#pre-shinsengumi era

[talesofedo]

A tiny Soji for your weekend.

[winterfieldfrontiers]

Detective Conan Movie 27 Confirmed Cast

Ran and Mouri is back as Main characters after being a supporting in M26

Hakodate, WE'RE COMING!!!!

In the first teaser post-M26, it's more comedic tone about kid, Heiji and Conan's teasing about event in Kid Vs. Komei case. then Kid's card was cut by Sword sound, theme is purple

In the official teaser, it's more serious tone with teasing about Kid with how he's opposite to Heiji and Conan now, theme is Red vs Blue (Sword with Pentagon), collided to be Logo (Red+Blue=Purple like the first teaser) with Fire and Snow with Goryokaku fort sign in background.

 thought the situation of M27 will be setting on winter on the first quarter, after M26 was set in December (based on Pre-Movie 26 filler episode), maybe Heiji comes for Kendo Tournament chip to get the reward as sword, Kid want to get that sword for his father, so they fight to each other like tagline said

"There is someone who will inherit the will."

Kid might want to carry his father job, Heiji is going to be Kendo Master this time (after M7) and fight together with Conan for the worst culprit, Ran and Kazuha could be co-lead to have badass fight scene this time like M7.

Gosho gave us more hint about movie 27, yesterday.

- Conan will ride skateboard in unexpected place, same to Heiji, who has a big fight scene in the same circumstance.

- It's Heist Rom-Com with M7 tone, urban legend (If this was true, this movie could broke M26 BO, how hyping Japanese is for their culture and traditional, Japanese people talked about Shinsengumi, the group that have history with Hakodate and Goryokaku, maybe the sword will be their leader sword.

- Hakuba Saguru could be in M27 after his returning in recent manga, Nov 8.

So exciting for the new movie era, and I hope we will get the official name soon.

[stars-and-clouds]

Masterlist of My Major Posts (multifandom)

Last updated: 26/10/2023

☾ Send a Commission

☾ Fanart Prints and Merch

☾ Gumroad Shop

☾ Other Artworks

☾ Kofi

☾ InPrint Shop

☾ Fanfics (multifandom)

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

☾ Favourite Gothic Media List

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

☾ FFXIV:

Ishgardian Hierarchy

FFXIV Astral and Umbral Eras

Ishgardian Curses (writing aid)

Pre-Calamity Coerthas Map (writing aid, not mine/referenced)

Haurchefant and Aymeric’s Kindness (Character Sketch)

Aymeric’s Insecurity (Character Sketch)

Coerthas/Ishgard  Aesthetic Prompt

Borel House Heraldry (HC)

☾ The Wayhaven Chronicles:

(moodboard) Adam Du Mortain

(moodboard) Nathaniel Sewell

(moodboard) My Detective x Adam

☾ Love and Deepspace:

fancast for Rafayel, Xavier and Zayne

Xavier Romance Headcanons (SFW)

☾ Dragon Age:

Fenris, Elvhen Slavery, Golems and Tranquility Theory

☾ Baldur’s Gate:

Why Astarion Won’t Betray Tav Theory

Lamentable is the autumn picker content with plums (I hc completed Astarion’s shirt poem)

Romanced Astarion’s need for power

Astarion Romance Headcanons

Astarion likes sweetness

Astarion moodboard

Astarion and the sweet sweet man

☾ ASOIAF/Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon:

Unseen Westeros Compilation

Tolkien vs Martin

☾ Hakuouki/Shinsengumi Kitan:

How to play Hakuoki SSL on PC (guide)

Why Do People Hate Iba Hachiro?

Hakuoki random alignments

Hakuoki as text posts

☾ Moodboards and Aesthetics:

Aymeric de Borel stimboard

Camp Dragonhead during a blizzard

Thanalan during a sandstorm

[epicdogymoment]

omg yes and YES and also let me point something out about the survival aspect of it all. when gintoki decides to stay with otose that's the second time he has to integrate into a new kind of living the first having been shoka sonjuku my guy has a whole routine. a whole inventory of tricks to appear real - not monstous and spectral - even on this plane of reality that can hold so little of him but he will make that little COUNT a part of it is surely just goodwill and curiosity. another part is orphan instict. we see practically nothing from what i call the postwar nightmare decade between his going home to otose and taking shinpachi home to yorozuya maybe just that one incerdibly tragicomic flashback episode where everything is played for laughs? lesson 195 when the kids are like come on dont you have any nice strories??? and gin gets quiet for a moment like you two are my nice stories... my two swords anyway what i mean is that he's done this routine as a child with children who had pasts and parents and communities who didn't just appear from thin air under a dead body on a battlefield one day something about gintoki is that he is observant like his life depends on it (because it always did.) so making up a fake urbanized past with pools and grandmothers and PE classes is part of the unconscious mimicry and i suspect it comes to him fairly easy. it's all very superficial of course but as i said his presence on that urban plain isn't very substantial either when death and breakfast are the same what difference is there between a chocolate parfait or a bloodied 4 day old onigiri from a corpse's lunchbox? and the last thing... the past is unspeakable and sacred and monstrous and most of all sacred. so maybe possibly every blatant lie and gag and anachronism in the flashbacks is the viewer/reader being denied that past. because in memory there is Treachery also and gintama characters know all too well that remembering someone correctly and being connected to someone properly are two entirely different things. so we get the battlefield pocari vending machine (my beloved) because it's survivable and because it actually leads somewhere. (via @agroupofcrows​)

i love early gintama for SO many reasons

[demifiendrsa]

Like a Dragon: Ishin! | Ambush Trailer

Like a Dragon: Ishin! remake will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on February 21, 2023 worldwide.

Overview

About

1860s Kyo is plagued by widespread inequality, and one samurai will change the course of history in his search for justice. Take up the sword of Sakamoto Ryoma and venture to Kyoto to find your father’s killer, clear yourself of a framed murder, and restore your honor. In doing so, you will bring an end to the samurai era and forever change the future of Japan. Draw your blade, load your revolver, and join the revolution in this heated historical adventure that only the creators of Yakuza: Like a Dragon could produce.

Deluxe Edition

Dawn the clothes and weaponry of the elite to become the samurai of legend, Sakamoto Ryoma. The Deluxe Edition both adds challenge to your journey and gives you additional resources to overcome it. The Deluxe Edition includes:

Shinsengumi Enjoyment Set

Ryoma Growth Support Kit

Sword Upgrade Materials Kit

Gun Upgrade Materials Kit

Third Division Armament Expansion Kit

The Dragon of Dojima Skin

Pre-Order Bonus

Pre-order now for exclusive access to three of the best weapons of the era. Trailblaze the road to revolution with:

Kijinmaru Kunishige, a dark sword with a white hilt

Tsuyano Usukurenai, a sword soaked in blood

Black Ship Cannon, a cannon taken from Western ships

[camuslittlesister]

All the Okita in Otome, ranked. Or not.

I had a bit of a hiatus while dealing with real life and shit, but I finally got around to playing all the games I know have been translated into English. Here’s the ultimate ranking of all the variations of my otome husbando.

Destined to Love (Cybird)

Please please please can you pull this app and redo it as Ikémen Bakumatsu with Yamada doing the art? I cannot deal with Okita, Sōji Okita of the Shinsengumi, whose swordmanship is nothing short of legendary, looking like some edgy marshmallow. C’mon, guys. You’re taking all sorts of liberties with history already, why stop there and not make him look the part? Just make Hijikata even hotter, everything will be fine.

Era of Samurai: Code of Love (Voltage)

Still one of my favourites even after venturing into the realm of premium games, although he looks too much like Leon for my liking (I guess that’s what you get with Voltage and also a byproduct of my refusal to even contemplate ever liking that lion even though, like for Iori in SITS, I clearly do and I just refuse to admit it, although I did exactly that a moment ago). His modern AU stereotypical indie kid version is everything. It’s like they made him for me.

Hakuoki (Otomate/Idea Factory)

Why do I love this Morikubo-voiced jerk more than my actual life? I have many questions to ask of myself and I don't even know if I really want to know the answers, but I have spent about £50 so he can be on my wall alongside another less jerky Morikubo character in what is slowly and not deliberately turning into a shrine to the man himself since his characters dominate my merch purchases. (Author’s note: This post has been a cumulative draft over a year or so, and I wrote this pre-Piofiore. It’s only gone worse since)

Hakuoki Sweet School Life

The god of chaos and love of my life. That’s it.

The Amazing Shinsengumi

Side note, what is it with games making Harada the hot one? Also let me romance this Hijikata please and thank you.

He’s hella cute and double-faced, which I tend to like, but also he appears to go through every trope I don’t like in the span of a conversation. 6/10, although solid 10 for looks. In fact, make it 20/10. Top 3 for looks with Voltage and Hakuoki.

Ninja Shadow

I keep forgetting that I did play this Okita (and it was my first while at that...) but even with that dream ponytail it’s not the greatest version. He’s a jokester, which is fun, and he hides a big dollop of angst as it’s right and just, but he was a bit OTT with the humour and it’s a strange storyline that does him a disservice.

Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi

If he doesn’t threaten to kill you is he even Okita? I’m living for that one CG that looks like he is Kondō and Hijikata’s kid, but aside from it being probably the most historically accurate of the otome portrayals (at least in localised games) he started off a bit of a disappointment for the same reason as Destined to Love. He was also not helped by the fact that Shinpachi has a brain, Sakamoto and Yamazaki exist and (omg, can’t believe I’m saying this) Hijikata and that line about loving his woman in Sanan’s route. However, when actually playing his scenes etc, he grew on me. I would happily go raise cats and babies with him like I would with his Hakuoki and Era of Samurai incarnations.

Dateless Love

I have questions. Why is this version Iba’s lovechild with Saito?

Why is he like Gin in Ayakashi Gohan if he was a soldier? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a major sucker for lovely characters going full on deadly from a moment to the next, so I’m digging it, I’m just extremely disoriented because Voltage is my canon Okita personality (Hakuoki took that and turned it up a notch and ruined my life in the process) and every deviation I’m like “new number who dis?”

It took him 10 chapters to show a hint of the teasing we all know and love. TEN. Out of like 15. I have had three kids with Tokugawa by now (and I don’t even do blondes. Except Ayumu. And best boy. And omg I’m still in the Kiro phase but also could be a Helios phase soooo 🫣 okay, fine, I do blondes). It was really cute tho and I watched him die in the good ending which is a plus.

[queenofnohr]

Hajime Saito Profiles

Default

Hajime Saito was the captain of the Shinsengumi’s Third Division - the Shinsengumi being an organization for public order that was active primarily in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period. Along with Souji Okita and Shinpachi Nagakura, he was noted as one of the best swordsmen in the Shinsengumi, though details such as his origins and school of swordsmanship.

Profile 1

Height/Weight: 178cm・77kg Origin: History Region: Japan Alignment: Lawful Moderate Gender: Male “School? That doesn’t matter. Well, if we’re talking about me, I guess you could call it the Invincible Style?”

Profile 2

He continued to fight from the turbulent Bakumatsu period up through the Meiji era as one of the few Shinsengumi members to live out his natural lifespan. His swordsmanship was outstanding even among the rest of the Shinsengumi, with the captain of the Second Division, Shinpachi Nagakura, describing Okita Souji as the Fearsome Blade and Hajime Saito as the Invincible Blade. It is said he diligently performed many off-the-record missions such as purging of members within the group, and one rumor is that he was a secret agent for the Shinsengumi from the shogunate and Aizu. In reality, we have an incomplete understanding of much of his behavior during his time as part of the Shinsengumi, and it appears he held a special position among the soldiers.

Profile 3

At first glance, he seems to be a flippant guy who’s 50% joker and 50% romcom lead, but sometimes the sharp and shrewd glint in his eyes slips through. Among the Shinsengumi soldiers, who tended toward anachronistic ideals, he believed in a flexible way of life unbound by pre-existing values.

“Wha~at, this way is just more interesting to me.”

However, because he’s always like this, his fellow member Okita has given him many nicknames such as the Shabbygumi.

He likes noodles. He especially likes the croquette soba he ate after coming to the modern era.

“Croquettes soaked in soba broth is cheap-looking, delicious, and totally irresistible.”

Profile 4

○ Invincible Blade: Ａ

This phrase describes Saito’s swordsmanship, which was appraised as able to compete for first or second strongest in the Shinsengumi. His style was said to be Mugai Ryuu or Ittou-ryuu, but in reality, it was a free sword technique not bound to anything.

○Free Draw: Ｂ

An ever-changing sword-drawing technique wherein the sword can be drawn with either the left, right, or both hands. A sword technique without school where the blade’s point can be changed freely. A special combat style that is exceedingly difficult to predict.

“Dominant hand? Oh, no, I’m just drawing the swords however when I gotta. Like I always say, ‘If you have time to think, you have time to slice.’”

Profile 5

Mugyou Rank: N/A Type: Anti-Unit Mystic Sword Range: 1-9　 Maximum Number of Targets: 1 person

Mugyou - formlessness. Saito Hajime’s deadly inverted shoulder slash that was described as an Invincible Blade. Swordsmanship that is freedom without form. He incorporates a unique style of approach different from pure speed, disrupting the enemy’s sense of time and distance, and while they mistake the interval of attack, he cuts them down instantly. Because the opponent is cut down from a distance they think he can’t reach from, if they did notice they were slashed, they would think it some sort of illusion.

In general, if his opponent is wielding a melee weapon, even if it’s a spear or other polearm, it is possible for him to ignore its reach and become a frontliner from any distance.

“—Like this my sword is invincible!”

Profile 6 (Unlocked with finishing GudaGuda Yamataikoku)

He was a member of the Shinsengumi since its founding, and the Commander, Kondou, and Vice-Commander, Hijikata, both place very much trust in him. Although he completed many important missions and survived countless fierce battles, he eventually left the Shinsengumi, supported the new government, and lived out his life.

He didn’t speak much in his later years, and passed away telling very little of his time in the Shinsengumi.

He did more work as a secret agent than as a swordsman, leading an aloof existence that belied his true feelings from enemy and fellow soldiers alike— and as such was often accused of being a man who held no conviction as a samurai.

“Well, that’s basically how it is. I aimlessly wander here and there, following whatever seems most interesting at the time. If humans die, they lose, right? So in other words, if you don’t die then you won’t lose. That’s the innermost secret of the Invincible Blade. But who knows, ya’know?”

—Indeed, who knows? That until his final moments he heralded a single flag within his heart, even as he continued on into a new era.

[shinsengumi-archives]

Okita Souji [SHQ]

also known as Souzi, Soushi or Soji

Born in Tenpou 13 (1844) (some say Tenpou15), died Meiji 1 (1868), May 30 (Unsure of the converted date; may be July19).

Hometown: Shirakawa

Style: Tennen Rishin Ryuu

Swords: Kikuichimonji Norimune (might be unlikely because it had the status of a national treasure), Kaga Kiyomitsu (both katana)

Original name: Okita (some say Harumasa) Soujirou

Soujirou was born into a samurai family in Shirakawa, the oldest son of Okita Katsujirou (or Shuujirou? the translator is unclear). His parents having died when he was little, he was raised by his older sister (Omitsu) and her husband (Rintaro). Rintaro was originally from the Inoue family (related to Inoue Genzaburou), and was adopted into the Okita family upon his marriage.

At nine years of age, Okita began kenjutsu at Shieikan. There, he was close friends with Kondou, Hijikata, and Inoue (and later Harada, Toudou, Yamanami, and Nagakura). It is said that they were almost like brothers.

It was also discovered that he had a great talent for kenjutsu (a prodigy). By his teens, he had mastered all the techniques of Tennen Rishin Ryuu, and in Bunkyuu 1 at age eighteen, he began teaching it himself. Equally skilled with he shinai, bokken/bokutou, and katana, he attained Menkyo Kaiden status at a young age. It is said that he loved children a lot, and rumor has it that he was very good-looking (perhaps this is according to the standards of the time, or perhaps due to popular fiction).

In Bunkyuu 3 (1863), he left for Kyoto with Kondou and the others to join the Roushitai. After its disbanding, he became the captain of the first unit of the Roushigumi (later Shinsengumi) and Fukuchou Jokin (Vice-Commander's Assistant). He was said to be one of the top three swordsmen of the group, together with Saitou Hajime and Nagakura Shinpachi. Others argue that he was the best. His signature attack was the Sandanzuki ("three-piece thrust"), an attack derived from an invention of Hijikata's (the Hirazuki).

Okita later contracted tuberculosis (some say he did during the early days of the group, but others say it must have been later). His illness was discovered during the Ikedaya affair when he coughed up blood (coughing up blood is a sign of very advanced stages of TB it would be unlikely he survived this long after Ikedaya, perhaps this was added later for dramatic purposes). Kondou and Hijikata elected to keep Okita's illness a secret from the troops, in order to keep their morale up. Doctor Matsumoto Ryoujun treated him, and he did use Ishida Sanyaku (Hijikata family medicine) and the Sato family medicine to ease his illness. By Keiou 3, his condition had become so bad that he had to be left behind in Edo. There, he spent the rest of his days in a hospital. He inquired after Kondou constantly, since he was never told of his execution. It is also said that Okita tried to kill a black cat. He died May 30 (converted date?), Meiji 1 (1868), without witness.

