Tags : Katana Sword
Meanings of Kanji on A Katana Sword 4
06/18/2020 Japanese Kanji Blog
Hello again, Samurai fans! I received another question about the engraving on an old katana sword! (*’▽’)/ Let’s see the katana sword! I’d like to find out where these amazing pieces of craftsmanship are from. OK, let me see…. ((( @_@) I see the second picture says “藤原清人作”! Then, the third picture says…文久…二? 年? 八月…目? or 日?? Hmmm, it’s tough to tell from the photo, but I got the basic idea!(*’▽’)/ The Meaning of the First Engraving on this Samurai Sword Let’s talk about “藤原清人作” first! 藤原(Fujiwara) is a Japanese family name that exists even today, so I can tell this part says somebody’s name clearly. When you see a …
Japanese Kanji on the Sheath of Katana Sword
05/18/2020 Japanese Kanji Blog
Hi there, Kanji fans! I received a question about the Japanese kanji on the sheath(saya) of the katana sword today! KansaiChick is here for help!(*’▽’)/ Can you help me with the meaning of these two kanji (archaic, I believe) in the saya of my katana? Oh, I see! Even in Japan, we don’t see this kanji today. As the owner of this katana says, the kanji “戰” is the old character form of today’s “戦”. So, “戰い” and “戦い” are the same things. 戦い(tatakai) means “Fight”, “Battle”, “(small) war” and so on. Usually Japanese samurai sword blacksmiths engrave only Kanji and Katakana script on their works if necessary. But we …
Meanings of Kanji on Katana Sword in “The Last Samurai” 今古有神奉志士
01/08/2020 Japanese Kanji Blog
Hi there, Kanji fans! I received a question about the Japanese kanji on the katana sword! KansaiChick is here for help!(*’▽’)/ This kanji phrase is on the blade of the katana sword that I has just got. What does it mean? Nice! It looks new and clean. It says 今古有神奉志士. I looked up this phrase and I found out some info! Katana Sword with 今古有神奉志士 in “The Last Samurai” 今古有神奉志士 is the engraving on the Katana (Samurai Sword) in the movie “The Last Samurai (2003)”. In this movie, the Samurai 勝元(Katsumoto) explained about the meanings of this phrase. He gave this sword to Nathan before the final war and he …
Meanings of Kanji on A Katana Sword 3
12/15/2019 Japanese Kanji Blog
Hi there, Samurai fans! I received another question about the engraving on an old katana sword!Σ(･ω･ﾉ)ﾉ KansaiChick is here for help!(*’▽’)/ I’d like to find out what the markings on the blade mean. Let me see…oh, thank goodness, this one is clear enough for me to read everything!! It says, “相州住盛重”. How to Read Engravings on Samurai Swords Japanese people call this engravings 銘(mei). Usually the blacksmiths engrave their name, plus their brand name (faction / location). Sometimes we find the first owner’s name of the sword there as well. So, which is which? Ummm, that is the historian’s job to determine. However, even I can tell you one idea …
Meanings of Kanji on the Katana Sword 2
10/26/2019 Japanese Kanji Blog
Hello again Kanji Fans! I received another interesting question from a follower! It’s about a Samurai sword! I bought this short sword and I see some letters on the blade. What do they mean? Woooo, you got a fancy one. According to the ratio, I can tell it’s a Tantou (短刀). Tantou is a short katana sword with the less than 30 cm (about 1 foot) blade. In Japan, Katana swords bust be sold with a certificate describing what it is. But the owner says this one came with nothing. Let me take a close look. (@_@) Wow, to be honest, I have no idea what it says. I can’t …
Meanings of Kanji on the Katana Sword
05/30/2019 Japanese Kanji Blog
Hello Kanji Fans! Today, I want to share a very interesting question from a follower! It’s a historian’s job! I bought this sword and I see some kanji on the blade. What does it mean? Wow, you got a Katana sword! Thank you for the pictures! Let me see…OK, you want to know what this means. Leave it to me! KansaiChick is here for help. (*’▽’)/ First of all, Japanese people call this 銘(mei). I think you might see something on the same spot of your kitchen knife. Today some makers engrave or print their brand name and stuff there. Ancient Japanese blacksmiths did that too. Let’s see what this one …
