The Background of the Nihontō Boom in the Heisei and Reiwa Eras: The Synergistic Effect of Touken Ranbu, Tourism Policy, and Inbound Demand

The "Nihontō Boom" of the 2010s — What Happened?

From the latter half of the 2010s to the present, interest in nihontō has surged dramatically. Special sword exhibitions at museums were full every day, access to dedicated sword websites increased sharply, and a new group of enthusiasts centered on young women emerged — what brought all of this about?

This "Heisei and Reiwa sword boom" is a compound phenomenon in which multiple independent factors — some coincidental, some inevitable — converged.

The Greatest Trigger: The Game Touken Ranbu

What Is Touken Ranbu?

Touken Ranbu (tōken ranbu) is a browser game that launched in 2015 (later also released as a smartphone app). Players raise and battle "tōken danshi" — sword spirits (tsukumogami) who have taken human form.

Famous historical swords — including Shokudaikiri Mitsutada, Ōkurikara, and Tsurumaru Kuninaga — are personified as beautiful young male characters, and the design leads players from an attachment to these characters naturally toward interest in the real swords. The actual history of the swords featured in the game is introduced in detail in the Real Sword Guide for Touken Ranbu.

The Impact of Touken Ranbu on the Nihontō Market

Cultivating a new fan base: Whereas the traditional nihontō enthusiast was primarily a man in his 50s or older, Touken Ranbu caused young women in their teens to 30s to develop an interest in nihontō, creating a social phenomenon large enough to spawn the term "tōken joshi" (sword girls).

Drawing visitors to museums: From 2015 onward, visitor numbers to museums and art institutions holding nihontō collections surged. The Tokyo National Museum's sword exhibition became so crowded that queues formed at the entrance, and regional Japanese Sword Museum facilities and shrine treasure halls across the country also drew increased attention. Exhibition facilities nationwide are compiled in the Sword Museum and Exhibition Venue National Map Guide.

Economic ripple effects: The economic impact was also significant: sales of related merchandise and publications increased, access to nihontō specialist websites grew, and introductory interest in actual nihontō (obtaining registration certificates, starting collections) expanded.

Why Did the Game Lead to Interest in Real Swords?

The flow from "characters to the real thing" was no accident. The game design of Touken Ranbu carefully incorporated the histories and characteristics of real famous swords, and was designed so that players who became interested in a character would naturally develop an interest in the real sword that inspired it.

The Second Trigger: The Government's Tourism Policy

Inbound Promotion and Japanese Culture

From the Abe administration onward, the Japanese government positioned "tourism nation" policy as a key pillar of economic strategy. The number of inbound visitors to Japan rapidly expanded from 10 million (1,000 ten-thousands) in 2013 to 32 million in 2019 (pre-COVID).

The reasons why this rapid inbound expansion increased attention to nihontō are as follows.

1. Demand for "authentic Japanese culture": Many overseas tourists were motivated by a desire to experience "authentic Japanese culture" such as swords, samurai, and martial arts.
2. Increased foreign visitors to nihontō museums: English language support and foreign-language guide services improved.
3. Demand for sword purchases: Purchase of nihontō by foreign collectors increased.

The current state of experiential inbound facilities such as swordsmith forge tours and iai experiences is covered in Nihontō Culture Experienced by Foreign Visitors, and challenges in serving foreign collectors are addressed in Serving Foreign Collectors.

The Accelerating Effect of Yen Depreciation

The trend of yen depreciation since 2012 (especially the rapid yen weakening from 2022 onward) increased the appeal of nihontō as "affordable" for foreign collectors. Swords that were once expensive for Americans and Europeans became accessible in price terms thanks to the exchange rate. As of 2026, the yen depreciation trend continues, and inquiries from overseas remain on an upward trend.

The Third Trigger: Spread via Social Media and Video Content

"Sword Videos" on YouTube

From around 2015, dedicated nihontō YouTube channels began to increase. Videos such as "a togishi explaining the process of togi" and "footage of a tōkō's blade-forging process" garnered hundreds of thousands to millions of views.

The ability to "see and understand nihontō" through video broadcast the beauty of swords to the world in ways that text alone could not convey, generating new fans both domestically and internationally.

The "Sword Photo" Boom on Instagram

Posts of sword photographs on Instagram increased, and vast amounts of content accumulated under hashtags such as "#nihontō" and "#nihonto." The photogenic beauty of the hamon and jigane was well suited to viral spread on social media, contributing to greater awareness among younger generations.

The Fourth Trigger: The Continuing Undercurrent of the "Sengoku–Bakumatsu Boom"

Even before Touken Ranbu ignited interest all at once, a "Sengoku–Bakumatsu boom" driven by NHK taiga dramas, historical novels, and historical games existed as an undercurrent of interest in nihontō.

The NHK Taiga Drama effect: Each time a taiga drama set in the Sengoku or Bakumatsu period airs, there tends to be an increase in searches for nihontō-related content.

Games such as "Sengoku Musou" and "Nioh": Action games featuring Sengoku warlords and samurai as protagonists have maintained sustained popularity, keeping up indirect interest in nihontō.

The Current (Reiwa) Nihontō Market — A Maturing Boom

As of 2026, a transition from "a passing boom" to "an established cultural sphere" is evident.

The establishment of a new enthusiast base: Female enthusiasts in their 20s to 40s who were drawn to nihontō through Touken Ranbu are, as of 2026, maturing into "full-fledged collectors and devotees."

Diversification of sword experiences: Experiential content such as swordsmith forge tours, togishi-led explanations, and nihontō appreciation tours has grown richer, and the segment that not only "views" but also "learns and researches" has expanded.

The maturation of overseas nihontō communities: Nihontō enthusiast communities in the West and Asia have matured, and active international knowledge sharing via online forums and social media groups is flourishing.

Conclusion — A Cultural Revival Born of Chance and Inevitability

The nihontō boom from the late Heisei era through Reiwa is a cultural revival phenomenon born from the convergence of "Touken Ranbu as a fortuitous trigger" with "the inevitable structural conditions of tourism policy, yen depreciation, social media, and the historical boom."

This movement is not merely a "boom" but carries historical significance as the process in which nihontō is undergoing its greatest cultural reappraisal since the Sword Abolishment Edict (Haitōrei) of 1876. TOUKENZA operates as a platform where nihontō enthusiasts both in Japan and abroad can purchase nihontō with confidence online, against this backdrop of rising interest in sword culture. Those considering a nihontō purchase are invited to browse the online catalog.