In a lecture at the Leeds Royal Armoury some time ago, Ian Bottomly quoted a figure of over 100,000 blades a year being exported from Japan to China, during the Edo period. Not surprising if they turn up all over East Asia in different forms.
One of the swords on display in the Chinese section of the RA is a Nodachi blade mounted Chinese style, with a leather wrapped hilt nearly as long as the blade. Oddly enough, the tang had been re forged into a long form and peened over at the pommel, Chinese style rather than Japanese.
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