What Can We Do with/about/to/for the NBTHK-AB?

[Peter Bleed]

               The July issue of Token Bijutsu arrived today and I have to confess some dissatisfaction. I joined the NBTHK in 1968 and have always felt that being a member of THE sword society was a good thing to do, but now I am sincerely wondering if I should continue my membership. I find the web-page hard to access and unwelcoming. I don’t enjoy playing magazine kantei – and I am hardly the only one who feels that way. TWO Americans took part last month.

               What am I doing wrong? Can I make better use of the Organization? Is there something that might be done to help it? Am I missing secrets about how to use the organization?

Or is it time to give it up?

Peter Bleed

[Rivkin]

I can only repeat the same very personal interest points I always stated:

 

Interested in roundtable study and discussion of upper end blades. Arranging for study of such pieces in museums and Japan. On my own end can offer some help regarding some of these aspects.

From "... bring your most controversial" or "... bring your most favorite" blade to specific topic, maybe assembled country-wide.

Almost no interest in lectures, plenty of venues supplying those.

Interested in publications only if they contain things beyond nihonto koza, Markus Sesko's "Swordsmiths..." and other well established texts.

 

No interest in activities which are best described as "outreach".

 

[ChrisW]

I've wondered about the future of this collecting discipline for some time now. If the current stewards (us) can't generate public interest, our interest dies with us. My current answer that some collectors and I have been working on has been establishing a state token kai and holding meetings that are public. Whenever I go to street fairs and other events, I always do my best to give out information on nihonto and made it known that are meetings exist to the general public.

I know this isn't necessarily on topic, but Kirill brought up some salient points I had long thought about. I think what you've mentioned Peter is a symptom of our collecting discipline overall and something that can only be addressed by making things more public and accessible in terms of access and information. Of course, there is a language barrier as well.. which is very much reflected in how Japanese and English websites are constructed. I think for our Japanese friends to want to connect more with us on this side of the ocean, we must drum up interest here first. You have to admit that the average age for collectors in this study is trending increasingly higher with not nearly as many young bloods getting involved as should be.

[Rivkin]

I thought attracting young people is a job for Kenshin san or whatever his name is.

Remember the times when there were but three serious collectors of the middle eastern in the entire US. The only issue was that the market was anemic and a lot of pieces were just lying around with random people since selling them was difficult. Otherwise it was ok.

One of them was Compton's friend and had a strong opinion a relative popularity of nihonto did not do much to improve the collecting experience.

 

[Toryu2020]

Peter -

I have to ask - what are your collecting/study goals? My Japanese is very limited but I pore thru the magazine each month and I do the shijo kantei exercise, I am just rarely correct - so just cause you do not see the names it doesn't mean more people aren't trying.

Riv come hang out with us - starts with being social then we get together for serious study...

Lots of young ladies into swords now in Japan and as we all know "The Japanese girl of today is the Japanese mother of tomorrow!"

Whatever it is you want out of the hobby you have to let people know - you need to be active and vocal - don't expect folks to read your mind or to change the way things are done because of one members complaints. I am working hard on improving our content, would love to have yall's feedback. (Ralph Bell imitation ends here...)

 

-t

Support your local sword club!

[drbvac]

I really think it is a generational thing as many many young people have no interest in ANYTHING old or not electronic and we all have homes filled with antique furniture and collectiblet s from Royal Dalton Figurines to Picasso art prints. None of my children want any of it!!!!  All the sets of china etc sent down from previous generations are in the dump as is crystal and all sorts of other items.

 

They do collect stuff - video games and sneakers and sports memorobilia but it is getting rare and Nihonto is not something that appeals to very many people at the best of times

 

I have no answers but appreciation for history and art blades is a dying field

[Vermithrax16]

I enjoy the North American branch online meetings Peter. I see you there often. They are seldom held though.

I cannot do oshigata based kantei as I learned by pictures and imagery. Oshigata kantei is a remnant of the early non internet era. 

There does seem to be a real lull now in interest. There was a barren landscape of items during the 2020-early 2021 sars2 issues as well. It doesn't help that the better collectors I know of rarely share items or engage in discussion anymore.

And lastly, the price point of this study is brutal and most semi interested folks I have asked are very turned off to high buy prices but low resell prices. Not many folks can burn money this way.

Just my 2 cents. 20 cents after inflation.

