Help translating a sword

lincoln · (#1 (**permalink**))

Hi all,

We have received a Japanese World War II Officer's Sword with a "Surrender Bag" and some documents and are trying to understand what the blade and tang say!

Could someone help me translate! I'm also a History major in my final year of college, but coursework has not included Japanese.

The gallery with pictures is located at:
bdstewart's Photos : Japanese Swords | SmugMug

Any help would be appreciated!

tipsygypsy · (#2 (**permalink**))

it says 昭和十九年一月　which means January 1944

lincoln · (#3 (**permalink**))

Does the whole mark say that, or just one?

tipsygypsy · (#4 (**permalink**))

whole thing that I could see from that photo. 昭和十九年 is 1944 一月is January

lincoln · (#5 (**permalink**))

Does it say the same thing on both sides? There are a total of four photos in that gallery and to be honest I don't know how they are displayed to the public.

tipsygypsy · (#6 (**permalink**))

4photos? I go check out all of them. hold on

tipsygypsy · (#7 (**permalink**))

aight...

photo number1: January 1944

photo number2: I don't know what it says. looks like someones name.

photo number3: Shibajiro Hori 4-6 Ohtono-cho Mizuho-ku Nagoya city ( name of the sword owner and his address)

photo number4: 1 commander sword

siokan · (#8 (**permalink**))

It is not a sword.
Command saber(Imitation saber)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_Nagata_2.jpg
It is a plating processing in not steel but iron.

photo number2: 心行？ singyou
It is one of the sutras if 心行 is suitable.
Sūtra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia