Sword identification / translation

[Jdbilliter]

I was hoping someone could help translate the inscription on this sword please.

 

[Majestic]

関住人塚原兼次作

Means: TSUKAHARA Kanetsugu, resident of Seki, made this.

 

[Jdbilliter]

Thanks for responding. Do you have any information about him? I was not able to find anything using Google.

 

[thomas]

This auction page seems to have some biographical data:

−　濃州住塚原兼次謹作 Noushuju Tsukahara Kanetsugu　−　日本刀の通信販売　明倫産業株式会社

兼次刀匠は本名塚原次郎、関市長住町。元陸軍受命刀工。大正7年生。本刀は元々は関の刻印が登録時には入っていたようですが。

According to this, his real name was Tsukahara Jirō (塚原次郎), and he was born in Taisho 7 (1918), an army swordsmith. The sword on the site linked above was also made, or at least registered, in "Seki" (関).

 

[Majestic]

Also, he took a 4th seat ranking (honorable mention) at the Military Sword Forging Technique Exhibition in 1944. 50 other smiths also ranked 4th. He is a known Seki smith from WW2.

戦時下の日本刀匠と序列

戦時下、日本刀匠の序列一覧

ohmura-study.net

Ohmura's site above also has an English information site with a lot of info on Japanese WW2 smiths and sword production. Well worth a look if you are into militaria.