Sword Import To Japan

[YOJIMBO]

Does anyone of you have direct personal experience?

I'm flying out there and I want to take a sword with me ( for shinsa ) . I'll be glad for the help.

[SteveM]

This should help

 

http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/articles/sword_law.pdf

[YOJIMBO]

 It's old and not personal experience. Do not post links. Only your own knowledge.

Thanks.

[Kronos]

All the info in that article is still current, correct and first hand experience of a knowledgeable member of this forum.

[SwordGuyJoe]

I recently sent a sword to Japan and it took about 4 weeks to clear customs and allowed to be registered. How long are you going to be in Japan? Accepting swords for Shinsa takes place over three days, BUT it takes about three months for the process to finish and your sword to be available for pickup. At that point, you'll need to apply for export and right now, that process is about 2 and a half weeks. All in you're talking about a 4-6 month process, start to finish.

[Guido]

  On 11/7/2015 at 11:56 AM, YOJIMBO said:

 It's old and not personal experience. Do not post links. Only your own knowledge.

Thanks.

 

It's not that old and most certainly my personal experience. Would it meet your high standards if I'd copy and paste it here?  

[kunitaro]

You need a registered address in Japan, or need someone who is residence in Japan to register the sword. 

When I bring swords back to Japan by myself, arriving at Narita or any international airport in Japan.

I have to declare the sword at custom.  then the custom take me (and sword) to office, and they call Police.

and Police examine the swords (They can not recognize if it is original or fake etc,.),however, if it is looks like a Japanese sword, they take size (Nagasa, sori, motohaba, etc,.) and confirm my ADDRESS in Japan, because, Sword register (Torokusho) is issued by owner's local Kyoiku-Iinkai (department of education) 

When they can confirm the address in Japan, Police issues a paper called "Hikiwasashi-sho" (Provisional delivery?), and they contact local department where the address on the paper.

as other posted answers.

 

I need to bring the sword and this paper to Local register office at the date of examine and register sword, it is one day every month in Tokyo, or one day every two month in Fukuoka.

You need your ID and the paper from police to register the sword and issue Torokusho.

and you need Torokusho to do Kantei or any restoration work in Japan.

 

so, If you don't have registered address in Japan, Airport police can not issue the paper. so, you can not take the sword out of airport custom,

Even for myself, shipping/sending by EMS is easier than taking them with me on flight.

 

As I am doing restoration service in Japan, I am shipping swords to Japan and receiving from Japan after restoration,

I still have to do all these import register, Torokusho work and applying export license every time after restoration work.

They don't have any exception or temporary register system for restoration. 

I would like to offer or propose such temporally sword registration system for restoration or Kantei.

but, I don't think it will happening near future.....

 

so, you need someone (restorer or an agent) in Japan for them to be temporary owner of the sword to register them in Japan.

and he/she has to apply export license to export the sword.