Help with Kanji

Hello Aficionados,
Hope you all are having wonderfilled days.
I was wondering if I could get some help with some kanji, I found inside a saya.
Any and all assistance would be appreciated.

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date and name?

The longer part is a date (ANSEI 4 NEN), 1858, followed by a name (something like "Norisaka"?).

Pete

Yuu Yuu Kai

The 3 kanji on the bottom are "YUu YUu Kai".
Old Nelson numbers 4756, 5030, 1464.
We don't understand the meaning of those 3 together, but the 3rd one means "change, modify, renew, mend", so that might fit somehow...

Update: "YUu YUu" is also a first name, "Kunio". So, maybe the name of the guy that repaired the saya or the blade...?

Pete

What are "Nelson numbers"?

saipan59 wrote:

The longer part is a date (ANSEI 4 NEN), 1858, followed by a name (something like "Norisaka"?).

Pete

Hiya Pete,
How have you been?

Thanks for taking the time with this.

The Shikkake school(Yamato) had a lot of Nori's in it.

Do you think the blade that was in the saya, was made, or altered in 1858?

The blade that is in the saya is either a Unokubi-zukuri or a nagamaki-naoshi, it has no yokote.

saipan59 wrote:

The 3 kanji on the bottom are "YUu YUu Kai".
Old Nelson numbers 4756, 5030, 1464.
We don't understand the meaning of those 3 together, but the 3rd one means "change, modify, renew, mend", so that might fit somehow...

Update: "YUu YUu" is also a first name, "Kunio". So, maybe the name of the guy that repaired the saya or the blade...?

Pete

What are "Nelson numbers"?

The nakago has two gold spots, almost like little drops. The rest is so built up with rust you can barely see the yasurime, it is Takanoha.

Nelson's dictionary

"Japanese-English Character Dictionary" by Andrew Nelson.
This dictionary is "the old standard" kanji dictionary for English-speaking folks.
The "old Nelson" is the original version.
There is a newer version that has many changes, including changing the numbers of the kanji (a mistake, in my opinion).

Pete

BASHOU ARATAMERU

saipan59 wrote:

"Japanese-English Character Dictionary" by Andrew Nelson.
This dictionary is "the old standard" kanji dictionary for English-speaking folks.
The "old Nelson" is the original version.
There is a newer version that has many changes, including changing the numbers of the kanji (a mistake, in my opinion).

Pete

Thanks Pete, I must buy a good kanji book soon.
What in your opinion is the best kanji book for a slow learning beginner?

I just received an email from H.A. Watson(translator of the Nihon To Koza).

He said "The writing on the inside of the scabbard appears to be that of the person who reshaped the sword. That was a naginata, and has been made into a wakizashi."

The date appears to be a month in 1857, but the name of the month is a bit smeared. The other three kanji appear to me to say BASHOU ARATAMERU, meaning changed by a person called Bashou. In this case, shou ryhmes with show."

Guess that would make the sword that was in the saya a naganata-naoshi?

That is pretty exciting to me.
Pavel

BASHOU ARATAMERU

saipan59 wrote:

"Japanese-English Character Dictionary" by Andrew Nelson.
This dictionary is "the old standard" kanji dictionary for English-speaking folks.
The "old Nelson" is the original version.
There is a newer version that has many changes, including changing the numbers of the kanji (a mistake, in my opinion).

Pete

Thanks Pete, I must buy a good kanji book soon.
What in your opinion is the best kanji book for a slow learning beginner?

I just received an email from H.A. Watson(translator of the Nihon To Koza).

He said "The writing on the inside of the scabbard appears to be that of the person who reshaped the sword. That was a naginata, and has been made into a wakizashi."

The date appears to be a month in 1857, but the name of the month is a bit smeared. The other three kanji appear to me to say BASHOU ARATAMERU, meaning changed by a person called Bashou. In this case, shou ryhmes with show."

Guess that would make the sword that was in the saya a naganata-naoshi?

That is pretty exciting to me.
Pavel

Bashou ?

You can trust Harry Watson's interpretations.
However, it's possible that Harry is mis-reading the first kanji ("Ba" is slightly different), but it doesn't really matter -- knowing the name is not useful, unless it is a famous person.

Pete

Thanks

saipan59 wrote:

You can trust Harry Watson's interpretations.
However, it's possible that Harry is mis-reading the first kanji ("Ba" is slightly different), but it doesn't really matter -- knowing the name is not useful, unless it is a famous person.

Pete

Yea maybe, but as you say it doesn't really matter.
I am very happy knowing that it was made prior to 1850. Just have to clean it enough to see the hada and hamon.
Thanks for your help Pete.
Pavel