Soulsmith

Here's the other side of the story: exactly the same. Kiyota has been extremely irresponsible towards his customers and myself, and this is very frustrating. I hope this story will have a safe ending (can't have a happy one anymore). He has made Marcel and myself loose face several times now, something 99% of Japanese would never do. I have been stuck in-between the conditions for the completion of my apprenticeship, and my responsibility towards his foreign customers, as the go-between. I have now stopped believing Kiyota and am working with Marcel.

Here's a Google map I created with all the hot spots for the DTI week-end. I found the Shinagawa pier but couldn't pin point the exact meeting location. I left it out instead of sending everyone in the boondocks http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=fr&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=109435198686552322322.0004937fa15af170d0eb8&ll=35.696341,139.75296&spn=0.067335,0.141449&z=13

Here is a list of the swords displayed at the Hozon Kai 100th anniversary meeting on the 31st (in Japanese, but I guessed most of you are already specialists at deciphering 700 year-old rusty inscriptions in Chewbacca-like scripts, so ...ok, ok, I'm just lazy. Pierre 一　　太刀　国行　２尺２寸５分５厘　山城来派祖　鎌倉中期 二　　短刀　則重　９寸３分　越中　鎌倉末期～南北朝 三　　短刀　朱銘　貞宗　８寸５分　相州　鎌倉末期～南北朝 四　　刀　　金象嵌銘　義景　２尺２寸９分　備前　南北朝 五　　太刀　備州長船幸光　２尺３寸１分５厘　備前　室町 六　　短刀　備州長船康以下切　８寸５分５厘　備前　室町・応永（康光） 七　　刀　　備州長船康光　２尺６寸９分５厘　備前　室町・応永 八　　長巻　南都住金房兵衛尉政次　３尺５寸　大和　室町後期 九　　短刀　藤原真景　８寸５分　越中　南北朝　（則重門） 十　　刀　　和泉守兼定作　２尺３寸７分　美濃　室町 十一　刀　　奥州仙台住藤原国包　２尺５寸５分　仙台　新刀初期（新刀大和伝代表工） 十二　脇差　肥忠吉　１尺２寸９分５厘　肥前　新刀初期 十三　刀　　以南蛮鉄於武州江戸越前康継　２尺４寸７分５厘　越前/武蔵　新刀初期 十四　脇差　山城大掾藤原国包　１尺３寸３分　仙台　新刀初期　（十一号と同人） 十五　短刀　以南蛮鉄於武州江戸・・・・越前康継　９寸７分５厘　　越前/武蔵　新刀初期 十六　刀　　加州住藤原家重作　２尺３寸　加賀　新刀初期 十七　刀　　伊予大掾橘勝国　２尺３寸４分　加賀　新刀初期　（十六号と同人） 十八　刀　　和泉守藤原国貞　２尺３寸９分　摂津　大阪新刀（真改と区別、親国貞と呼ぶ） 十九　　真長　重要美術品　長船　鎌倉 二十　　一竿子忠綱　大阪新刀 二十一　越前康継　大小　江戸初期 二十二　南紀重国　紀州　江戸初期 二十三　近江大掾忠広　　江戸初期　肥前 二十四　康光　応永備前 二十五　短刀　重真　長船 二十六　兼定　大鋒刀

Hi All, Here's some more enough, like there's not enough already On the Saturday evening, there is the auction exhibit and many of you will be going there. However, if some of you would be interested in cultural exchanges and more depravity, a Japanese equivalent of the NMB, the Shinkai message board (members are mostly from Western Japan) are gathering at one place to drink, eat and talk. I thought interesting the opportunity for both communities to join (beer is a common language) and exchange. I usually gather a small group of visiting friends on that evening, but this year I will take that group over to the Shinkai party. The details aren't set yet, but if some are interested just let me know and I'll add you to the list. Same as mentioned above: please don't do the very inappropriate thing of getting your seat reserved and not showing up, then getting others to pay for you (this is Japan). The Hozon Kai kansho-kai will be one of a kind, or so I hear. With "juyo-equivalents" (I will get shot! ..using Catholic vocabulary for a Protestant gathering!) by the plenty. Regards, Pierre

Thanks Peter! This is good information. Insurance is never simple. Can you specify what country you live in? I'd be curious to know. I remember searching for such insurance in Canada and never found anything. What type of insurance would it be? At 1%, it can be a good deal. Now someone else had once told me that you can always get insurance somehow, but the real problem is getting paid when there's a problem! They will do anything not to pay or to lower the value to be covered. Thanks Brian. That is interesting data. I will try to check that out, but simply calling EMS has often proven unsuccessful: it's a bureaucratic labyrinth! I'll do my homework, though, I promess. Peter, will you be at the DTI this year? Things are going much better now, thank you. There'll have plenty to talk about around a camp fire in a few years from now

