Paul Martin

Hi Guys, Thanks for the responses, please keep them coming. Please can you give us some idea of the before and after the law was implemented comparison as well please. Thanks Ian, Seasons greetings to you too. Best

Hi All, My wife is currently in Law School and writing papers on various subjects. As part of one of her subjects, she would like to hear about how everyone's experience with shipping in and out of Great Britain has been since the implementation of the new laws. For example, waiting times, customs lack of knowledge, damage, refusal, etc, etc. Also, if you would like to comment how the law has effected you in general. Not just bad stories, good stories too, but mainly before and after comparisons. Just looking for personal stories. Not trying to create a long thread criticizing customs or ebay and so forth. Just the facts please! Including any solutions that were accomplished (if any). Best

Hi Brian (and all), No problems, maybe you should have mentioned that I had already offered to donate a couple of copies to the raffle if it had came out in time. Jason. Thanks for your suggestions on my part, if you donate me one of your swords (even your gimei shinkai), I'll donate you a DVD in return :D . I will keep you all updated. Is it too early to say "Merry Christmas!"? Best

Hi All, the DVD should be available from next week. I will make a another post when it is. See the trailer here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiWQ1PzG5_A

Brian, If its out in time I submit a couple of complimentary copies for the prize draw. I don't think that its going to be so expensive. Other Empty mind films generally run at about $25-$30, but don't quote me on that. Stephen, I will contact you privately once its out and I have a definitive price. Best

Hi All, We have a new DVD coming out soon. Art of the Japanese Sword it was made in association with Empty Mind Films. Unlike the Discovery and History channel programs, this DVD is in the words of the craftsmen themselves. Not only several of the swordsmiths active today, but also the other related craftsmen such as Togishi, Nuri-shi, Horimono-shi, Habaki-shi, Saya-shi, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiWQ1PzG5_A I will post again once its available. Also, the kantei guide is now available in German. Courtesy of NMB member Guido Schiller.

No Comment. :|

Sorry to late getting back to this. It ended up being a rather long discussion with not only Ono san but other experienced people from the sword world. In short, just to confirm, as Mike stated 'A' is a forgery. I was advised however, that rather than possibly broadcasting all the kantei points to the forger, to leave the situation as it is at the moment. However, as with any sword please examine the signature and general level of workmanship carefully. Ono Yoshimitsu's workmanship is of the highest level, anything less be cautious. Finally, if you come across any blades signed by Ono Yoshimitsu that you are wary of, or considering purchasing, if you send photos or oshigata to me and I will forward them onto to Ono san. Ono san has very generously offered to verify if it his work or not. Any information exchanged will be in the strictest confidence. Best

2010 seems to be the years for sword books doesn't it. Here is another book just about to be released written by my good friend Mike Loades. It is about famous swords in history and the men that owned them. Mike Loades is an excellent writer, and captures the feelings that we have towards swords in a very articulate and captivating narrative. The section on Japanese swords focuses on the Yamatorige (Sanchomo) owned by Uesugi Kenshin. The book can be found here on pre-release, and if you wouldn't mind supporting it, please click on the agree with tags button if you are an Amazon user. http://www.amazon.com/Swords-Swordsmen- ... hf_p_img_1

Ray, why don't you just borrow Fred's copy? seeing as you are in the Bay area. Best

Yes, if its not out already. Best

I have another copy, someone else sent me one too. If everyone commits, and I get specific number to order, I can ask for a bunch to be sent to me. We can split the shipping and add the shipping from my address. Best

As a child I would sometimes watch my late father cleaning our family's Japanese sword. I was very envious and would think of how when I grew up, I would clean it and be charmed by its beauty. After the defeat of the war, due to the occupational forces' decree banning Japanese swords everywhere, my father surrendered his sword. It was never to be seen again. I will never forget how my child heart was truly broken. The late former Prime Minister, Hashimoto Ryutaro If you need any more help. http://www.chicago.us.emb-Japan.go.jp/A ... facts.html

It is A4, and I expect either directly from the AJSA, or the NBSK. A friend sent me mine, so I don't really know. and they cost 1800 JPY.

