Tang = NAKAGO (in Japanese)
 

Usually tang has a signature of the maker.
And sometimes the date or other things, prayer, owner's name, result of cutting test and etc.
 
14th century

"Bishu Osafune ju Kage...." The last one character was cut off.
 

"Genkou gan nen 12 gatsu" (1331 December)
 
16th century
"Hirotsugu"

 
19th century
"Higo Dotanuki Munehiro"
"Ansei 4 nen Hachigatsu nichi" (1857 August)
  
 
 
On much shortened blades, the signature has been removed by the work.
 
This blade is shortened and filed to make new tang in 16th century.


 
Sometimes such blades have some kinds of letters on its tang.
A gold inlay of smith's name is maker's name that was done at the same time of shortening the blade, being sorry the signature disappears.
Names that written with lacquer are attributed name.
A red lacquer is on the original unsigned tang. A gold lacquer is on the shortened tang.
 
Result of cutting test in the tang
It says that two persons, Urano Masanaga and Tomita Yaichizaemon Shigetsuna, cut bodies many times.


 
Generally tang condition is important on Japanese blades to see the age.
I understand such idea that wanting to remove rust and clean tang. But traditionally we respect the ageing of things in Japan. Please keep the tang condition, naturally ageing deserves to be appreciated.
When the rust condition on the tang is not natural, we can treat it as fake even if the signature is genuine.
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