It would be almost difficult to find those cement-buried swords in Seoul these days. Except for a few historical buildings, very little survives from the Japanese period. Those swords would have been found by now and made the newspapers.
A few years after the Japanese departed, the North Koreans first, and then the Chinese passed through Seoul before the Korean war ended in a stalemate. Maybe they were found then and sold to foreign soldier.
Hmmm, wonder if I did start a rumor concerning them using used chopsticks to start a bbq fire would anyone be interested in locating those burnt embers?
From: Bill
Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2012 2:41 PM
To:
samuraihistory@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [samuraihistory] Samurai swords in cement
Group,
According to a Nisei in 1946, several high-ranking Japanese officers in Korea buried their Samurai swords in cement prior to being repatriated to Japan. These swords were supposedly buried in the third step of a stairway in a building somewhere in Seoul.
The Nisei, presumably a member of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), expressed an interest in locating the building and excavating the swords. He thought the swords might be valuable.
Has anyone ever heard this rumor before? If so, were the swords found?
Bill Streifer
The Flight of the Hog Wild
http://www.my-jia.com/The_Flight_of_the_Hog_Wild
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