A carved wood Japanese Bokken training sword that was traded by a Japanese solider to a US soldier during WWII. It is inscribed with Japanese poems that were later translated by a college professor and reads: Seeing it fall and shaking it away before it accumulates: The branches of the green willow tree which are not broken by the snow." Do not think of only striking the enemy. Protect your body. The moon itself shines into the humble cottage." Both of the poems were included in anthologies of poetry dating from pre modern era of Japanese history before the mid nineteenth century. The first poem dates from the 8th century. The wood sword has the name Takao, probably referring to the city of Takao on the island of Taiwan where Japan governed as a colony from 1895-1945. The Japanese soldier that had the sword was most likely stationed there and inscribed the poem. The city of Takao is known as Kaohsiung today because the Taiwanese renamed it after the Japanese rule. Measures 40" long.