And Mainaman I agree. These paper labels are from the wholesalers/consolidators down on the flatlands who distribute the stones to retailers. The wholesalers have drawers and drawers of paper labels and ink stamps to mark stones so they look more attractive and updated and marketable. In Japan buyers like a little flash and usually newer items. Old stock is not where its at.
The miners will sell stone to almost any one in the wholesale trade, but a leary of rocking the boat by selling retail from their small work shops. This was the traditional way, chaneled items from maker to wholesaler to user.
The stamps reading Yamashiro, Narutaki, Shobudani, Ozuku, Ozaki or even Nakayama now have got to be taken with a grain of salt because all of the old mines are closed and the copyright use of these names is really fuzzy right now, so any new stamps or labels are just marketing. There are only a few miners still guarding their copyrighted names, one is Ohira. I believe that what 330mate is doing right now is buying up the rights to use these old names by securing the mineral rights, even though theres no good stone left to be dug. Alx