びびなび : サンフランシスコ : (アメリカ合衆国) San Francisco

我秘蔵の米国で一番大きな滋賀県の国友村で、製作された純日本製の種子島火縄銃を展示致します。



場所　Akari Bistro懐石料理店にて



　　　1153 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103



日時　来たる８月２９日（土曜日）夕方６時より



種子島火縄銃について少々申し上げたく候


我秘蔵の種子島火縄式銃は、１９８９年の秋に、購入しました。　口径の大きさは、１２０カリバーです。　重量は、４１ポンド（１８．４５Ｋｇ）です。　大筒の火縄銃です。　米国で一番大きな、火縄銃です。　銘が、４種類あります。　売り物ではありませんが、カウパレスのガンショー、日本街の桜祭りや骨董市等に、展示致しております。　年に、７，８回、桑港（サンフランシスコ）近辺の様々な場所にて、展示しています。　

　

余談ですが、１５年位前に、３７ポンド（１６．６５ｋｇ）の種子島銃を、道場に、持ち込んだ方が、いましたが、コンデイションが、実に、酷くて、最悪でした。　一番大事な筒が、非常に錆びていました。『売りたい』と、申していましたが、丁重に、お断り致しました。


１９８０年代には、尋常の長さの種子島銃が、自宅に、３０丁程ありました。　短筒、中筒、馬上筒等もありました。　それらは、売ったり、物々交換したりして、今現在の収集物件は、この大筒のみが、自宅に、あるだけです。



I purchased this large caliber musket gun in the fall of 1989.

The size of the barrel caliber is 120. It weighs 41 pounds ( 18.45 Kg ). It is the biggest Tanegashima musket gun exist in the US. It was produced in the Kunitomo Village in the Shiga-Ken ( Prefecture ) a few Centuries ago according to the Mei ( Inscription ) appeared in the barrel.

I often exhibit this true antique artifact musket gun during the 2-day Cow Palace gun show, local antique shows, charity events, and the annual Cherry Blossom Festivals in the San Francisco Japantown in April or the annual Nikkei Matsuri ( Japanese-American Festival ) in the San Jose Japantown in May.

Needless to say, it is not for sale. Do not ask any question at all. If you do, you will be wasting your time and effort, including your energy.

About Harunaka Hoshino

The Japanese sword appraiser, sword expert, historian, scholar and Japanese language expert



Born in Tokyo, Japan on January 1st, 1952.

Became a practitioner of Ken-jutsu/Tameshi-giri in 1959.

Became a Karate expert at the age of 16 on August 1st, 1968.

Came to San Francisco, California on Saturday, August 28th, 1971.

A permanent resident of San Francisco, California, USA since August, 1971

Established the Japanese Martial Art Training Association on March 1st, 1973.

Became a Dojo owner ( Dojo-cho ) at the age of 21 on Thursday, March 1st, 1973.

Established the San Francisco Nipponto Society ( SFNS ) in the late summer of 1980.

Became the Founder, President & Chairman of the San Francisco Nipponto Society since August, 1980.

Became a personal disciple of several Japanese Government certified Katana-kaji ( Swordsmiths ) in 1992.

Established the Japanese Sword Restoration Center in 1994 ( Kenma, Saya-nuri, Tsuka-maki & Shira-saya ).

Started to instruct various Japanese sword restoration work as a job training in 1995 for the SFNS members & associates.

-----------------------------

Visit Japan frequently to buy, sell, restore & appraise Japanese swords.

Became a proud American citizen through the strict Citizenship test in October, 1995

Worked as a Dental Technician for the Orthodontist started in 1977 & retired in September, 1999

Extremely happy to marry with a fine looking Caucasian native American woman from Kalamazoo, Michigan in San Francisco, California, USA



How I obtained my giant antique Tanegashima musket gun

------------------------------

After I came back from the Italy in the fall of 1989, I started to write a letter to various Japanese restaurant owners in the San Francisco Bay Area. The one-page letter was sent to over 100 Japanese restaurant owners to notify them of the SFNS existence, an introduction of myself, my business activities both in Japan & in the US. Also, I offered the Edo Era ( 1624 - 1867 ) Buke-zukuri Koshirae ( Samurai warrior style sword furniture ) to the restaurant owners as decoration for their Japanese restaurant walls. Many restaurant owners bought some Buke-zukuri Koshirae from me, since there were no blades inside the Saya portion. Therefore, they are very effective for display purposes only.


