Japanese Iaito Manufacturers and Suppliers

I've always heard that there are actually only a few manufacturers of Japanese iaito and that the difference is the availability of the fittings and the quality of assembly that each reseller does.

I've long intended on contacting them all to try to make a master list of who manufactures what blade for what supplier and in my search it appears that someone at Makôtô Wadôkan has been good enough to do most of it for me!


NOTE:  The PDF was published August 29, 2008 so it's possible (but unlikely) that some of the information has changed in the past few years.

A few notes and points of interest I wish to add to the above for the sake of completion are:

Nishijin is a part of the larger Tozando Group that includes Tozando Shop, Mikayo Kendogu, and Bokken Shop
I think the "Arashiyama" from Nishijin are built around Shin-To-Ken while the Tozando "Custom Shop" are built around Yamashiro blades.

Bugei lists their iaito as being from Meirin Sangyo, does that mean Minosaka and Meirin are one in the same or is that an innacuracy in the Wadokan list?

Token Mino and Aoi Budogu appear to be the same company similar to Nishijin and Tozando.

I've heard that the "Tokujo" alloy iaito from Nine Circles are
Shin-To-Ken/Koei blades but I have no idea where the "Kurin" stainless steel iaito come from.

Nosyudo used to provide the blades for Sword Store but that ended several years ago.
Currently Nosyudo are officially prohibited from selling to the United States.


So that's everything that comes to my mind for the time being!
If anyone has any other iaito questions or information to add to the
puzzle please speak up, otherwise I hope this little effort answers
some of the same questions I know I've had...