*There is also something on Okita's page at http://toshizo.com/name that mentions someone confessed love to him in Bunkyuu 2, and he declined saying "Because I am still in training." This may be an error from the translating software, but it could also be true.

A Note on Okita's Sword by Shimazu Masayoshi

The Kiku-ichimon-ji Norimune is reputed to be the sword Okita used. However, it is HIGHLY unlikely that that was his sword, mainly owing to the fact that "Kiku-ichimonji," or "Chrysanthemum-crest," is the crest of the Emperor, and the swordsmith Norimune, having been in attendance to Emperor Go-Toba, was allowed to stamp the tang of his blades (the part the handle wraps around) with the Imperial crest. Therefore, the sword, even in the pre-Meiji era, had the status of a national treasure. So it's highly unlikely that Okita, a man who was the son of a low-ranking ashigaru (ashigaru were foot soldiers who are considered by some to have not even had full samurai rank), would have such a sword.

However, http://www.toshizo.com/nozoku/index.html lists a more likely candidate for Okita's favorite sword-- the Kaga Kiyomitsu. You can see a picture of what I believe is a replica here- http://www2.taiyo-planet.co.jp/konc/konc-shohin/japan/kit/img/kit-027a-ko.jpg, and it's possible to buy it here http://www2.taiyo-planet.co.jp/konc/konc-shohin/japan/kit/kit-027a.htm. Even says he used it at Ikedaya.

His Final Resting Place Okita's ashes are at Zempukuji Temple located in Akasaka Tokyo.

[andsewingishalfthebattle]

Anime Central 2021 Panels (...maybe)

Soooo ACEN has moved online this year, and is running their virtual con split between Twitch and Discord this weekend.

As we had provided some of the cultural content last year, ASIHTB was asked if we could provide a selection of pre-recorded educational and cultural programming for this year's event. Which we did, even bringing in authors and cultural experts to contribute more diverse content!

But when I checked the programming schedule to see when I needed to be online for the live panel Q&A, I discovered that of the 26 presentations we sent in, only two were actually listed on the final panel schedule. 😕 Laura was told by staff that more of our programs were going be added to the schedule, but it's now the day of the con and the schedule has never been updated, so I have no idea when, where, or if the rest of our videos will be run.

If ACEN doesn't show the videos, I suppose we can just put them up on our YouTube channel so you can watch them there after the con. (Bonus ASIHTB con!) In any case, here's the complete list of everything we prepared/recorded for the convention, along with panel times if we have them. For the rest... uh, I guess they might still be run off-schedule, or as filler or something? So keep an eye out if you're participating in ACEN Online.

Japanese Folklore and Mythology

Time: Friday, May 19 @ 4:30 PM CST (Discord)

What’s the difference between bakemono and ayakashi? Who’s that Pokémon, and why is it in a 200-year-old woodblock print? Does the story of Sailor Moon actually predate the Norman conquest of England? (Spoiler: YES, it does!) Get the most from your animé and Asian cinema experience when you understand the cultural background! Learn about Japanese mythology in this folklore primer, illustrated with video clips from animé and Japanese film.

Go West! The Saiyuki Legend

Time: Saturday, May 20 @ 3:30 PM CST (Discord)

From Dragon Ball to Gensoumaden Saiyuki, there's no shortage of adaptations, retellings, and wholesale lifts of one of the world's most popular folk tales. But most of the western world enjoying these retellings knows little of the original novel, and even less of the stories it itself combined and retold.

Let's look at the historic and cultural context for the original 16th century novel and the lore it collected into a single tale. We'll discuss some key adaptations as well, with the knowledge to enjoy them more.

The Phantom Thief: An Illustrated History

Time: ???

How did Edgar Allen Poe influence Sailor Moon? What do Norse gods, Joan of Arc, and Lupin III have in common? Who was the real-life Moriarty? Learn the origin of the kaitou, Japan’s archetypal thief, from his birth in Gilded Age literature to his high-tech 21st century incarnations. Follow this truly international antihero’s development through history with examples from animé, manga, film, and literature.

Patterns Lie! And Other Useful Sewing Facts

Time: ???

Learning to sew can be daunting, especially if you’ve never had formal instruction. We’re here to help! In this panel, we’ll cover selecting and reading a pattern, choosing fabric, cutting, pinning, sewing, pressing, finishing hems, and more — all without complicated sewing terminology! You’ll be sewing like a pro in no time. Bring your questions!