[Toryu2020]

Jeremiah -

Laughing at that last line not the post in general. Let Nick Kolick, Fred Geyer, Bob Benson, Jim Gilbert and others know how you feel - if Nick can't do presentations we know others who can - I will say it again - without feedback these organizations are going to do little or worse think that everyone is happy.

 

I wasn't happy with the speed of my education so I moved to Japan - I am hoping to bring what I learned to students here who cannot make that move - I am happy to share in any discussions - also I am a poor man - I learned early on you cannot own everything (anything really) - lets start banging on some doors, I think people will share and I think the NBTHK will step up if we put some pressure on them.

 

Po jit tibu Yaro!

 

-t

[Baba Yaga]

5 hours ago, drbvac said:

I really think it is a generational thing as many many young people have no interest in ANYTHING old or not electronic and we all have homes filled with antique furniture and collectiblet s from Royal Dalton Figurines to Picasso art prints. None of my children want any of it!!!!  All the sets of china etc sent down from previous generations are in the dump as is crystal and all sorts of other items.

 

They do collect stuff - video games and sneakers and sports memorobilia but it is getting rare and Nihonto is not something that appeals to very many people at the best of times

 

I have no answers but appreciation for history and art blades is a dying field

 

Yep, poor young people.  ! Add on student loans and inflation, not being able to buy a home, health insurance costs, dental costs, auto payments, auto insurance, energy costs, etc.   

[Peter Bleed]

I think this has been a useful discussion, and, as Tom says, it does little good to belly ache. We all want to make sword collecting better

Indeed, I was NOT complaining, but rather trying to find a way of encouraging exactly the kind of communication that Tom calls for. As Jeremiah says, I try to participate in on-line discussions when I am aware of them. I recently posted a green papered tsuba on the NBTHK-AB site (but so far I have had no feed back).

Communication is tough, but if somebody is here on NMB, that shouldn't be either ignored or dismissed. Should the leadership be involved - at least listening  to this community?  Likewise, it behooves the leadership to welcome and encourage members' participation.

My interest in sword collecting is basically Japanese social history - as it was manifest in Sendai during the Edo period. That is pretty esoteric and very hard to link to the monthly kantei puzzle.  I would, however, like to take part in the discussion. I am sure that regional groups in Japan work together. Would it be possible for us to arrange a ZOOM discussion of the monthly challenge?

Peter

[Vermithrax16]

I was typing on phone (which I hate) earlier.

 

I want to thank Peter for this topic. I feel it and have worries about future of the study.

 

Let's take the last 2 NBTHK-AB sessions I attended (was fishing during last one) as examples.

 

Members strive to present lessons and kantei that seem hard, but in reality are easy as it's always the same smiths or makers. Look, I enjoy a Natsuo lesson as much as anyone, and yes Rai blades are nice. But that's all we do. @Jussi Ekholmwould have the numbers but how many Rai blades pass Juyo every year, year in year out? Nice? Yes! But we know.

 

If we want new members, new interest we need to focus on what inspires collectors or new study entrants. That means an end/suppression of Nihonto elitism. When a new person enters with a nice Echizen blade with great nie, and wonderful suguha hamon, appreciate that. Learn as well. No, we say "you need a Go Yoshihiro to know what a sword is!" or "Koto is all that matters, you waste your time." Counter productive and discouraging. Why not an NBTHK meeting where we do a "around the table" where everyone shows one NEW item they are looking at for study. 

 

Again, everyone poo poo's my "buy high, sell low" statements but if you have been doing this at all for the last 6 years, you know it's true. Can I buy a Juyo XYZ sword/fittings and get money back? Sure! Try it with a top maker not named Natuso etc and see what happens. No one likes to burn money. I accept it to be a care taker for items, but new folks see a problem.

 

So much more to add, but it's late for me. Great topic and we should keep at it.

 

 

[Rivkin]

First, all titles need to be abolished. It always been a bane of nihonto - lots of titles (including fakes), not too many people. You look at some of the letterheads from 1980s and they have printed the founding president, teaching president, active president, active vice presidents, president emeritus... and the names themselves for today's generation are frankly unrecognizable.

You don't need to be a director of outreach to be active. Arguably except for the treasurer and organizer (president?) no title is required. This can do much to diminish the motivation of people to retell the chapters from the same old Japanese books. Yes, often on Rai and other cliche topics. Which is both good and bad, there are obviously some joining specifically to get this kind of content... 

