Very nice looking sword! have you unpegged it and looked for the "prayer sheet", or done a rubbing of the marks under the grip???
The owner of a gunshop where I lived back in the 70's was very much into Japanese swords...The Postmaster of my PO was a Pacific Marine Vet; he brought back a Japanese NCO's sword (much plainer than the one you pictured; yours must be an Officers sword) and the gunshop owner showed me how it was assembled/disassembled...and the "prayer" that was sometimes hidden under the grip...
Did you buy the Type 14??? I've always wondered what the Japanese made the grips out of...
Very impressive collectibles...
