UK Sword Register
No. 29
Type
Gendaito
Sugata
Shinogi-Zukuri, Iori-mune.
Nagasa
61.0cm
Nakago
Ubu, one Mekugi-ana, long inscription covering both sides
Omote
Aki (no) Kuni Oite Kure (no) Ura
(In the City of Aki Province)
Kentan
(forging to donate)
Hiraga Morikuni (Kao) Tsutsushinde Tsukuru Kore
(Hiraga Morikuni elaborately forged this sword)
Dai Nippon Token Kurabu
(Japanese Sword Club)
Ura
Ho ? Dai Nippon Kure Gunko Koron Shacho
(Presented? Great Japan "Kure Koron" Magazine in Kure Naval Port)
Eikoku Kotaishi Denka Mitsumura Ryojiro
(To the Prince of Great Britain, from Mitsumura Ryojiro, with respect)
Ichi Sen Ku Hyaku Nijuni Nen Go Gatsu Kitchi Jitsu
(1922, a lucky day in May)
In 1922, Japan was visited by the British Prince of Wales, who was to become
the King Edward VIII and who would abdicate over the scandal of his affair
with Mrs Simpson. This visit followed the Crown Prince of Japan Hirohito's
visit to Great Britain in the previous year where they seem to have
befriended each other and socialised, particularly on the golf course. It
was Edward's expressed intention to finish the game of golf with Hirohito on
this trip to Japan. Whatever, he toured Japan extensively, as much as a
sight-seer as a royal visitor. One place of great interest that he visited
was the navel dockyard at Kure, near Hiroshima and a sword was presented
to him on this occasion. This sword may have been mounted when presented
as there would likely be a Saya-gaki (brushed writing on the scabbard) if
it were not and there is none. This sword is relatively short (61cm) and
has very little curvature. The Hamon is in the Mino style of the early
Magaroku Kanemoto's, but is rather distorted towards the point, whilst the
Jihada is very tight and is best described as Nashiji (like a pear skin)
or even Muji-hada. The swordsmith was named Hiraga Morikuni. He was a
member of the Dai Nippon Token club and is recorded as having moved to
Kure from Shimane. He seems to have been a respected smith of his day and
had the benefit of being a local man from Kure and probably the best from
the area. The sword appears to have been commissioned by the Chairman of a
magazine called "Kure Kuron" which was based at the navel port. The
swordsmith had a unique way of inscribing the date on this sword, at least.
Rather than writing in the traditional manner, which would have been
Taisho 11th year etc., he has written it in a European fashion but in
Japanese characters, ie. Ichi Sen Ku Nijuni Nen etc (One thousand, nine
hundred, twenty two) using the character SEN-thousand and HYAKU-hundred,
combined with the Japanese numeric characters shown. This sword is an
interesting historical link between Japanese swords and Great Britain as
well as the British royal family. Hawleys ref: MOR1058
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