  

Second, a group is only as good as are the people, topics and blades. Do the analysis of what people can/willing to bring and discuss. Investigate which topics they like. For example, I can do reasonably good with topics like Senjuin, Soshu, Houju. I will be more a listener on Bizen. Never enjoyed the school, frankly speaking. So what is interesting to the participants.

 

Third, be aggressive in exploring new venues. Go after the rich people who can show good swords. Go after the museums (this one is painful). Go after Japanese contacts (also painful).

I am all hands for the elitism, it just needs to be backed by the blades not oshigata and deep theory.

 

These are all frankly difficult things to actually do. Don't expect the old crowd to suddenly do the hassling. More to the point - I would not do such hassling, why someone else should.

When I was much younger and much more romantic I've tried to do things like these... and quickly learned I can just as well do them for myself only. In terms of time invested/outcome received. 

 

P.S. No pretense that this is how things "should be". Its just a bunch of personal preferences.

[Toryu2020]

For the past thirty plus years the NCJSC has offered in person , monthly show and tell where people bring in new acquisitions for appreciation and discussion, for the past year the NCJSC has presented three ways to study kantei; in person in hand at our meetings, paper Shijo kantei in our newsletter and monthly zoom kantei very much like that done for the NBTHK. (note we use a little known Japanese program that ranges thru all periods, schools and artists not just the top five) We have also started to broadcast our in-person meetings on Zoom, so out of towners can see and learn right along with us. We are approaching the end of a year in which the theme is the Major Han in the Bakumatsu period - focusing on the history, people, art, swords and fittings of the various fiefs vying for power at the end of the Tokugawa period. Our members set the theme.

 

If this interests you please become a member - our newsletter is now 100% electronic and there are no added fees for overseas membership - if you read this and do join let me know and I will see you get all the electronic back issues from this year...

-tch

[b.hennick]

👍👍

[mas4t0]

16 hours ago, Baba Yaga said:

 

Yep, poor young people.  ! Add on student loans and inflation, not being able to buy a home, health insurance costs, dental costs, auto payments, auto insurance, energy costs, etc.   

 

I found this an interesting discussion, and I think this probably gets to the core of the matter.

 

I'm quite young (and not American) and my experience has been that those (my own age) generally (a) have the time but lack the resources, (b) have the resources but lack the time or (c) have neither the resources nor the time.

 

I think it is an accurate observation too that there is a lack of interest in collecting antiques more generally (among younger generations), but I feel that this would be a discussion revolving around cultural theory (modernism, post-colonialism, post-modernism, etc) which would require several thousand words.

 

If anyone is interested in going there I can find some references to share.

[Toryu2020]

So Mark I would ask can their be study without collection? That has been my path - one can see good examples in hand and not have to own them - (in fact this is how most Japanese learn) - how might you fire the young imagination to seek study of Japanese art and history without requiring a piling up of stuff? Books even can largely be substituted by digital resources at this point. How would you alert folks to resources they don't need a lot of resources for and to persons (albeit older) with the resources and the time to share?

-t

and if the answer requires several thousand words I am OK with that...

[Jussi Ekholm]

My hat is off to everyone running sword groups and involved in it, it is very tough task with few rewards. I have tried getting people interested in Japanese swords locally with pretty 0 success. I felt it took way too much time and stress and I am selfish in that regard and I will rather focus my efforts in my own study and research which might well be totally uninteresting to people but means everything to me personally.

 

I think your living location has a lot to do with accessibility of sword clubs. I am in "relatively good" position where I got Scandinavian branch having meetings in neighbouring country, and I have visited few of them. However unfortunately I cannot afford to fly and have vacation weekends like that at the moment, and in current state I would rather use those funds to add 2-3 extra days to my next trip to Japan than have a weekend in Europe... But living in Stockholm area, I would definately visit every meeting I can get, same with Germany in the area of Main European branch meeting places etc.

 

At least in Scandinavian Branch there was usually bring your own stuff at some point of the meeting, it was nice that there was so great variation in stuff. There were swords, armor, guns, etc. all kinds of stuff. People are often encouraged to bring in items. I remember I brought in my 2 tachi to one meeting, and senior members pointed out things on my swords I hadn't seen with my own eyes. None of the members commented negatively on items of various quality brought in the meetings, and good discussion could be had even on the lower end items.

