Changes

Another thing we have to consider when fixing a date for a japanese sword is the Eto.

Another thing we have to consider when fixing a date for a japanese sword is the Eto.

Eto is originally a Chinese calender invented in the ancient period. It consists of ten ordinal signs and twelve zodiacal symbols and the combination of both characters makes a cycle of sixty years, the Sexagenary cycle. In Japan the Eto was used not only to count time by years but also to show time by hours (In this case one day is divided into twelve fractions.) and direction. The Eto can often be seen on the Nakago of the Japanese sword.

Eto is originally a Chinese calender invented in the ancient period. It consists of ten ordinal signs and twelve zodiacal symbols and the combination of both characters makes a cycle of sixty years, the Sexagenary cycle. In Japan the Eto was used not only to count time by years but also to show time by hours (In this case one day is divided into twelve fractions.) and direction. The Eto can often be seen on the Nakago of the Japanese sword.

There are eight provinces in the Sanyo Do, eight provinces in the San-in Do, six provinces in the Nankai Do, fifteen provinces in the Tokai Do, thirteen provinces in the Tosan Do, seven provinces in the Hokuriku Do and nine provinces with two islands in the Saikai Do.

There are eight provinces in the Sanyo Do, eight provinces in the San-in Do, six provinces in the Nankai Do, fifteen provinces in the Tokai Do, thirteen provinces in the Tosan Do, seven provinces in the Hokuriku Do and nine provinces with two islands in the Saikai Do.

In Kantei (Attribution), it is very important to know the Go Ki Shichi Do as the smiths of the same region are to show the regional influence in their work. Therefore the old administrative division is still used in studying the Japanese sword.  

In Kantei (Attribution), it is very important to know the Go Ki Shichi Do as the smiths of the same region are to show the regional influence in their work. Therefore the old administrative division is still used in studying the Japanese sword.  

Sanyo Do: Harima (Hyogo), Bizen (Okayama), Mimasaka (Okayama), Bitchu (Okayama), Bingo (Hiroshima), Aki (Hiroshima), Su-oh (Yamaguchi), Nagato (Yamaguchi).

*Kinai: Yamashiro (Today's Kyoto prefecture), Yamato (Nara), Settsu (Osaka and Hyogo), Kawachi (Osaka), Izumi (Osaka).Sanyo Do: Harima (Hyogo), Bizen (Okayama), Mimasaka (Okayama), Bitchu (Okayama), Bingo (Hiroshima), Aki (Hiroshima), Su-oh (Yamaguchi), Nagato (Yamaguchi).

San-in Do: Tanba (Kyoto and Hyogo), Tajima (Hyogo), Inaba (Tottori), Hoki (Tottori), Izumo (Shimane), Iwami (Shimane), Oki (Shimane).

 

Nankai Do: Kii (Wakayama and Mie), Awaji (Hyogo), Awa (Tokushima), Sanuki (Kagawa), Iyo (Ehime), Tosa (Kochi).

*San-in Do: Tanba (Kyoto and Hyogo), Tajima (Hyogo), Inaba (Tottori), Hoki (Tottori), Izumo (Shimane), Iwami (Shimane), Oki (Shimane).

 

*Nankai Do: Kii (Wakayama and Mie), Awaji (Hyogo), Awa (Tokushima), Sanuki (Kagawa), Iyo (Ehime), Tosa (Kochi).

 

 

 

Tokai Do: Iga (Mie), Ise (Mie), Shima (Mie), Totomi (Shizuoka), Suruga (Shizuoka), Izu Sagami (Kanagawa), Musashi (Tokyo, Saitama Kazusa (Chiba), Shimofusa (Chiba and Ibaraki) Owari (Aichi), Mikawa (Aichi), (Shizuoka), Kai (Yamanashi), and Kanagawa), Awa (Chiba), , Hitachi (Ibaraki).

*Echigo (Niigata), Sado (Niigata).  

*Saikai Do: Chikuzen (Fukuoka), Chikugo (Fukuoka), Buzen (Fukuoka and Oh¬ita), Bungo (Fukuoka and Oh-ita), Hizen (Saga and Nagasaki), Higo (Kumamoto), Hiyuga (Miyazaki), Ohsumi (Kagoshima), Satsuma (Kagoshima), Iki (Nagasaki), Tsushima (Nagasaki).

Saikai Do: Chikuzen (Fukuoka), Chikugo (Fukuoka), Buzen (Fukuoka and Oh¬ita), Bungo (Fukuoka and Oh-ita), Hizen (Saga and Nagasaki), Higo (Kumamoto), Hiyuga (Miyazaki), Ohsumi (Kagoshima), Satsuma (Kagoshima), Iki (Nagasaki), Tsushima (Nagasaki).

(Nagayama Kokan, Token Kantei Dokuhon)  

(Nagayama Kokan, Token Kantei Dokuhon)