A MINO DEN NIHONTO MADE BY KANESADA II

                                                                        兼定 (NOSADA)

          This is a beautiful sword made by Kanesada (Nosada) of aprox. 58 cm length. Motokasane-0.14cm Motohaba-2.8cm Sakikasane-0.8cm Sakihaba-2.0cm. It has a sanbonsuji (三本杉) hamon that continues in the boshi.  Kanesada II and (Magoroku I) Kanemoto II were contemporary smiths and had a relationship (pledged brothers, both being students of Nosada's father Kanesada I, of Akasaka, active around the Bunmei period 1469) that may have influenced this work by Kanesada II. This sword's  hamon is atypical of Kanesada II being sanbonsuji, a signature feature of works by Kanemoto II. This leads one to speculate as to whether Kanemoto II may have done the yaki-ire or whether Kanesada II may have produced this work in tribute to his brother Kanemoto II. This sword has been shortened and has a well executed orikaeshi-mei (折返し 銘) retaining a shoshin (正真) signature Kanesada nijimei verified by certification from the NBTHK. Shortened by a smith named Teruyoshi, the inscription reads, 'Oite Bushu Edo Teruyoshi ageru kore', meaning, 'at Bushu Edo, Teruyoshi shortened this'. It is interesting to note the length to which this sword was shortened, being just under the definition of a katana's length and the skill by which it was done. Swords of this length were legal l for the merchant class to wear for defense. This sword was polished by Mishina Kenji sama.

           Kanesada II was a Sai-jo saku rated smith and noted for the sharpness of his swords (Saijo o-wazamono) and was active around the Eisho (1504-1521) period in the second half of the Muromachi era. He was named Yoshizaemonojo and had a few styles of mei. Originally signing with the kanji for 'sada' 定 meaning 'truth' (makoto) around the Meio period he used the sosho form of 'sada' which resembles the kanji for 'no' 之, hence his nickname "Nosada". Approximately Eisho 8 he received the title 'Izumi no Kami'. In Eisho 14 he worked in Seishu no Kuni (Ise province), town of Yamada and the 'kiku mon' was inscribed on some of these swords. He was born around 1425 in Akasaka where he was taught by his father the shodai Kanesada of the Shizu Ha , but, moved to Seki, an important sword producing area at the time. This is one of those cases where it becomes doubtful his reported birthdate is accurate, since it would have him actively producing swords at near 100 years of age, and reported as dying at the age of 111. I suspect he was born nearer the mid-15th century.

                                                                         A close-up of the orikaeshi-mei.                              Mei of Teruyoshi who did the suriage and orikaeshi.

                                                                                                                                                                  於武劦江戸照吉上之

                                                                                                                                                                  Oite Bushu Edo Teruyoshi ageru kore

        This is a portion of the koshirae for the Nosada sword. It has Mino kinko tousogu which seems pertinent to the fact it is a Mino sword. Good quality fittings showing the typical Mino-bori style. Nosada pictures courtesy of Darcy Brockbank.

        Research has shown that the sword smith, Teruyoshi 照吉, who shortened this sword was from Musashi no Kuni  武蔵 and active around the Kanbun period 寛文ころ . He signed swords he made,

                                                                                                                                        武州下原住藤原照吉

                                                                                                                          Bushu Shimohara Ju Fujiwara Teruyoshi.

                                                                                                   [sources;  "Kenkô-dan" (剣工談),"Kokon-kaji-bikô" (古今鍛冶備考),Tôkô-sôran" (刀工総覧)]

 

        I have removed the Higo tsuba from this koshirae and replaced it with a Mino-Goto tsuba which, I think, complements the original set of fittings much better.

     The following excerpts are from "Sasbeo Soundings," the weekly publication of U.S. Fleet activities, Sasebo, Japan. It was provided for use in this website by its author, Phil Eakins, a former Navy journalist.

           On Sept. 14, a small gray warship entered Sasebo harbor, signaling the beginning of the end of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s control of the Sasebo Naval Station.

           As the light minelayer USS Shannon (DM-25), flagship of Mine Division SEVEN, steamed past Kogosaki Point, the ship became “the first U.S. Man-o-War to enter these waters,” according to the Shannon’s September, 1945, War Diary.

            Twenty minutes after “dropping the hook” in Sasebo harbor, the Shannon received a delegation of Imperial Japanese naval officers led by Rear Admiral K. Ishii, Chief of Staff of the Sasebo Naval Station. Captain Henry Farrow, Commander, Mine Division SEVEN, accepted the informal surrender a short time later.

            Minesweeping operations were conducted with American and Japanese minecraft throughout the following week in preparation for the arrival of the occupation forces.

            Six days later the light Cruiser USS Santa Fe (CL-60), flagship of Rear Admiral Morton L. Deyo, Commander, Task Force 55, steamed into port. During an occupation conference held aboard ship on the evening of September 21, Japanese Vice Admiral Sugiyama, commander of the Sasebo Naval Station, and Rear Admiral Hayashi formally surrendered the naval base to Rear Admiral Deyo.

                                            Thanks to Phil Eakins, for this photograph of the formal surrender of the Sasebo Naval Base aboard the Santa Fe. The photo caption reads:

        "Aboard his flagship the Santa Fe (CL 60) at Sasebo Harbor, Japan Rear Admiral Morton L. Deyo, (center of the three officers seated at left) gives instructions to the Jap Vice Admiral Sugiyama on the necessary steps for fulfillment of the terms of surrender of the Jap people and their armed forces. Seated L-R Captain R.F. McCorkle, USN, Admiral Deyo, Captain W.R. Edsall, Rear Admiral Hagashi. (Back to camera) Vice Admiral Sugiyama. Additional members of the staff and interpreters are standing around the conference table."

                                                                                                                        This addition is from Peter Jenkins on April 17, 2005:

     According to this note by Mrs. Cheryl Rhodes Coleman, nee Hertzog, her father as a 1st Lieutenant and Company Commander of C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Regiment USMC took possession of the sword from the Mayor of Sasebo. The Mayor was Koura Souhei as indicated by the list of mayors of Sasebo below. I suspect it happened in September of 1945 as well and the date of 1946 may have been when it arrived in the USA with the officer.  

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