 

For me one "problem" is that there are so many various groups and sites online and real life, the few people very active in the hobby get spread thinner and thinner. I for one enjoy NMB a lot, and perhaps it could serve as a hub for various sword societies too (I know Brian was maybe toying around with an idea like that some time ago)? Perhaps having members only and open to everyone sections for sword clubs? Being open to everyone and sharing stuff in open is something I feel is important. I know lot of stuff happens and stays in privacy and I do always respect that, as there can be various reasons for that.

 

The same top tier items popping up on a book after another (or online reference) is a problem too. Yes they are excellent items but when I have encountered the same item in c.20 different sources it makes me want to get more and more obscure books from Japan that hopefully do not have the same top items again and again. That is the biggest reason why my book hunts at Japanese sites have gotten to very niche as I want to find new items, not the same ones again in different book.

 

I do understand the point Jeremiah is making, it is nice especially in the beginning to see items that might be possible to own at some point.

[Katsujinken]

As a younger (nearing late thirties) collector and student I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this. I own multiple blades, including one Juyo, and I’m a serious martial artist. I may be rare but I am not unique! I’ve also been a member of the NBTHK and the American branch since I bought my first sword. I’m going to share some thoughts here that I have already shared with folks at the AB, lightly edited, because I think they can be generally useful and contribute to the discussion. One caveat though: maintaining (and growing) a niche organization like this is very difficult and requires significant investments of time, attention, and effort. The NBTHK competes with everything else in life, and many if not most of the competitors are also investing massive sums of money in addition to time, attention, and effort (hello, Netflix). 
 

Most people who are going to enter this field nowadays will do so through the “side door.” For example, a few years ago in Japan, the video game Touken Ranbu led to a massive surge in the popularity of nihonto among younger women. There were lines around the block at museums. Here in the states, I think the most likely point of entry for potential NBTHK members, including younger members, is through the martial arts.

 

To that end, in parallel with an organized social media effort, I think the NBTHK should explore how to better connect with the martial arts community (reputable dojos only, of course). What kind of partnerships might make sense? Can we provide some basic nihonto curriculum to introduce the NBTHK into dojos around the country? Any legitimate dojo teaching the Japanese sword should be or is already teaching some aspects of what we might consider the basic NBTHK curriculum. Many serious dojos already have one member who is the “real” sword guy/gal. In this way, forming relationships with dojos, to include events and programming, could be a good path to generate a steady stream of interest. It also opens up the possibility of collaborating with their social media accounts, and so on.

 

This is my dojo, which is a good example of the kind of group we could target: https://www.brooklynbattodo.com. You’ll notice a few relevant articles I’ve written for the dojo, one a primer on nihonto overall, and the other a sword buying guide for martial artists.

 

I have yet to meet a serious martial artist who isn’t utterly amazed when they get to see a nihonto in person. That’s no guarantee they want to expend any more effort, but it’s a start.

 

Combined with some work on membership tiers and educational materials, this could be something of a shortcut to an interested / invested audience. Many of us have deep connections into kenjutsu dojos across the US, for example, and I don’t think it would be too difficult to organize a series of virtual seminars or lectures for dojos aimed at 1) sharing basic nihonto knowledge that is relevant to practicing a sword art and 2) introducing the NBTHK and the benefits of membership. In this way offering “101 level content”, especially via lectures, can be a lead generation strategy.

 

Not everyone who loves nihonto/tosogu will become a collector, but I have personally guided multiple people in my dojo to buying their first nihonto or collecting a few tsuba. Having someone to guide you through the process makes it so much easier to spend $2000+ on an antique. On the other hand, it’s been much harder to convince folks to join the New York Token Kai and physically come see more stuff in person once a month. So I recognize there are limits here — but online content has the advantage of being consumable on any schedule one likes, for the most part. Taking most of a Sunday to go into the city, even to see amazing swords, is a lot to ask I guess. Traveling to one of the big shows will always be an activity for the most passionate among us.

 

Another angle that I think can be very effective is simply that the NBTHK offers authoritative, authentic resources on the Japanese sword and related arts like tosogu. Emphasizing

affiliation with “The Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo” is a good idea. The internet is such a minefield, but with the right framing the NBTHK can be positioned as an antidote to all the crap out there. Essentially the NBTHK can market itself (yes marketing!) as one of the best English language destinations for nihonto-related resources and community. In doing so it should be able to connect with people who are likely to self-select into the right kind of groups (i.e. people with a serious interest for the right reasons).

