Back in Time to Old Japan

[tail end charlie]

TEC, she is not a fan of knives or swords but home defense is a 20gauge Mossburg autoloader she handles it like a pro.
i think the UK still allows shotguns

Well you can get a shotgun with a license but the whole mentality here is different, gun law is a whole different discussion. I think the Swiss have the most guns per head but one of the lowest gun crime stats.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Shinpachi, no need to apologize. I have felt your posts have been fair, and without negativity. Without this forum, and your input Shinpachi, we all would be at a loss without your personal input. I like reading your point of view on topics because your country's experience after the war was totally different from ours. Please feel free to post. If we do not have open discussion, we all lose the opportunity to learn anything other than from our own experiences and perspective. The War is immensely important to talk and learn about.
I am sure there are both Japanese and American veterans who have negative feelings toward their former enemy. It is only natural. There are also those who do not hold any bad feelings. Just depends on the person and what they went through.

Nicely said and I totally agree. Just like everybody else here, I enjoy hearing other's opinions esp Shinpachi's since Japan has always fascinated me.

 

[A4K]

With Dave, well put mate.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks everyone for your so friendly comments with which I am much impressed.
Let me think that Messy1's opinion represents your general impressions about me with many thanks.
I will take care so as not to be impolite in the future.

It is so kind of you.
Shinpachi

PS:
Sorry for off-topic.

The Japanese have been repenting the past in their own way.
Please try to check
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKGs-qMOi3wonce as it has English translation. They treated the Chinese very badly and admitted it soon after the war by themselves.

Thanks.

 

[Shinpachi]

In 1966 I was stationed at a small USAF installation outside Kokura, Japan, called Yamada Camp. It was so small ( about 100 men ) most of the local Japanese didn't seem to know it was there, they though we were sailors or merchant marine on shore leave......

I have found out the old Yamada Camp.
Now called Yamada Green Zone.

 

[Shinpachi]

Shinpachi

I saw those all over Japan, most of them dont have an edge on them. The samurai sword is a fantastic piece of metallurgy. I saw one being made by the traditional methods and it was fascinating. Maybe a sword on display is a symbol of a good knife. I visited Sumitomos head offices in Tokyo which had an ancient sword on display it was beautiful craftmanship.

Like this one?
The straight blade shows the ancient original style.

 

[tail end charlie]

Like this one?
The straight blade shows the ancient original style.

Shinpachi

That is the type I saw but it was not polished and had no handle or scabbard. Maybe it was from an ancient battle or collection and was left as found (that is how ancient relics are treated in UK). In the UK the most elaborate and ornate swords come from the times after the sword was really used as a weapon, for ceremonial occasions.

 

[mikewint]

Shinpachi, i am totally not an expert but that blade looks very unusual to me. i think of the Katana-type, slight curve and uniformly thin
this one sems to have no point and to be thin, flat and edged only near the tip and then quite thick and no edge near the handle
What a beautiful handle and case
TEC: that's Art or i don't know what art is (and i probably don't)

 

[tail end charlie]

Shinpachi, i am totally not an expert but that blade looks very unusual to me. i think of the Katana-type, slight curve and uniformly thin
this one sems to have no point and to be thin, flat and edged only near the tip and then quite thick and no edge near the handle
What a beautiful handle and case
TEC: that's Art or i don't know what art is (and i probably don't)

Mike

I will let Shinpachi answer on the development of the Japanese sword, from what I have read it developed from a foot soldiers weapon for stabbing/cutting to one used on horseback with a curve for slashing. They are fabulous to look at like european ceremonial swords...but I wouldnt have one in my home in fact I am not allowed to as I have just discovered see below. My wife likes japanese painting, chinese painted bottles, Meissen china and lalique glass but not fings wot kill people no matter how beautiful. A soldier can carry one with pride I would feel a bit of an imposter. I went to a wedding at Catterick Garrison where men from the grooms regiment formed a guard of honour with their swords, it all seemed normal and fitting, a bunch of civilians doing the same with real swords would seem wierd. If you read my previous post
Quote
When I first went to Japan a couple of guys bought the fakes...as if they had just won the war in the pacific.
Unquote
Then compare it to the stats below I question some peoples motives for having them in their houses and there are many more examples of Japanese art that are fabulous beautiful and that arnt dangerous.


from wiki
United Kingdom
As of April 2008, the British government added swords with a curved blade of 50 cm (20 in) or over in length ("and for the purposes of this sub-paragraph, the length of the blade shall be the straight line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade") to the Offensive Weapons Order.[12] This ban was a response to reports that Samurai swords were used in more than 80 attacks and 4 killings over the 4 preceding years.[13] Those who violate the ban would be jailed up to six months and charged a fine of £5,000. Martial arts practitioners, historical re-enactors and people currently possessing such swords may still own them. The sword can also be legal provided it was made in Japan before 1954, or was made using traditional sword making methods. It is also legal to buy if it can be classed as a 'martial artist's weapon'.[14] This ban currently applies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As of September 2009, Ireland introduced similar new laws restricting the ownership of swords and other weapons.