I thought posting the bits and pieces I've learned through my experience shipping swords in and out of Japan. You all have had varied experience with mixed results, but here are stone-hard facts that are not about to change (the rest is up to the Kami of Public Servants ). *** The information provided in this post are to give a general idea only and cannot be used as a solid reference for an actual transaction. One should consult a specialist in the trade before making a move that involves big bucks. *** - Any genuine Japanese sword that is in Japan must be registered with the government, or otherwise it becomes automatically a crime (see news about NBTHK right now). Although nothing really happens (you are asked to register the sword), this is the procedure. The fact that it becomes a crime gives the police the leeway to look into it if they feel there's something fishy. If not, it's just paperwork and the "crime" is resolved. - For a sword to leave the country, its registration must be exchanged for a certificate of exportation, which states that the sword is not a protected cultural property, which cannot leave Japan. - For a sword to enter Japan, it *will* be stopped at the border for it must be appraised upon arrival to make sure it is a genuine nihonto, after which it has to be registered. If it is not, it must be returned to its sender, or destroyed, your choice. This appraisal takes place on days that are never set in advance, except for the EMS appraisal in Tokyo (once a month). This means if your sword comes in through another mean, it might take much shorter or longer time. In any case, it's never fast (i.e. you just *can't* carry a sword into the country, period). If a sword was to enter the country without being declared at the border, it would create a lotta trouble for its bearer. Been there (someone didn't know about sword laws in Japan and just brought me the tanto without saying a word.. because it was a genuine didn'tknow, the police was nice, but hellavulot of paperwork. Next time I refuse). - EMS, FedEx and other private carriers will all carry swords into and out of Japan. Each of them involves different procedures (EMS wants us to go the customs, FedEx does it for us, etc). The freeze by Japan Airlines lasted only two months and everything has been back to normal ever since. I shipped a sword a month ago through EMS, another through FedEx, and am receiving one right now through EMS, no problems. - I have never heard of mishandled swords in Japan (which doesn't mean it didn't happen, as I'm sure it did and although I've seen some less than professional manipulations at registration appraisal meetings, but nothing dramatic). Damage often occurs when the sword enters the destination country: custom agents are human, therefore curious about swords ) Making fake descriptions on package might seem like a trick to get through quietly, but I don't recommend it for many reasons, one being that Japanese tend to be very picky about this. You could create a lot more trouble by trying to avoid some. More often than not, the officials involved, both in Japan and abroad, just don't know much about swords, and tend to go suspicious (every time someone sends a sword in, he or she tells me the carrier first refused "can't send swords to Japan"… same thing on entering countries: officials often panic (quietly, they're Japanese ). The lesson is, you have to know the rules and laws and procedure in advance, so you can tell them — no bulls?%T, you have to work the truth, or it doesn't work!). - Shipping swords out (exporting) of Japan requires that the package be accompanied by the export certificate, and an inspection by the customs office (to make sure the contents match the description). This can be done by you or an agent who works in your name (for ex. a dealer or the carrier). - When shipping out, a new regulation states that anything that is above 200 000 yen in value must be accompanied by a special declaration, which no one at post offices or carriers' isn't really knowledgeable about yet (the procedure came into effect about six months ago, and not many individuals ship expensive stuff out). This can slow things down. - Every experienced agent I met told me that all swords are worth 100 000 yen when they cross the border. In some case, this is about making a false declaration which I neither encourage nor suggest, but this is how the "pros" (no such thing exists as of yet) get their swords pass through without fuss. Be careful: fake declarations in Japan usually lead to Armageddon. The point of flexibility here concerns the value of personally owned antique swords: their worth is function of the market and we all know a sword that worth x today might very well be worth a fraction of that tomorrow. Therefore no one can be uptight about sword values. Senders will put a big value on the package "in case something happens" in the hope of recovering some of their money, but one has to know that carriers will usually cover up to USD $1000 for "art objects" and "antiques", no matter the price paid, unless some special (and usually economically unjustifiable) insurance is bought (FedEx once asked me the price of a sword for its insurance…). When a sword is linked to a financial transaction, it's another story. - An agent's commission for importing / exporting a sword into / out of Japan is set at 30 000 yen / USD $300 per sword, or less (depending on the transaction). Dealers who are selling a sword usually offer the export preparation service for free. You shouldn't pay much more than that and you should pay for the right stuff. - Actual shipment shouldn't cost much more than USD $500 for FedEx, and much less for EMS. If you are not purchasing a sword from a dealer (in which case he will take care of the paperwork and proper "international-safe" packaging for you), you should hire an agent who knows what he's doing, will not make you waste your money and time and mostly will do everything possible so that the sword is safe. This is pluggin' time: I do this as a business. Assisting people get their swords into and out of Japan has allowed me to concentrate on my apprenticeship at first, and now it's part of my routine. I have my procedures set up and nicely rolling. I know what ports of entry to use for what purpose, the timing, hints and tips by the plenty, and learning everyday. This is not a trade, it's a bloody art It involves dealing with the Police, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Customs, the Board of Education, professionals in the field, local and international carriers, and lots of phone calls, in Japanese, during business hours. Don't try this at home In any case, if there's one advice I can give you: remain honest and true, it's the best way to go (at least in Japan). I've witnessed a guy trying to sneak a sword into Japan (asked for my help, but I happened to be busy then.. He almost got a criminal case. Pierre Swordsmithing, Apprenticeship: http://www.soulsmithing.com Sword Trade, Import & Export, Photography: http://www.samurarts.com *** The information provided in this post are to give a general idea only and cannot be used as a solid reference for an actual transaction. One should consult a specialist in the trade before making a move that involves big bucks. ***

