World War II Japanese Sword

A co-worker of mine owns a Japanese sword. He sent me some pictures asking me if I could tell him anything about it.

It appears to be in excellent condition and mounted in World War II furniture; if I had to hazard a guess, I would say it was an officer's sword.

Beyond that, I don't know much. Three photos show markings on the tang. I have suggested someone in Baltimore who can do an expert appraisal, but my co-worker lives in Northern Virginia, so he would prefer to take the sword to someone in DC/NoVA -- if it's worth doing.

Can anyone here provide more information about the sword, or suggest who to take it to?

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Thanks in advance, guys!