

Quick backstory - My grandfather brought back alot of things from WWII. From skirts made of parachute chords to swords. Most of the items were tucked away in his attic until his passing and then were dispersed to his children. I purchased his home in the early 2000's and am happy to say that some of his treasures are back in the resting place they were since the 40's, after a brief vacation.

There are three items that I wanted to share with you today.
1 - A Bayonet
2 - A Katana - There are two groups of letters on the tang
3 - An Officers sword - There is Japanese text on this one and from what I can gather the top of it says Waseda Universty - I believe.

Can anyone share more information from the pictures I can post? Please let me know what details you would like to see. I don't really know much about them. I'd like to know more as far as history, but they are not for sale and I don't really have a concern of value. I have looked through some web sites and forums. This by far seems the best in terms of knowledge so I know I am at the right place!

Than you for your time and and have a great day!

**Nick Komiya** · 09-02-2021, 02:31 PM

Yes, the first sword is a ceremonial army training sword for company grade officers used by students of my Alma Mater, Waseda University. It is stamped Waseda University Departments, so it was shared by students from various departments (Law, Political Science and Economics, Commerce, etc). University students had their draft deferment annulled in 1944 and became officers, so such swords would have been used for command training. These swords continued to be used for ceremonial occasions until the end of the war.

The other sword has the name of the smith as 勝光 Katsumitsu on the tang.

**MAP** · 09-02-2021, 03:45 PM

Nice items.

You should post each item in its own separate thread with more photos of each. Thanks!

**DJVCuda** · 09-02-2021, 05:04 PM

Thank you very much Nick! I can't wait to share that information with my family.
I would like to learn as much on the history as I can and am searching the Waseda University information. It looks like Waseda is still a very good school - Is it one of the top schools in Japan?

Also - The smith Katsumitsu - Can you point me in the direction on how to find out more about his work and timeline? I'm wondering is the sword was made around war time or prior? Is there a range to know when it was made by using his signature?

Thank you so much for the reply!

- - ------- - -

Map - Will do ! I'll have to break out a real camera for this occasion.

**MAP** · 09-02-2021, 05:08 PM

by DJVCuda

Thank you very much Nick! I can't wait to share that information with my family.
I would like to learn as much on the history as I can and am searching the Waseda University information. It looks like Waseda is still a very good school - Is it one of the top schools in Japan?

Also - The smith Katsumitsu - Can you point me in the direction on how to find out more about his work and timeline? I'm wondering is the sword was made around war time or prior? Is there a range to know when it was made by using his signature?

Thank you so much for the reply!

- - ------- - -

Map - Will do ! I'll have to break out a real camera for this occasion.

You will probably get more feedback on your questions when you post each one separately.

**DJVCuda** · 09-02-2021, 05:08 PM

understood - Thank you!

**Nick Komiya** · 09-02-2021, 05:15 PM

Waseda is like a Japanese Ivy League equivalent.

**ghp95134** · 09-02-2021, 06:04 PM

I cannot find any information for a Showa-era 勝光 Katsumitsu.

Then again ... it is in civilian mountings. How old does the tang look? Not 16th or 17th century, when most of the Katsumitsu smiths are recorded.

Possibly one of these three??? From Markus Sesko's Japanese Swordsmiths:

KATSUMITSU (勝光), 2nd gen., Jōkyō (貞享, 1684-1688), Etchū – “Etchū Toyama-jū Katsumitsu” (越中富山住勝光), “Katsumitsu” (勝光), first name Kanzaemon (勘左衛門)

These two are 19th century, but both use a longer name, not just 勝光 Katsumitsu:

KATSUMITSU (勝光), Keiō (慶応, 1865-1868), Ōshū – “Ōshū Sendai Fubō Yamashita-jū Minamoto Katsumitsu Yamagata ni oite kore o saku” (奥州仙台不忘山下住源勝光於山形作� ��, “made by Minamoto Katsumitsu in Yamagata, [originally] from Ōshū Sendai´s Fubō-Yamashita)
KATSUMITSU (勝光), Keiō (慶応, 1865-1868), Hitachi – “Suifu-shin Katsumitsu” (水府臣勝光, “Katsumitsu, retainer of the Mito fief”)

-- Guy