Here are also the results from the NBTHK's 2010 competition. NBTHK 2010 Shinsaku-Meitoten Results Long swords Mukansa Category Tachi Mei: Kokaji Yoshindo hori do saku Heisei 22 nen haru Nagasa: 62.2 cm Tokyo Yoshihara Yoshindo Katana Mei: Hasedo ju Tsunehira Saku / Heisei 22 nen 3 gatsu bi Nagasa: 74.6 cm Yamagata Pref. Kambayashi Yuji Wakizashi Mei: Rikuchu no kuni ju Kiyofusa saku / Heisei kanoe-tora no toshi ni gatsu jitsu Nagasa: 38.7 cm Iwate Pref. Yawaguchi Takeshi Tachi Mei: Hashida Hiroshi ke judai Kunihira Sanjin kore wo tsukuru (kokuin)/Heisei 22 nen kanoe-tora no nen gantan Nagasa: 75.6 cm Nara Pref. Kawachi Michio Tanto Mei: Shinano no kuni junin Norihiro / Heisei 21 nen aki (Masamune Award) Nagasa: 26.9 cm Nagano Pref. Miyairi Norihiro Katana Mei: Sagami no kuni Hiroki Hirokuni tsukuru / Heisei 22 kanoe-tora no toshi haru Nagasa: 69.6 cm Kanagawa Pref. Hiroki Junichi Tachi Mei: Toto Takasago ju Yoshikazu kore wo tsukuru / Heisei 22 nen yayoi kichi jitsu Nagasa: 75.0 cm Tokyo Yoshihara Yoshikazu Katana Mei: Noshu Mugei Hachiman ju Kanekuni kinsaku / Heisei 22 nen haru kichi jitsu Nagasa: 72.3 cm Gifu Pref. Ogawa Kunihiko Katana Mei: Shinano no kuni Kiyoyuki / Heisei 22 nen haru Nagasa: 74.1 cm Nagano Pref. Yoshikawa Nobuo Kodachi Mei: Tame Kogura Kyoichi shi Tsuguyasu saku / Heisei 22 nen haru kichi jitsu Nagasa: 57.8 cm Chiba Pref. Matsuda Shuji Tachi Mei: Mino no kuni ju Kanekuni kore wo tsukuru / Heisei 22 nen 2 gatsu kichi jitsu Nagasa: 78.0 cm Gifu Pref. Ogawa Mitsutoshi Tachi, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto and Yari Category. The NBTHK Chairman’s Award Katana Mei: Harima no kuni junin Takami Kuniichi kore wo tsukuru / Heisei kanoe-tora no toshi Ichi Yo Rai Fuku Nagasa: 75.5cm Hyogo Pref. Takami Kazuyoshi Kunzan Award Hyuga no kuni ju Kunimasa kore wo tsukuru / Heisei 22 nen haru Nagasa: 89.4 cm Miyazaki Pref. Matsuba Kazumichi Award for Excellence Tachi Mei: Kitagawa Masatada kore wo tsukuru / Heisei 22 nen 3 gatsu jitsu Nagasa: 70.6 cm Nagano Pref. Kitagawa Tetsushi Award for Effort Katana Mei: Date ju Tsunehira saku/ Heisei 22 nen gatsu jitsu Nagasa: 75.0 cm Hokkaido Watanabe Toru Tachi Mei: Suo no kuni Sugita Yoshiaki saku / Heisei 21 nen 8 gatsu jitsu Nagasa: 78.1 cm Yamaguchi Pref. Sugita Shoji Katana Mei: Sugiyama Masatoshi kore wo tsukuru / Heisei 22 nen 3 gatsu jitsu Nagasa: 69.2 cm Tokushima Pref. Sugiyama Toshio Tachi Mei: Izumo no kuni ju Masanori saku / Heisei 22 nen haru Nagasa: 74.0 cm Shimane Pref. Sone Hiroshi Nyusen Tachi Mei: Miike ju Kokuten kore wo tsukuru / Heisei 22 nen mutsuki kichi jitsu Nagasa: 78.8 cm Fukuoka Pref. Komiya Haruki Tachi Mei: Kamihata Makoto kore wo tsukuru / Heisei 22 nen haru kichi jitsu Nagasa: 79.3 cm Chiba Pref. Kamihata Makoto Katana Mei: Hokke Saburo Nobufusa/ Heisei ni ju ni kanoe-tora no toshi 2 gatsu jitsu Nagasa: 75.4 cm Miyagi Pref. Takahashi Daiki (?) Katana Mei: Sa Motohira / Heisei kanoe-tora no toshi haru kissho jitsu Nagasa: 73.2 cm Niigata Pref. Shinpo Motoharu Katana Mei: Buzen no kuni ju Kaku Michinaga Saku / Heisei 22 nen 3 gatsu Nagasa: 66.9 cm Fukuoka Pref. Kaku Michio Katana Mei: Noshu Seki Ju Kanehiro saku / Heisei 22 nen 2 gatsu kichi jitsu Nagasa: 77.6 cm Gifu Pref. Isa Jitoku (?) Katana Mei: Soshu ju Shigenori / Heisei 22 nen haru Nagasa: 70.0 cm Kanagawa Pref. Ozawa Shigenori Wakzashi, Tanto and Ken Category NBTHK Chairman’s