Buying a Japanese Sword: Registration, Papers and Export

The Japanese sword is one of the great art forms of the world, and Japan still holds the deepest pool of fine blades, fittings and mountings. It is also one of the hardest objects to bring home from Japan. A sword is legally owned there only with its registration, it leaves the country only with an export certificate, and many carriers will not take a blade at all. This guide explains each step.

Registration: the card that travels with every sword

In Japan a sword is lawfully held only if it carries a registration certificate (銃砲刀剣類登録証, jūhō tōkenrui tōrokushō), issued by the board of education of the prefecture where it was registered. Registration is granted to swords of artistic value made by traditional methods. Machine-made military blades without registration cannot legally be owned and are surrendered to the police.

The card records the blade's length, curvature, number of peg holes and inscription. It belongs to the sword, not to the owner, and changes of ownership are reported to the issuing board.

Papers: what NBTHK certificates mean

Separately from registration, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords (NBTHK, Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai) examines blades and fittings and issues certificates in rising grades:

• Hozon: worthy of preservation; the attribution is accepted.
• Tokubetsu Hozon: especially worthy of preservation.
• Jūyō Tōken: important sword, a much smaller group of exceptional works.
• Tokubetsu Jūyō Tōken: especially important sword, the highest grade the society awards.

Papers carry a photograph or oshigata of the blade and should match it exactly. Older certificates from earlier systems exist and are read differently; a current paper is usually the clearest guide to attribution.

Periods collectors use

Export: the certificate and the card

A registered sword needs an export certificate from Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs before it can leave the country. The certificate (古美術品輸出鑑査証明) confirms that the sword is not a designated cultural property; National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties cannot, in principle, be exported. The process usually takes a few weeks and is handled by someone in Japan.

Once the sword has left Japan, the registration card is returned to the board of education that issued it, because Japanese registration has no meaning abroad. Buyers keep copies, and the NBTHK papers stay with the sword.

Shipping and import

• Carriers: several international couriers will not carry blades, so the carrier has to be chosen for the sword and the destination.
• Packing: the blade travels in its shirasaya or mounting, held in a fitted box so it cannot move, with the fittings wrapped separately.
• Import rules: every country has its own. Some require permits or limit blades by length or type; in the United Kingdom, for example, curved swords are restricted, with exceptions that cover traditionally made Japanese swords. Check current rules for your country before buying.

Why ordinary proxy services decline swords

Most proxy buying services list swords and other blades among prohibited items. A sword needs a buyer in Japan to handle the registration, someone to apply for the export certificate and return the card, and a carrier willing to take a blade. Without those, a purchase cannot leave the country. This is exactly the kind of piece our concierge exists for.

How we help

Our Hunting Salon™ searches Japan's sword dealers and collections for blades, koshirae and fittings to your brief, and checks registration and papers against the sword before purchase. Our Museum-Grade Logistics Suite™ prepares the export certificate, returns the registration card and packs and insures the shipment. If you have already found a sword in Japan, send us the link through the concierge and we will quote. The curator desk replies within one to three business days.

Questions collectors ask

Can I buy a sword in Japan and carry it home myself?

Visitors can, with the export certificate and the correct customs process, but the certificate takes weeks, so most collectors arrange shipping instead.

Do sword fittings such as tsuba need an export certificate?

Fittings are not registered like blades, but antique fittings of artistic importance may still need the certificate for antique art objects. We advise piece by piece.

Is a sword with Hozon papers authentic?

Hozon papers confirm the society accepts the attribution. They are a strong guide, but the sword should still match its papers and registration exactly.

Continue reading

• The Gravity of the Samurai: why collect Japanese armour.
• Importing Large and High-Value Items from Japan.
• Concierge or Proxy Service: which one you need.