NBTHK Taikai 2008 by M. Yamasaki

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "NBTHK Taikai 2008 by M. Yamasaki"

Scot Hubert Chase
5 years ago
Views:

1 NBTHK Taikai 2008 by M. Yamasaki Well, Hello to all, here is my report on the NBTHK Taikai held at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo! Since I just got back, and am writing this with a nice case of jetlag, please forgive any errors. The 2008 NBTHK Zenkoku Taikai was a very nicely attended event. It was very nice to see Tanobe sensei as well as Hagihara sensei in good spirits. They were quite happy at the nice turnout of foreign members for this years Taikai making this a very world wide event. From the left: Hagihara Sensei, Tanobe Sensei, Paul Davidson, Michael Hagenbusch Even though there were some concerns due to the strength of the Yen and the woes of the world economic situation the event was well attended, and there was actually a very strong showing especially from members of the American and European branches. There was even a contingent from South Africa that attended for the first time, thus I would definitely call the event a great international success. In the main showroom, 155 top level blades were available for in hand viewing, everything from Juyo Token to Juyo Bijutsuhin were displayed for the membership. All in all, very excellent examples from Koto all through Shinshinto were represented, and almost all were above average examples of each artisan s workmanship. Of course I was personally enthralled with the signed Shintogo Kunimitsu tachi (But that is my favorite maker), but I must say that the Awataguchi Kuniyoshi and the Gojo Kuninaga were both very nice and would be welcome in my collection anytime! OK enough of the dreaming, I have added the list of blades that were on display, and the marked blades are the Juyo

Works by Yoshihara Yoshindo and Yoshikazu were also on display as well as a display of final polished blades by top mukansa polishers such as Sugihara Hiroshi, Saito Tsukasa, and Yanagawa Kiyotsugu.

2 Bijutsuhin level swords that were available for in hand study. The main room was open on Saturday from 12noon until 4:00pm. On the floor below there was a display of modern swords and fittings including the living national treasure sword smith Osumi Toshihira. Works by Yoshihara Yoshindo and Yoshikazu were also on display as well as a display of final polished blades by top mukansa polishers such as Sugihara Hiroshi, Saito Tsukasa, and Yanagawa Kiyotsugu. In the room next to this was the notorious Ippon Nyusatsu Kantei challenge contest. 5 blades, 1 minute each, tangs covered and the little piece of paper of which for you to put your best guess answer of who made these blades from what your eye had told you! As usual, there was always a ringer a blade that was so hard to guess you practically had to own it to know the answer. Sword #1 was a long beautiful tachi, suguha based hamon with kuichigaiba and ashi in places (Enju Kuniyoshi), Sword #2 was a smallish tanto, sugu gunome based hamon with fine kinsuji running through the ashi (Hokke Nobukane), Sword #3 was a very nice super healthy katakiriba sunnobi tanto with a large gunome midare (Shodai Tadayoshi), Sword #4 was also a very nice soshu den sunnobi tanto with streams of kinsuji running from the boshi to the hamachi through the gunome ashi. (Dewa Daijo Kunimichi), Sword #5 was a katana with a strange very low yakidashi, nie deki midare hamon. (Hankei). Me, Tanobe Sensei and Ryosuke with our award from the Kantei contest. In addition to the events at the Keio hotel, the fittings display at the NBTHK was specially put on just for the Taikai. The NBTHK kindly put a bus at all of the member s disposal to be ferried back and forth from the hotel to the NBTHK. Because of the growing interest in kodogu, the NBTHK fittings team decided to make an exceptionally great fittings display that was in the main gallery of the NBTHK. It was a fittings collectors dream, all of the best examples of both kinko and iron (unbelievable mint condition), Natsuo, Ichijo, Tomei, Yasuchika, Goto early masters the list was very long, and much appreciated! Many thanks also to Hagihara sensei that did kind of a special study with a small group of collectors of all the pieces displayed! He answered many questions as well, and even Kobayashi sensei, Matsunaga sensei and Iiyama sensei also came to help. Where else can one receive such a lesson with actual shinsa judges from such a prestigious organization. In addition to the fittings, there were

There were the usual speeches, and even a video greeting from such people as the governor of Tokyo Mr. Ishihara.

3 3 Kokuho, 7 Juyo Bunkazai,1 Juyo Bijutsuhin and 2 top level Tokubetsu Juyo Token blades on display. There was a break in between 4pm and 5 pm, then we all went to the ballroom for the ceremony and the banquet. I believe that there were around 400 people or so, as the room was quite full. There were the usual speeches, and even a video greeting from such people as the governor of Tokyo Mr. Ishihara. After the ceremonies finished, there was a very nice Chinese dinner served for everyone, and the party began! There was much interaction between the foreigners and the Japanese, and you could only guess how many pictures were taken! It was really nice to see everyone from all over the world getting together sharing a common passion and seeing new friendships made. In fact after the party ended, many people went to other places with their new found friends and continued the celebration til the wee hours in the morning (from what I heard). The next day, the main room was open from around 9 am until 2 pm, and many people showed up early. I even heard that some people went through the room 4 times! I was very happy to see such enthusiasm, and that everyone was really enjoying the hospitality of the Hombu (NBTHK main office).

For those that came to Japan for the first time, they will remember such an event for a long, long time.

I was wondering why the shinsa had been a little bit delayed in getting the results to the collectors.

He said that for the past few years, the numbers of items submitted has increased greatly.

4 For those that came to Japan for the first time, they will remember such an event for a long, long time. During the Taikai, I had a chance to talk with Tanobe sensei about the shinsa. I was wondering why the shinsa had been a little bit delayed in getting the results to the collectors. He said due to the largely growing amount of blades and fittings being submitted these days, it is taking longer to complete the judging. He said that for the past few years, the numbers of items submitted has increased greatly. He also told me that he is very happy that so many people trust the judgment of the NBTHK, and he said that he will keep doing his best in helping all the collectors from around the world. Here is a picture of the tsuba I received for 2 nd place in the Kantei challenge that was made by Yoshindo Yoshihara. He donated tsubas for the top 3 places.

NBTHK SWORD JOURNAL ISSUE NUMBER 741 October, Meito Kansho: Examination of Important Swords. Classification: Juyo Bunkazai.

NBTHK SWORD JOURNAL ISSUE NUMBER 741 October, 2018 Meito Kansho: Examination of Important Swords Classification: Juyo Bunkazai Type: Tachi Mei: Nagamitsu (name: go Shonai Nagamitsu) Owner: Okayama Prefectural