 

[Shinpachi]

You know very well about the Japanese swords, TEC and mikewint

The sword curve was the influence of that of the native Japanese who were good at the mock cavalry battles living in the northern part of the islands around the 10th century.

For your knowledge, the Japanese emperor and his family originally came from Korea about three thousands years ago. Before that, the native Japanese ruled the islands. The lineage ratio of the Japanese from Korea and the native is fifty to fifty today.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Very interesting history lesson Shinpachi. Thank you for enlightening me sir.

 

[vikingBerserker]

You know very well about the Japanese swords, TEC and mikewint

The sword curve was the influence of that of the native Japanese who were good at the mock cavalry battles living in the northern part of the islands around the 10th century.

For your knowledge, the Japanese emperor and his family originally came from Korea about three thousands years ago. Before that, the native Japanese ruled the islands. The lineage ratio of the Japanese from Korea and the native is fifty to fifty today.

WOW, I had no idea!

 

[tyrodtom]

I have found out the old Yamada Camp.
Now called Yamada Green Zone.

During WW2 Yamada camp was one of the biggest munitions storage and weapons arsenals in Japan, when I was there it was still an enormous munitions area of over 400 storage silos and hundreds offlimits because they were suspect. Even though it was just a bomb dump, more or less, it was a beautiful place, vegetation everywhere, revetments pierced by small gauge railroad tunnels, buildings with rubber covered floors and cork walls. I supervised Japanese work crews than performed munitions maintenence, my crew of 8 had 1 WW2 Army veteran.
Thats the first pictures i've ever seen of whats left, thanks.

 

[Shinpachi]

You are welcome, Aaron and vB.
Even the Japanese, few are interested in the such old past today.

The first photo below shows the relic of the swords of the native who were called Emishi - barbarians.

The second shows the first influence of curve on the Japanese swords.

The third shows a leader of the native though it was drawn much later.
His name was Tsukinoe of Ainu tribe in Hokkaido.

Please enjoy.
Thanks.

 

[Shinpachi]

During WW2 Yamada camp was one of the biggest munitions storage and weapons arsenals in Japan, when I was there it was still an enormous munitions area of over 400 storage silos and hundreds offlimits because they were suspect. Even though it was just a bomb dump, more or less, it was a beautiful place, vegetation everywhere, revetments pierced by small gauge railroad tunnels, buildings with rubber covered floors and cork walls. I supervised Japanese work crews than performed munitions maintenence, my crew of 8 had 1 WW2 Army veteran.
Thats the first pictures i've ever seen of whats left, thanks.

Thanks tyrodtom for your story!
Your experience is precious and interesting as few can know what it was today
Thanks again!

 

[mikewint]

tyrodtom, as you can see i'm from joliet where the old arsenal was located. most of the grounds were turned over to the state and has been converted into native prairie land but there remains parts of the old TNT plant, rail road tracks and storage Quonsets for the completed shells. many of these are covered with graffiti dating from 1940, soldiers names, hometowns, etc. pretty cool

 

[Shinpachi]

Yamada Green Zone (former Yamada Camp) in 1994 and 1968 with map
There was a warning of 'KEEP OUT'.

 

[tyrodtom]

The aerial view shows the administration area and some of the workshops, the storage areas cover about 4 times more area than that view.
The wide spot in the road is where the front gate was, that's where the buses turned and the dayworkers entered, very few rode their personel vehicles.
I suppose the map is of the modern Yamada Green Area. But it seems to cover the area of the entire camp, as I knew it.
The only referance I could find about Yamada was a enviromental study on the possible effect of residual TNT on mutant frogs in the Yamada Green Zone. Maybe that's where we got teenage mutant ningha turtles ? We were not enviroment sensitive in those days.
Thanks again Shinpachi, for the pictures. I'm just about computor illiterate, I could find nothing on Yamada, just the frog study.

 

[tyrodtom]

I was looking at the map wrong, it covers about 1/3-1/2 of what was Yamada Camp.
On the aerial view I can make out the baseball field, flagpole, barracks I was in.
That was my first overseas station,I was 19 at the time. Only there 6 months.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Wow, thank you for the insight Tyrodtom. This is really something getting a first hand perspective.