The History of Ramen

Time: ???

Favored by broke college students everywhere, ramen has a reputation as a cheap convenience food. But these twisty noodles actually have a fascinating history! Learn about ramen's (surprisingly recent) development and cultural background in this tasty presentation.

Ninja in History

Time: ???

Join celebrated authors Susan Spann (author of the Hiro Hattori mysteries) and Laura VanArendonk Baugh (author of the Kitsune Tales series) for a history-packed discussion of the fact and fiction of ninjutsu and ninja.

Japanese Fairy Tales

Time: ???

In the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, the Western world was fascinated by newly-available trade goods and cultural elements coming out of Japan, which had been closed off from the Western world for more than two centuries. One outgrowth of this trend was the repackaging of Japanese folk tales for American children. Join Alena as she shares translated stories from a 1904 volume of Japanese Fairy Tales.

Japanese Culture and History: The Bite-Sized Collection

Time: ???

As the oldest monarchy in the world, Japan’s had plenty of time for some amazing moments in history. Hear a few of the most important, most famous, or most fun -- from the Genpei War to the Meiji Revolution, from girl power to magical red cows, from archery contests to smallpox -- with illustrations, photos, ties to your favorite anime/manga, and plenty of geekery. These shorter videos range in running time from 4 to 45 minutes, so you can take your history in small bites or settle in for the whole marathon!

Individual videos cover:

Senjafuda

The Shitennou

The Akabeko

The Ainu

The 47 Ronin

Japanese Number Puns

Japanese Archery Challenge

Smallpox and the Great Buddha

Nakano Takeko

The Byakkotai

Dan no Ura

Koyasan

Nara

Shojin Ryori

The Shinsengumi

Shinto in WWII

The Eater of Dreams

One Ingredient Curry Rice

Yakuza: Facts and Fallout

[gatotsu]

first and current fictional crush

tagged by @shadesalvarez thank you!

THEN: I was in love with Titanic-era Leo DiCaprio when I was in 4th grade.  I had a teen magazine with him on the cover that I kept in my desk and I sobbed for hours after my mom took me to see Titanic.  I thought my little pre-teen heart would never recover.  Jack was my first heartbreak ahahahaha

NOW: I haven’t obsessed over a fictional character in a long time but I periodically go apeshit over Saito Hajime, who will always be my ultimate favorite character, and with the announcement that there’s another RK live action, I will froth at the mouth over him all over again in my sad little fandom corner where all of three people know about him.  He’s like the ex that you never quite get over and hook up with when you run into each other, and may have spawned an entire decade’s fascination with samurai and the Shinsengumi and the Meiji Restoration and about two dozen fanfics that suffer from too much romantic swordplay and not enough historical accuracy. No regrets!

tagging @seriouslydidijustdothat @strikercorbie​ @capitalnineteen​ @cavalryofwoah​ @a-kaida-mind​ and anyone else who wants to.  Don’t forget to tag me because I love seeing these things!

[shinsengumi-archives]

A piece of history

Last November, I acquired something pretty interesting...

It’s not just any sword. It’s a tanto (dagger) made by a swordsmith who made swords for the Shinsengumi !!!!

It’s not Kiyomitsu or Kanesada or Kotetsu, but a lesser known swordsmith named Hiromitsu who made one of Kondo’s katanas and a wakizashi for Shimada Kai (more info).

When I first saw it, I didn’t know it’s historical significance since the seller didn’t have much info , but I had a feeling it was worth more than its price (not that I have any experience when it comes to buying swords). So I did some investigating...

The signature of the swordsmith is often engraved on the tang of the sword (the part that gets covered by the hilt). If it isn’t, that sword is considered “mumei” and usually (but not always) less valuable. The tanto had just the two characters “廣光” on its tang, translated as “Hiromitsu”.

Case closed? Not yet. There are many swordsmiths who went by this name, the most famous one being “Soshu Hiromitsu” who was active during the 14th century (more info). At first, that’s what I thought this is. In that case, this would be a “koto” (pre-Edo era sword) and those are valuable. When something’s valuable, there would be forgeries. And so, I was suspicious...

There’s a term call “gimei”, where the “mei” (the swordsmith’s signature) is fake. The most famous gimei would be Kondo’s Kotetsu ;). These fake signatures are either forged by a less popular swordsmith during production or carved in recent times by a dishonest seller. The latter is usually possible to tell. The rust on the tang would be much older than the rust inside the carving and the writing would often look sloppy. The signature on this tanto did not look recently carved. That’s a good sign.

