This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/13/2025
This is likely one of the most important World War II Japanese swords currently available for public ownership. Forged by Masataka at the Minatogawa shrine, and signed “(Kikusui mon) Minatogawa Jinja Masataka”, dated the 4th month during the 17th year of Showa (April 1942), and, critically, signed “Igo Kancho Tanabe Yahachi Chusa”, which translates to “I-Class Captain Lieutenant Commander Yahachi Tanabe”. The date makes it extremely likely that this sword was with Tanabe when he sunk the Yorktown at the Battle of Midway in June of 1942, as he was presented the sword in April and left on orders that included the Battle of Midway in May. Yahachi Tanabe was born in 1907 and joined the Imperial Naval Academy in 1925, graduating in 1928. He was promoted until 1934, when he volunteered for submarine service as a Sub-Lieutenant First Class. By 1938, he was a full Lieutenant and attended the Submarine School for officers. He served on a number of submarines as a communications staff officer, commanding officer, and communications officer until he was given command of I-168 in January 1942. While he had missed the initial engagement at Midway as he was assigned to scouting duty, on June 5th, he was ordered to join the cruisers Mikuma, Mogami, Suzuyu, and Kumano, to help soften Midway for infantry landing, but the submarine was quickly spotted and they were forced to submerge. While submerged, the cruisers were redeployed, and I-168 bade its time, still observing. When it was safe to redeploy their radio, they found that several of their cruisers were sunk, and they had been given new orders: to locate and sink the Yorktown, which had been crippled during the fighting. On June 6th, I-168 spotted Yorktown approximately 11 miles away and dived to engage. I-168 slipped past the defensive cordon that had been established by six American destroyers: Benham, Hughes, Gwin, Monaghan, and Hammann, and the minesweeper Vireo, which was towing Yorktown, and backed out to an effective firing range for her torpedoes. I-168 was carrying somewhat older 446-lb warheads, rather than the newer and more effective 991-lbers, so Tanabe decided that instead of spreading out his torpedoes, as submarine warfare typically called for, he was going to only engage two points on the Yorktown, with the second salvo of missiles following directly behind the first, to ensure a catastrophic hit on the already crippled ship. At 1:30pm, he struck Yorktown with two torpedoes and Hammann with one, which ultimately sunk both ships and won Japan the only two victories of the Battle of Midway. Tanabe and the remaining destroyers engaged in a long game of cat-and-mouse, which culminated in a destroyer striking I-168 with a depth charge that heavily damaged the submarine, but did not sink it. The submarine was eventually forced to resurface, only to be spotted by two of the destroyers, who began to engage I-168, forcing them to submerge again. In his article on his experiences, Tanabe was not sure if the destroyers were out of depth charges or if they did not want to engage the submarine at night, but the destroyers disengaged and I-168 limped home to Kure, where they were greeted with a huge celebration, including a radio report of the attack from Emperor Hirohito, and Tanabe was given command of the brand new I-776 and allowed to pick his own crew. Tanabe continued his exploits throughout the war, including surviving an attack in I-776 that culminated in an audience with Hirohito in person, taught at the Submarine School, and was promoted to commander. After the Japanese surrender, he was one of the naval officers who planned MacArthur’s visit to Atsugi, and retired in 1945. He wrote his article I Sank the Yorktown at Midway (a copy of which is included), in May 1963, and passed away at his home in Saitama on April 29th, 1990. The sword is ubu (uncut) and the nagasa (from tip to rear notch of cutting edge) measures 69.2cm. The sword is in old polish that obfuscates some features, but appears to have a fairly regular gunome with plentiful activity including visible ji-nie and sunagashi. Hada (surface grain) is a little indistinct, but looks like a predominant masame with some areas of mokume. The sword also has horimono in the form of gomabashi and bonji on the right side. Gold foil habaki carved with the design of falling rain. Nakago with signature as previously mentioned, finished with kiri yasurime and a kurijiri nakagojiri. Housed in a hinoki wood shirasaya that fits well. In a silk sword bag. PROVENANCE: Property of a Gentleman who wishes to remain anonymous. CONDITION: Sword is in an old polish that is somewhat cloudy, but features still visible throughout. One patch of fine mossing under habaki and under yokote, and a minor fleck near hamachi. Shirasaya solid and whole, with a few minor impressions. Very healthy. Swords by an acknowledged master at Minatogawa with this kind of provenance are few and far in-between, and the opportunity to acquire one is extremely scarce.