Among the Japanese restaurant owners, Mr. Sakata at the Chou-chou restaurant called me and offered me a giant musket gun . When I spoke with him on the phone, Sakata-San said that he would like to meet with me immediately. I went to the Chou-chou restaurant, located in the San Francisco Downtown area ( On Kearny Street by Broadway Street ).


I brought $10,000 cash with me to be able to purchase the giant musket gun from Sakata-San immediately. In the late 1980's, the average Japanese antique musket guns were sold for anywhere from $1,200 to $1,600. However, they were the ordinary thickness ( The Caliber of the barrel was 50 more or less ) musket guns. The Zen-cho ( Entire length ) was, on average, 5 feet long more or less. I thought that the giant musket gun, which was owned by Mr. Sakata was a long musket gun about 7 or 8 feet.


Sakata-San and I spoke a little over one hour in the Japanese language. The business deal was coming to the final ending time. When I asked him that how much would he sell his giant musket gun to me, he raised his index finger and middle finger like the V sign. I thought that he meant that the price was $20,000. I was going to give him $10,000 immediately and the remaining balance of $10,000 paid as the monthly installment for 2 or 3 months. I asked Sakata-San to write an exact amount on the piece of paper, so he started to write the numbers. First, he wrote the number 2 and followed by the 3 zeros and the 4th zero was not written. I paid him $2,000 immediately and rushed home.


When I came home, my wife asked me what I bought and, of course, how much was the fee. I told her the exact amount without knocking off one zero. As you know probably by now, many husbands report the amount of their actual spending of Nipponto ( Japanese swords ) or Nipponto-related items to their wives with one zero knocking off.



At this day, this giant Tanegashima musket gun was not sold to anyone for profit. I exhibit this Tanegashima musket gun at various place in the San Francisco Bay Area for several times annually.




我輩の種子島火縄銃のリサーチされた情報


銃身と銃床にある４種の銘読み


銘の読み　／　九亀家中　／　九の点が、左に位置しなくて、右側に、あるので、丸ではなく、九と、一応、判読致しました。　丸亀の可能性も有り有りです。　


Mei reading: Kuki Kachuu


銘の読み　／　江州国友庄兵衛尹規



銘の読み　／　土田湊門人井口助右衛門



銘の読み　／　岡田　喜八郎作　



Mei reading: Okada Kihachirou Saku



家紋が、銃身の上部にあります。　

何処の藩の家紋でしょうか？　

ヒントは、関東地方の大名家の家紋です。

桑港（サンフランシスコ）日本刀協会会員だけに、教えます。



星野治仲

桑港（サンフランシスコ）日本刀刀剣協会会長兼指導者兼経営者　１９８０年以来



近い将来にAkari Bistroの日本食レストランにて、展示致す予定の掘り出し物の類の日本刀等のリスト



１．１０００年前に製作された太刀



２．三尺の穂長の大身の槍　安土桃山時代の製作骨董品　約４３０年前　隠れキリシタンのシンボル有り　



３．米国に一口（一振り）しか存在する筑紫薙刀　文明時代の作　約５５０年前



４．南北朝時代の作の野太刀（大太刀）　約６８０年前



５．生の姿の菊池槍　約５００年前の作



６．両刃造りの薙刀　約６００年前の作



まだまだ、多々有り有り！



申しあげたく候。　



一時は、この地桑港（サンフランシスコ）にて、日本刀博物館を、立ち上げようとした我輩ですが、ある個人的な理由で、この夢を、終了いたしました。



星野治仲



渡米日時　１９７１年８月２８日

日本武術鍛錬協会設立　１９７３年３月１日

米国市民権獲得　１９９５年１０月以来

歯科技工士として就職　１９７７年から１９９９年まで

桑港（サンフランシスコ）日本刀修理修繕処所長　１９９５年以来



写真の説明　我秘蔵の大筒の種子島火縄銃　からくりの部分は、吾輩が、１９８９年の冬修理修繕致しました。