 

But NBTHK also needs to create and tailor membership benefits for beginners. Perhaps there is a "102 level" series of lectures they could offer that would build on the “101 level” that could be shared for free to the public (for the purposes of lead generation). Within the NBTHK AB there are some of the foremost nihonto/tosogu experts in the English speaking world. They could create some simple but amazing materials to support newcomers. For example, there could be a “Gokaden Intro Course,” and the NBTHK give anyone who joins at a certain level of membership a copy of Connoisseur’s to go along with it (financially I don’t think this is insane but I could be wrong).
 

Getting started with nihonto really is the hardest part. If we remove some of the friction and target the right audiences we might see more success in the long term.

 

But as you can probably tell, to even begin to execute some of this is a part time job at least.  
 

Apologies for the wall of text!

[Brian]

This software has an advanced feature called clubs, where you can have private areas administered by certain groups. So for example, a sword club could have a private discussion area here, where they would have full control and where their members could be granted access and have discussions.
I have always been open to the idea if any groups wish to use this as a hub.

[Lingonberry]

EDIT: This is for the nihonto collecting community in general, not just NBTHK-AB.

 

Forgive the slight thread necromancy but the general idea of getting younger folks involved in collecting is something I've been thinking about quite a bit in the last few years. Couple of thoughts and observations:

 

1. As was previously mentioned, young people today have a great deal of financial pressures and relatively less income compared to previous generations. This means much, much less disposable income to spend on expensive hobbies like collecting. HOWEVER, that is not universally the case and there are plenty of people with enough spending money to participate in collecting. This is especially true of folks in their late 20's through 30's who are more established in their careers.

 

2. There seems to be this unfair and inaccurate idea that young people don't care about old things like antiques or art. Even though I'm in my mid/late 30's I've been talking to younger people in their 20s online via an app called Discord and have found that they tend to be quite curious and ask lots of questions once the topic of nihonto and tosogu comes up. I think the real truth is that many people, young and old alike, are simply not exposed to nihonto outside of the context of pop culture like movies, shows, or video games. Many people are simply unaware that it's even possible to purchase and own a real katana, much less that there is so much to learn and study. And that's just swords! Fittings is a whole 'nother world that lots of people not exposed to nihonto are completely oblivious to.

 

3. It's actually quite tough to get a foot in the door with this hobby because, quite simply, a huge amount of terms are literally in a foreign language and most of those are specialized terms when presented in the context of nihonto and therefore not really possible to accurately translate via google translate. People might pop into Aoi Art or Nihonto.com, or even NMB, and be faced with a wall of terms like nie, hamon, sunagahsi, kinsuji, midare-ba, itame hada, etc. and have not have the faintest clue what is going on. It can be a little overwhelming and I learned this at the SF show this year when I was leading one of my discord friends around the show and trying to teach him the absolute basics - I had to stop and translate things into layman terms quite often because he simply had no idea what I was talking about if I didn't! Things are getting worse when books like "The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords" are no longer in print and now $300+ on amazon...

 

4. It's really, really hard to learn this stuff exclusively online and books. Sure, pictures and books can help but nothing compares to being able to see things in person and best of all is having a knowledgeable person physically there to SHOW you things. I spent many, many years trying to study off and on by reading books and participating on forums and got basically nowhere until I was introduced to my friend and mentor who has helped me immensely. Sure there are shows but they've got their own issues...

 

5. Unless you already have an interest in nihonto or know someone who does it's almost impossible to know about the various sword shows in the US. The shows present an excellent opportunity to expose new people to this hobby as well as give new collectors a chance to meet mentors who can help them navigate this world.

 

Suggestions:

A. If you're involved in some kind of local club try getting some business cards or fliers prepared. Go to events like Japan America Society social events, special events at local Japanese Gardens, or talk to local museums about any Japanese art related events. Some of these things present an opportunity to rent a table to sell things or even just advertise yourselves to new people.

