Sword Kanji Translation Help Please

[nzef1940]

A friend recently purchased this sword, could a member please help with translation of tang and also is it a late war Japanese’s landing forces officers sword?

Thanks in advance.

[BruceP]

Reposted pics right side up. Date is December 1944. Some should be able to help with the smith.

It's a WWII Japanese officer gunto, commonly called a "Type 3" model. The style is really a Contingency Model that was mean to be more hardy in combat conditions and cheaper to buy. It became popular around 1943 when Allied bombing put a serious hit on the standard Type 98 materiel and supplies.

You can read about the model here: https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/japan...ersion-584796/

[GHP]

信光
Nobumitsu

There are two Nobumitsu 信光 listed in Markus Sesko's Swordsmiths of Japan:

1. NOBUMITSU (信光), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Fukuoka – “Chikushū-jū Sa Nobumitsu
kinsaku” (筑州住左信光 謹作, “carefully made by Sa Nobumitsu from Chikuzen province”), real
name Koyama Nobumitsu (小山信光), he was born on the 26th day of the second month Meiji
six (明治, 1873) and studied under Fukuoka-Ishidō Koretoshi (是利), he lived in Chikuzen ́s Ito
(怡土), kihin-jōi (Akihide), Special Honor Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai
(新作日本刀展覧会, 1941) (see picture right)

2. NOBUMITSU (信光), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Nobumitsu” (信光), real name Sakō Shin ́ichi (佐光信一), born June 24th 1905, student of Kojima Katsumasa (小島勝正), he worked as guntō smith and died July 21st 1993, ryōkō no retsu (Akihide)

So it depends if your sword was made in Seki (Gifu) or in Fukuoka.

-- Guy

[nzef1940]

Many thanks Gentlemen.

[BruceP]

The location question MIGHT be helped if we can get shots of the small stamp at the top of the tang, near the handguard.

[nzef1940]

Confirmed as Gifu, thanks.