Award Ko-wakizashi Mei: Sugita Yoshiaki saku / Heisei 22 nen 2 gatsu jitsu tame Senda Ichiro Shi Nagasa: 31.3 cm Yamaguchi Pref. Sugita Yoshiaki Award for Excellence Ken Mei: Shinpei saku / Soju(?) Yoshihiko Heisei 22 nen 2 gatsu Nagasa: 31.9 cm Ibaraki Pref. Kato Masaya Ko-wakizashi Mei: Nisshu ju Kunimasa / Heisei 22 nen haru Nagasa: 36.8 cm Miyazaki Pref. Matsuba Kazumichi Award for Effort Ken Mei: Kanenori / Heisei 22 nen haru Nagasa: 28.4 cm Nara Pref. Komori Yoshinori Tanto Mei: Toshimune saku / Tsuchinoto-ushi no toshi 8 gatsu jitsu Nagasa: 25.3 cm Chiba Pref. Ezawa Toshiharu Tanto Mei: Shinano ju Kiyonao kore wo tsukuru / Heisei 22 nen ichi gatsu kichi jitsu tame Nishizawa ke judai Nagasa: 24.2 cm Nagano Pref. Matsukawa Takashi Nyusen Tanto Mei: Sa Motohira / Heisei Kanoe-tora no toshi haru kissho jitsu Nagasa: 25.1 cm Niigata Pref. Shinpo Motoharu Tanto Mei: Aritoshi / Heisei 22 nen 2 gatsu jitsu Nagasa: 26.8 cm Nara Pref. Ezumi Shohei Ko-wakizashi Mei: Kunihisa tsukuru / 2010 nen yamawarau Nagasa: 40.6 cm Gunma Pref. Ishida Tomohisa Tanto Mei: Bitchu ju Shinsaku kore wo tsukuru Koiwa Tenshin / Kanoe-tora no toshi ju ni gatsu ju ni nichi hori Munekaze Nagasa: 22.6 cm Okayama Pref. Akamatsu Shinsaku Tanto Mei: Hachioji ju Shigetoshi / Heisei 21 nen seika Nagasa: 27.2 cm Tokyo Sato Toshimi Horimono Category Award for Excellence Wakizashi Omote: Sensho inkoku Ura: Bairyu Tsunehira hori do saku Yamagata Pref. Kambayashi Yuji Award for Effort Wakizashi Fujigoe no ryu Omote: Unryu Ura: Kumofuji Gyushodo Shigemitsu kore wo horu Tottori Pref. Kashiwagi Koji Wakizashi Omote: Unryu Ura: Bonji, Tsune-tsuki su-ken Gyushodo Shigetsune Okayama Pref. Katayama Wataru Nyusen Tanto Bairyu no sukisage Takaniku hori Banri horu France Irie Banri Soft Metalwork Category Mukansa Koi no zu tsuba 87 sai Toshimasa (Kao) Osaka Sakai Masaichi Yatsu warabite zougan Daisho tsuba Toshiyuki Ehime pref. Tamaoka Toshiyuki Yugao no zu tsuba Nobuie Tanko Kazunari tsukuru Gifu Pref. Naruki Kazuhiko Kamon sukashi zougan tsuba Chikuzen Wakamatsu Masaomi saku Heisei 10 nen Fukuoka pref. Nagamine Masaomi Nasu zu tsuba Heisei 22 nen Ogaki ju Jozan Gifu Pref. Koyama Yoshikazu Yushsusho Yatsu hashi sukashi Sunshu Shimizu ju Hirotake saku Shizuoka Pref. Fukuyo Hirotake Doryoku sho Guncho no zu tsuba Kashu Komatsu ju Senichiro saku Ishikawa Pref Ueno Senichiro Myo-o Tanjo zu tsuba Yanagawa Seiji (kao) Kanoe-tora 22 nen Chiba pref. Yanagawa Seiji Namu hachi man Diabosatsu moji sukashi tsuba Yoshiyuki saku Shizuoka pref. Kawashima Yoshiyuki Shoju ni tsuruzu tsuba Musashi ju Mitsuyoshi Kyoto Utsugi Mistuyoshi Kaihin zu tsuba Norimitsu Osaka Iwasaki Mitsuo Nyusen Tetsu yatsumoko osukashi karekki zu tsuba Sadayoshi Heisei kanoe-tora no toshi Fukuoka Pref. Matsumoto Sadayoshi Kuyo Karakusa zougansaya nami sukashi tsuba Hidefumi Ehime Pref. Yamashita Hidefumi Mokumemon tsuba Masaki Tokyo Takahashi Masaki Take zu sukashi tsuba Toshikazu saku Shizuoka Pref. Ito Toshikazu Hisago Sukashi daisho tsuba Nagato ju Shin Yamaguchi Pref. Masaki Fumio Okina yasuri tojin kasa sukashi Odawara fukurin tsuba Utsusu Hikozo Sekishu saku Hyogo Pref Yamaguchi Ishine Enke tsunagi no tsuba Koichi saku Heisei 22 nen 8 gatsu Oita Pref. Hashimoto Koichi Kage boshi no zu tsuba Nobuo Saitama pref. Ueno Nobuo Tetsuji yatsumoko namigashira sukashi tsuba Ichijo Kozan Nara Pref. Mizuyagawa Gensho