 

B. Hear me out - for point #2 above one of the main problems with younger people is lack of exposure outside of the context of pop culture. So why not take advantage of pop culture and look at the local anime or comic conventions in your city. They will have dealer rooms where one can rent a table if so inclined and also offer opportunities to give lectures or talks. Again, another opportunity for clubs to get a table and raise awareness. Contrary to popular belief, these kids aren't all losers living in Mom and Dad's basement. Some of those costumes they make are VERY expensive! If they can afford that stuff...

 

C. If no club is already present, start one! I'm currently working with some folks in DFW to get something rolling.

 

D. BE PATIENT WITH NEW COLLECTORS. Yes, many of them make stupid mistakes. You probably did, too, when you were first getting started. Being snarky, snide, or nasty to new people is only going to alienate and discourage them.

 

E. Make better use of newer social media platforms. From what I have personally seen, Discord and Twitter seem to be the mainstay of social media these days. TikTok is also THE tool to use for reaching large numbers of people quickly but also has some serious security concerns (and also rules about not showing weapons). The way I see a lot of successful community building is a where someone posts daily TikTok videos, sometimes from a burner/throwaway phone, and then they will have links in their TikTok profile's bio that lead to a Discord server, twitter account, and other social media. Attached is an example of a TikTok bio for PBS Eons, a special program on PBS that teaches paleontology. They have  link to their official Instagram account (the box with a circle inside it) and a URL that leads to a page with various links for their youtube channel, official website, etc. Say what you will about TikTok but their algorithm is simply amazing at showing people things that might interest them and could potentially be a very powerful tool for spreading Nihonto awareness.

 

F. Twitch streams or youtube live. It's like a public zoom meeting that people can find so in theory a club could set one of these up for a public lecture or similar. But this requires a fair bit of effort to set up tech-wise.

 

Sorry for the wall of text but hopefully I've got some good ideas in there!

Edited August 19, 2022 by Lingonberry
updated for clarity

[DTM72]

Not everyone will agree with my methods, but I set-up at local gun shows with a mix of nihonto and decent Chinese replicas. Many people love the nihonto and are actually surprised that a real "samurai sword" can be purchased outside of Japan and contrary to myth, the prices don't start at $10000 and go up from there. Although they may not have the disposable income to afford $1500-$2000 for an actual nihonto, they can afford a decent Chinese made katana with an actual hamon. I make it clear that they are buying a Chinese replica and show them the differences between the replicas and actual nihonto. I am now getting return customers who now have their interest peaked, did their own research, learned more about nihonto, and moved away from their replicas and into actual nihonto. I look forward to leading these few individuals and hopefully others into our collecting hobby. My goal would be to garner enough interest and form a club, but I'm just at the baby steps of gathering the interested individuals.

As Lingonberry mentioned above, movies and video games are stirring interest amongst the younger generation. Movies like Rurouni Kenshin (Battosai) and games like Ghost of Tsushima are really taking off. I had already watched the Kenshin movies but had to quicky ask some younger co-workers about Ghost of Tsushima due to questions at the shows. Having the knowledge of these movies and games helps me in the conversations, leading to additional interest, leading to eventual sales of nihonto.

Some or many may not agree with my methods above. I'm doing what I can which in my opinion is better than doing nothing. I plan on reaching out to some local dojos and looking for special events to attend. My brother in law is the head chef for a Japanese hibachi restaurant. They have 2 events coming up where they set-up a hibachi grill at a festival and promote their restaurant. I will be dressed in full armor to help draw attention to their set-up, but also have a stack of cards for additional information on Japanese swords with my contact info. 

 

Dan

[Baba Yaga]

16 hours ago, Lingonberry said:

EDIT: This is for the nihonto collecting community in general, not just NBTHK-AB.

 

Forgive the slight thread necromancy but the general idea of getting younger folks involved in collecting is something I've been thinking about quite a bit in the last few years. Couple of thoughts and observations:

 

1. As was previously mentioned, young people today have a great deal of financial pressures and relatively less income compared to previous generations. This means much, much less disposable income to spend on expensive hobbies like collecting. HOWEVER, that is not universally the case and there are plenty of people with enough spending money to participate in collecting. This is especially true of folks in their late 20's through 30's who are more established in their careers.

