Bonsoir Clement,
this blade is in pretty bad shape and definitely needs lots of TLC (tender loving care)! With all the details hidden under thick, active rust, hardly anything can be commented on...
The Japanese sword tradition is very picky regarding the condition of the blades; I believe this one is beyond rescue and will fall into the relic category after any restoration. OTOH, this means that you can hardly make any serious mistake with any gentle restoration attempts. While sword tangs usually never get cleaned, I'd suggest that you clean the whole piece - any remaining rust is likely to compromise future preservation.
It is well possible that this is a local imitation - there were Japanese expat communities (especially traders and mercenaries) in Viet Nam and many other SE Asian countries.
Regards,
Kai
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