As many of you may have noticed, I have changed my youtube page to TheJapaneseSword http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJapaneseSword

I received my NBSK competition catalogue this morning and thought I would share, seeing as there was an unusual amount of gaijin in it :D It is a little more expensive than the NBTHK's catalogue, but has much more in it, and great photography. I have posted some other pics relevant to current threads too. The catalogue cover, Another genuine Ono Yoshimitsu mei for comparison. Ford's tsuba, Brian Tschernega's habaki, David Mcdonald's tsuka-maki, and a tachi by Matsuda Tsuguyasu's deshi, up and coming smith Kamihata Makoto.

FYI, The blade on the Token Sugita site is NOT gimei, this has been confirmed by Ono san. Ono san and Sugita san are good friends. Sugita san is a very reputable dealer, and is very active in helping and educating everyone, Japanese and non-Japanese, to determine which are good swords, old and new, to try to stop this kind of thing. Best

Morita san, Thank you for buying and your nice comments about the book. I am surprised it is available already. I too thought that it wasn't out until September. Personally, although it has thorough basic information (usually glossed over in other books), on reading it, I think the readers will find it is also aimed at the intermediate, and seasoned collector. It offers some points of view that differ from the ones offered for the last 60 years, confirms the suspicions of some collectors who question some of popular points of view, and so on and so forth. There are some rather extreme opinions, but these are still worth consideration, and are balanced with commentary on the popular theories. It has been updated from the Japanese version with this added commentary, and other additional sections like the Hon'ami kao, and reading eto, etc, that I thought would be beneficial to western collectors. Best

The fourth person in the photo looks like Murakami Kosuke, kantei student of Honami Koson, and editor of Touen magazine. He also issued kantei-sho Fig 290, page 173 : Fact and Fundamentals of Japanese Swords. He is also mentioned on pages 9 and 10. http://www.kodansha-intl.com/books/html ... 31303.html Cheaper on Amazon though.

Thank you all for your kind words. Just to let you all know it is also available in French (courtesy of Jean), Italian (courtesy of Carlo), and Russian (courtesy of Stan). Apparently my site doesn't work on everyones browser, so please bare with me for the time being, I am trying to get it up to speed. If you can't get the site or paypal button to work, please contact me through here or through the site contact page, or facebook, etc, etc. I do my utmost these days not to give anything away to spammers. Also, I know it has already been mentioned, but another book by Kodansha is available by pre-order from Amazon, but will be in major book stores in the not too distant future. I highly recommend this book (not because I translated and adapted it), because it was highly educational to produce. It goes into detail on what most sword books take for granted or skip over. http://www.amazon.com/Facts-Fundamental ... 392&sr=8-1 Best

As promised, application form. Please fax +81(0)3-5216-7705 or email tbk@nbsk-jp.org .pdf

Forgive me if this has gone out already. I was asked by the NBSK to openly invite entries to this years competition for soft metals from non Japanese craftsmen regardless of school or lineage etc. It is 5000 JPY per entry the deadline is soon (maybe April 23), but if you have a tsuba, habaki or something that you made this year with your signature. Do not send swords! For one, they will not make the deadline, and two its probably not worth the hassle of trying to get a sword by an unlicensed smith in. See the NBSK site for details. I will post the application form soon. Best

Hi John, Was that the one we saw in Okayama? Thats OK, you can mention my name too if you want :lol: Hi Tom :D , yes, it left me wondering too. I think that I have heard both explanations before. One of those things that differs from school to school I expect. Like the use of the terms uchi-uke and soto-uke in different styles of karate. Its the same in Nakahara's book too. His explanation for the difference between kanmuri-otoshi and U-no-kubi is the opposite away around to Nagayama Kokan. Best

For those of you who missed this magnificent exhibition. The Met has posted videos of four lectures given at the event by: Ogawa Morihiro sensei (former employee at the NBTHK and current advisor to the Met and Boston Museums) Exhibition introduction. http://www.youtube.com/user/metmuseum#p ... teJm9ywk3I Victor Harris sensei (Keeper Emeritus of the Japanese dept, British Museum) http://www.youtube.com/user/metmuseum#p ... 8BW86UrO1k Fujishiro Okisato sensei (mukansa) and his son Tatsuya san (3rd and 4th Generation Japanese sword polishers) http://www.youtube.com/user/metmuseum#p ... t1Okf0AYRg Suzuki Norio sensei (Director-General, National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo) http://www.youtube.com/user/metmuseum#p ... rQk9dFFXnA