 

2. There seems to be this unfair and inaccurate idea that young people don't care about old things like antiques or art. Even though I'm in my mid/late 30's I've been talking to younger people in their 20s online via an app called Discord and have found that they tend to be quite curious and ask lots of questions once the topic of nihonto and tosogu comes up. I think the real truth is that many people, young and old alike, are simply not exposed to nihonto outside of the context of pop culture like movies, shows, or video games. Many people are simply unaware that it's even possible to purchase and own a real katana, much less that there is so much to learn and study. And that's just swords! Fittings is a whole 'nother world that lots of people not exposed to nihonto are completely oblivious to.

 

3. It's actually quite tough to get a foot in the door with this hobby because, quite simply, a huge amount of terms are literally in a foreign language and most of those are specialized terms when presented in the context of nihonto and therefore not really possible to accurately translate via google translate. People might pop into Aoi Art or Nihonto.com, or even NMB, and be faced with a wall of terms like nie, hamon, sunagahsi, kinsuji, midare-ba, itame hada, etc. and have not have the faintest clue what is going on. It can be a little overwhelming and I learned this at the SF show this year when I was leading one of my discord friends around the show and trying to teach him the absolute basics - I had to stop and translate things into layman terms quite often because he simply had no idea what I was talking about if I didn't! Things are getting worse when books like "The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords" are no longer in print and now $300+ on amazon...

 

4. It's really, really hard to learn this stuff exclusively online and books. Sure, pictures and books can help but nothing compares to being able to see things in person and best of all is having a knowledgeable person physically there to SHOW you things. I spent many, many years trying to study off and on by reading books and participating on forums and got basically nowhere until I was introduced to my friend and mentor who has helped me immensely. Sure there are shows but they've got their own issues...

 

5. Unless you already have an interest in nihonto or know someone who does it's almost impossible to know about the various sword shows in the US. The shows present an excellent opportunity to expose new people to this hobby as well as give new collectors a chance to meet mentors who can help them navigate this world.

 

Suggestions:

A. If you're involved in some kind of local club try getting some business cards or fliers prepared. Go to events like Japan America Society social events, special events at local Japanese Gardens, or talk to local museums about any Japanese art related events. Some of these things present an opportunity to rent a table to sell things or even just advertise yourselves to new people.

 

B. Hear me out - for point #2 above one of the main problems with younger people is lack of exposure outside of the context of pop culture. So why not take advantage of pop culture and look at the local anime or comic conventions in your city. They will have dealer rooms where one can rent a table if so inclined and also offer opportunities to give lectures or talks. Again, another opportunity for clubs to get a table and raise awareness. Contrary to popular belief, these kids aren't all losers living in Mom and Dad's basement. Some of those costumes they make are VERY expensive! If they can afford that stuff...

 

C. If no club is already present, start one! I'm currently working with some folks in DFW to get something rolling.

 

D. BE PATIENT WITH NEW COLLECTORS. Yes, many of them make stupid mistakes. You probably did, too, when you were first getting started. Being snarky, snide, or nasty to new people is only going to alienate and discourage them.

 

E. Make better use of newer social media platforms. From what I have personally seen, Discord and Twitter seem to be the mainstay of social media these days. TikTok is also THE tool to use for reaching large numbers of people quickly but also has some serious security concerns (and also rules about not showing weapons). The way I see a lot of successful community building is a where someone posts daily TikTok videos, sometimes from a burner/throwaway phone, and then they will have links in their TikTok profile's bio that lead to a Discord server, twitter account, and other social media. Attached is an example of a TikTok bio for PBS Eons, a special program on PBS that teaches paleontology. They have  link to their official Instagram account (the box with a circle inside it) and a URL that leads to a page with various links for their youtube channel, official website, etc. Say what you will about TikTok but their algorithm is simply amazing at showing people things that might interest them and could potentially be a very powerful tool for spreading Nihonto awareness.

 

F. Twitch streams or youtube live. It's like a public zoom meeting that people can find so in theory a club could set one of these up for a public lecture or similar. But this requires a fair bit of effort to set up tech-wise.

 

Sorry for the wall of text but hopefully I've got some good ideas in there!

 

#1 is about 80% of the Issue. The other side of the coin is learning. The general agreement out of Japan, 2 decades of learning and you're not considered a expert. The last if not worst for a younger generation is depreciation. The swords are often worth a lot less than paid for. Restoration price for a sword is the same as it was 30 years ago. The younger generation under generation under 35 are the worst hit with todays economic issues. Another reason was gaining superior knowledge and finding swords cheap and selling - trading up. That's what many of us old timers did and all but gone.