Bushidoboutique

True name: Onodera Jūnai Hidekazu (小野寺 十内 秀和)

Age: 61

Katana mei: Michinaga (1,2) length 2 shaku 9 sun

Wakizashi mei: Kunisuke (2,2) length 1 shaku 9 sun + Yari

The tale of the text – with a little twist

Loyalty, according to Junai, weighed as much as Mount Tai — which is a poetic way of saying “I take this VERY seriously.” Unfortunately, living by that loyalty was about as easy as climbing that same mountain in wooden sandals.
Junai, a seasoned retainer with the energy of a man half his age, joined Oboshi Yoshio and the others in their grand revenge plan. After the younger guys sprinted off to the Kantō like eager interns, Junai followed at a dignified sixty‑plus‑year‑old pace, accompanied by Oboshi Rikiya.

Halfway along the Tōkaidō, two comrades caught up to him with a letter from his wife — the Edo‑period equivalent of getting an emotional text message. Her poem basically said, “I cried so hard I ran out of paper.” Junai responded with a poem of his own that translated roughly to, “I might not make it back, but I’m bringing your love with me like a very stylish nine‑layer coat.”

Once in Edo, he reinvented himself as “Juan,” a physician — because nothing says “undercover samurai” like suddenly becoming a doctor at age sixty. Despite his age, he was still strong, sharp, and capable of beating most men half his age at both martial arts and trivia night.

During the night attack, Junai went full action‑hero mode, taking down two enemies and injuring many more. Mission accomplished, he retired to a guest house like a man who had just finished a very intense work project.
At year’s end, he wrote a poem reflecting on aging and the passing of time — which, in modern terms, was basically him sighing, sipping tea, and saying, “Wow, this year really flew by.”

For an accurate translation of the print text, I would encourage you to get the book: Kuniyoshi -The faithful samurai by David R Weinberg.