Salut Benoit! C'est vraiment un petit monde. Speaking in Frenglish.. I was just watching Bon Cop Bad Cop yesterday! Kiyota-san was very happy with his carf. He is looking foward to another, more leisure-oriented stay in Québec. Au plaisir, Pierre

Definitely a small world! Hi Andrew. Is Big Brother also a member here? Pierre

I can take apprentices right away! You come to my house, you sleep in the garden, you clean around, you cook, you massage, you hunt (you have to go around in underwear: no budget). Sword forging? This is the Way, man! ...tanto is still a year in delay (no shorter because shorter ) and about 300 000 to 500 000 yen (I'd say 400 000). We often say that a tanto is even more interesting to order to a smith because one can enjoy the whole blade in one look, whereas a longer sword requires one to look all over the lenght of it. By simply holding the tanto in front of you, you can appreciate the sugata at once. It is therefore at least as difficult to make a short sword than a longer one. The basic forging of the steel is the same, too. Pierre

I already knew but hey! this is a very small world... Pierre

Thanks to both of W.Y.Chan and Brian. You can have a look at the sword that Brian mentioned through this very bad scan on my Web site: (bottom on page, click on image to enlarge) http://www.soulsmithing.com/PERSONS/KIY ... otaEN.html I've added some Japanese in here, so I don't know how it'll come out. This thing with the Second and other prizes keeps changing around (including my own version!) so I thought providing the Board with a Verified and Official translation: 特賞 (Toku-sho / Tokubetsu-sho) Special Prize - Usually 3-5 qualify - once you've got that 7 times, you're Mukansa 優秀賞 (Yushu-sho) Excellence Prize - Usually 5 smiths qualify 努力賞 (Doryoku-sho) Effort Prize - Usually 6-10 smiths qualify Now as to the "official" results, I must add that they are coming out on June 5th, so we don't know about others. My master was informed a bit in advance. I will try to provide you with an overview of the big hits once I'm back from Tokyo, if it's not published on the Tosho Kai's Web site (they are indeed still stuck with the 2005 results!). http://www.tousyoukai.jp/english/index.shtml I would be glad to support anyone interested in getting a shinsakuto made, should it be from my master or another smith. The common delay/price is one year/one million yen, but that changes a lot (usually longer/upward!). Regards, Pierre

Hi All, My name is Pierre Nadeau. I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, but am presently living in Western Japan where I am apprenticed under a young smith named Kiyota Jirokunietsu (hey! just entered Doryoku-sho - Second Prize - for the second time at this year's competition!). I was introduced and invited to this group by Brian, whom I've met at the Kyoto Sword Show a few weeks ago. Brian was in the midst of a buying spree, and I enjoyed watching him spend away his money. I'm always eager to chat about my trade, and will welcome any question I can answer. Although I am soaking in the Source right now, I am very far from being close to knowledgeable, and so will be glad to enjoy your own erudition. I am not very fond of computering, and so my replies might be scarce: don't take it personal. Regards, Pierre --------- http://www.soulsmithing.com