Katana belonging to 山下奉文

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Jingasa

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Jingasa By: Ian Bottomley Jingasa are items that I have always never really understood. Over the years I have owned a few, and still have some, but I never really found out much about them. What did the different shapes signify? Why were they worn and when? When were they first used ? These are all questions I have never really obtained answers to. Recently I was loaned copies of the ‘Daruma’ magazine in which there are a series of articles on jingasa by Akemi Masaharu that gives some more detail ( issues No 27, 36, 42, 47 and 57). Using that information, as well as my own thoughts on the subject has led me to write these few words on the subject. It is generally acknowledged that jingasa originated as a form of helmet made for lower ranking troops during the Sengoku Jidai. Exactly when they were first made is debatable. Early foot soldiers, ashigaru, were only poorly equipped by their commanders, relying on battlefield loot as their source of equipment ...
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N.B.T.H.K. (Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kai)

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N.B.T.H.K. (Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kai) The N.B.T.H.K. (Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kai) was founded in 1948 and is commonly recognized by collectors. They operate the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. The NBTHK shinsa are held only in Japan. The names of their origami have changed over time. The N.B.T.H.K. issued the following types of origami starting in the 1950's. KICHO   (white papers) - "Important Work" TOKUBETSU KICHO   (green papers) - "Extraordinary Work" KOSHU TOKUBETSU KICHO   (blue papers) - "Special Extraordinary Work JUYO TOKEN   - "Very Important Work" TOKUBETSU JUYO   - "Extraordinarily Important Work" This ranking scale was changed in the 1980's. The current system of origami includes the following types: HOZON   - "Worthy of Preservation" TOKUBETSU HOZON   - "Extraordinarily Worthy of Preservation" JUYO TOKEN   - "Very Important Work" TOKUBETSU JUYO   -...
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Yamato Hosho Tradition from Kamakura till the Present by Han Bing Siong

The Yamato Hosho Tradition from Kamakura till the Present by Han Bing Siong Traditionally sword students distinguish five different major styles in Japanese swords according to the provinces. Some like Nagayama Kokan sensei, say there are six styles the Shinto being the sixth. Peculiarly, many Japanese sources in specifying the Goka Den first refer to the Yamashiro den, then to the Yamato den. Bizen den, Soshu den and Mino den in this sequence. Those sources, however, are unanymous as regards the Kogarasu Maru by Amakuni, presently in the Imperial collection, being the oldest curved Japanese sword. They are also unanymous on the point that Amakuni was a swordsmith of Yamato province. So why mentioning Yamashiro first rather than Yamato ? Moreover, as the book Shosoin no Token (p.xiii) points out the Yamashiro den must have its origin in Yamato, because swords of sanjo Munechika and Awataguchi Kuniyoshi, both prominent early swordsmiths of Yamashiro province, have niju ba. Nijuba...
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