It’s impossible to know for sure if the signature was actually made by Hiromitsu. One thing I tried to do was look at the signatures of other swords from Soshu Hiromitsu. With some extensive googling, I found this:

(https://iidakoendo.com/7001/) (https://iidakoendo.com/4225/)

...It really didn’t match. And the handwriting seemed surprisingly sloppy (like something I would write and I’m barely literate), but the site appeared reliable and the sword is certified, so I guess we can’t always decide if a signature is real or not just based on how good the handwriting looked.

It didn’t quite match his son’s signature either (the 2nd generation Hiromitsu). Notice the directions of the two dots on the 光 character is different from mine:

(http://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords5/TT327995.htm)

So does that mean my tanto is gimei?

But then I found this other photo:

(http://www.osaka-ryujindo.jp/Table/Page/201404/30123654/index.html)

The handwriting matched perfectly!

So I went to the site and with the help of Google Translator, found this on the bottom:

Kawai Koshichi, a master swordsmith of the Yamato Koriyama domain and a student of the 11th Aizu Kanesada (accredited as highly skilled by Yamada Asadaemon), received " Osumi no Kami" during the Keio year. It was popular as a battle sword at the end of the Tokugawa period. Famous as a sword of Shinsengumi's Kondo Isami, there is an order form that the Shinsengumi used for ordering a sword from Osumi no Kami Hiromitsu, and Shinsengumi member Shimada Kai has ordered a wakizashi from Osumi no Kami Hiromitsu.

I cannot describe how surprised I was to see the Shinsengumi mentioned in the description.

(btw this is the “order form” it’s talking about: https://shinsengumi-archives.tumblr.com/post/190455843696/shinsengumi-sword-orders)

Now that I know the swordsmith’s full name (Osumi no Kami Hiromitsu), student of Kanesada (who made Hijikata’s sword o.O), I followed it down the rabbit hole for more info.

I learned that he was only active for 3 years (1865-1868). That means his swords must be extremely rare 😏. He was active when the Shinsengumi was around and disappeared once the Meiji period began—when swords lost their value. His whereabouts after that are unknown...

I also learned that there are much less roundabout ways to identify swords. Since he wasn’t popular like Kiyomitsu and Kanesada, I was able to find some useful resources just by googling his name instead of search results full of Touken Ranbu :p

The Nihon Toko Jiten (日本刀工辞典) is the first book that Japanese sword enthusiasts use to identify a sword. You could access it here

This is the page about Hiromitsu (notice the last 2 characters on the leftmost sword matches my tanto):

There’s also an English book on Google Books called Index of Japanese Swordsmiths by Markus Sesko that contains an extensive list of swordsmiths with descriptions about their identity. 

Here’s what it said about Hiromitsu:

Hiromitsu (廣光), Keio (1865-1868), Yamashiro - "Heianjo-ju Osumi no Kami Taira Hiromitsu" (平安城住大隅守平廣光), "Rakuyo-ju Osumi no Kami Taira Ason Hiromitsu kore o kitae" (洛陽住大隅守平朝臣廣光鍛之), civilian name "Kawai Koshichi" (川井幸七), he was a student of the 11th gen. Kanesada (兼定) and worked the Koriyama fief (郡山藩) of Yamato province which was under the control of the Yanagizawa family (柳沢)

(https://books.google.com/books?id=46IYtI0nkiEC&lpg=PA72&dq=%E5%B7%9D%E4%BA%95%E5%B9%B8%E4%B8%83&pg=PA72#v=onepage&q=%E5%B7%9D%E4%BA%95%E5%B9%B8%E4%B8%83&f=false)

All in all, I ended up with the best sword I could realistically get my hands on (anyone more famous would be super expensive), and along the way I collected some awesome notes. And aside from the historical significance, it is a beautiful blade. Look at this active temper line:

Given its flaws (some scratches, rust spots and forging flaws), I probably bought it for a fair price, and it would probably still be worth a lot more if it had a papers from NBTHK or NTHK to certify its authenticity (I’m not selling it. Just showing off :p). I’m actually planning to get this appraised. It should be real. Why would anyone make a forgery of such an obscure swordsmith?

The tanto isn’t as valuable as a Soshu Hiromitsu, but it’s way more valuable to me :)