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Post by uadm on Feb 9, 2018 1:16:33 GMT
I am going to be going back to Japan next month, but will be mostly in small towns. I will be making brief stops in the above three cities. There is Tozando in Kyoto, which I think I passed once while checking out the handicraft shop in Kyoto, but didn't go inside. Am I likely to find any antique/older swords there? Are there any shops in the other cities?
My budget is about $1500.
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Post by Croccifixio on Feb 9, 2018 5:01:19 GMT
I just came from Kyoto and Osaka.
Go to Tozando Shogoin (not the one in Nishiji). They have really nice nihonto there (the Sadahime is... just really really nice) and a collection of nice DVDs and iaito/mogito.
There's also a shop right outside Shijo station along the Karasuma line... Zen Gallery I think it was?
But I doubt you can get a decent nihonto for around $1500. Cheapest I saw was maybe a $2.5k tanto.
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Post by uadm on Feb 9, 2018 12:54:39 GMT
Thanks! I tried looking near Shijo station for any shops on google and tried searching for zen, but didn't have any luck. Do you think you'd be able to point it out on google maps for me by any chance?
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Post by Croccifixio on Feb 9, 2018 16:25:59 GMT
It’s very near the Kyoto Shimogyo Police station. Just walk along the road (heading away from Kyoto Tower) or walk towards Kyoto Tower once you’ve exited Shijo. This is what it looks like from outside:  |
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Post by Croccifixio on Feb 9, 2018 17:13:53 GMT
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Post by uadm on Feb 9, 2018 19:07:51 GMT
Thanks so much! That'll help a lot. Seems like Tozando has some for $3000. I'll look in person. What do you think of that price for a 200 year old sword?(anything bigger than a knife is fine with me) I just love the idea of having an authentic old and used sword.
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Post by uadm on Feb 10, 2018 0:13:06 GMT
I found the other store via google maps.
It is called- ギャラリー善
I'm new to swords. Would a 200 year old sword, like I am looking for, be considered an antique sword? Just looking for the key words to use. Also, I took about 10 Japanese lessons, so I only have a basic vocabulary and a few phrases as far as my Japanese. Do you happe nto know the Japanese terms for the old, used swords? Thanks!
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Post by uadm on Feb 10, 2018 0:26:26 GMT
I was trying to find shops near Hiroshima and came across this one- daimyou-armor.com/shop.html . It is about 15 by shinkansen from where I will be for 2 nights, in Fukuyama. What is the best way to evaluate shops like this? I couldn't find any reviews. |
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Post by Croccifixio on Feb 10, 2018 3:51:22 GMT
I found the other store via google maps. It is called- ギャラリー善 I'm new to swords. Would a 200 year old sword, like I am looking for, be considered an antique sword? Just looking for the key words to use. Also, I took about 10 Japanese lessons, so I only have a basic vocabulary and a few phrases as far as my Japanese. Do you happe nto know the Japanese terms for the old, used swords? Thanks! Yes, even 100 years is often considered antique (though there is no real fixed definition). As for Japanese swords, you should read up on them first before you dive in. They are classified through time periods (muromachi, kamakura, etc), schools, and so much more. Better take a crash course. Visit the nihonto message boards and read as much as you can (nihonto is the term for auhentic traditionally made Japanese swords): www.militaria.co.za/nmb/I personally wouldn’t spent that much without knowing what I want first (or at least having some idea). Like, what shape/sugata, what hamon type, what school, what era. |
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Post by Jordan Williams on Feb 10, 2018 4:45:01 GMT
I personally wouldn’t spent that much without knowing what I want first (or at least having some idea). Like, what shape/sugata, what hamon type, what school, what era. It's taken me three years of collecting to know what I ballpark want. I definitely wouldn't drop 3K on my first buy. I remember there was a very nice Tachi on a site for around 1200 or so. Also a gunto in the classified from Matt Jensen for only 950. I always thought antique was ballpark 100 years or older. Vintage less than or around 70. |
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Post by uadm on Feb 10, 2018 14:07:45 GMT
It's taken me three years of collecting to know what I ballpark want. I definitely wouldn't drop 3K on my first buy. I remember there was a very nice Tachi on a site for around 1200 or so. Also a gunto in the classified from Matt Jensen for only 950. I always thought antique was ballpark 100 years or older. Vintage less than or around 70. I know very little about swords, but I love Japan. I'm just interested in something authentic, from the past(further back the better), of a decent length, and as a bonus, has some markings on it. Something to put on my wall and make me think of Japan. Also, it probably sounds silly, but I'd prefer to find it in a shop in Japan rather than order it online from a store in another country other than Japan. |
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Post by RaylonTheDemented on Feb 10, 2018 16:48:32 GMT
Also, it probably sounds silly, but I'd prefer to find it in a shop in Japan rather than order it online from a store in another country other than Japan. It is not silly at all, if you have the money and the will, getting what you want the way you want may become part of the 'mystique' of the collected object you want to acquire. The whole point is: If it makes you happy, go for it. o7 |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 11:25:46 GMT
Croc - Incredible pics!
My katana collection will not be complete until I have a katana made in Japan in the 16th to 18th century and a katana made in Japan in the 21st century from the same province/school/forge if possible.
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Feb 11, 2018 22:19:27 GMT
I was surprised how few shops in Kyōto I have in my links. Still few are better than 0. Lots of stores in Ōsaka though if you might visit there... Mononofu-ya : www.mononofuya.jp/Their address is - 〒604-0992 京都市中京区藤木町24-1 Tamayama Meishitō : www.t-touken.com/Their address is - 〒605-0037 京都府京都市東山区三条通白川橋東入二丁目西町１４９－１ As a word of caution the people at sword shops might speak very little English. I was surprised how difficult it was to communicate in the high end shops as my own Japanese is very very basic level. It is a good thing I know sword stuff and can read important bits of Japanese descriptions. If you are serious about buying something you might contact the shops beforehand so they might have some English speaking person when you are visiting (it might help or might not). Also you have to think about the time that de-registration process takes, depending on how long your trip to Japan takes and how used you are with doing official business with Japanese authorities it might be easiest to let the store handle de-registration and mail the sword to you. You can read a bit about sword laws in Japan on an article that Guido wrote www.jssus.org/nkp/japanese_sword_laws.htmlIf you have a budget of 1500$ I might recommend skipping the dream of getting a sword on this trip. I would recommend getting a nice tsuba (sword guard) instead. I hope you will have a great trip.  |
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Post by treeslicer on Feb 12, 2018 1:13:51 GMT
I was trying to find shops near Hiroshima and came across this one- daimyou-armor.com/shop.html . It is about 15 by shinkansen from where I will be for 2 nights, in Fukuyama. What is the best way to evaluate shops like this? I couldn't find any reviews. I've bought several swords and tsuba from them, also a nice saya that fit one of my kodachi. For shopping low-end project type stuff, I'd recommend them. They have a well known store on eBay as well, and do a lot of business. I'd definitely drop in for a look, and would love to hear how it went. They also offer some armor and knicknacks that might be worth seeing. They would probably ship anything you buy home for you by EMS. |
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Post by uadm on Feb 15, 2018 3:01:15 GMT
If I end up there, I'll let you know!
As fot Osaka, ee fly out of Osaka but didn't plan to spend time there.
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