* Image is for illustrative purposes only.NBTHK — Japan's Sword Appraisal and Grading System
日本美術刀剣保存協会（NBTHK）の鑑定・格付け制度
Founded in 1948 by Honma Junji and Sato Kanzan, this public interest foundation operates Japan's principal sword appraisal and certification system. Its current grading tiers—Hozon Token and Tokubetsu Hozon Token among them—serve as the benchmark for sword evaluation both in Japan and internationally.
Description
Background
After the sword-abolition edict (Haitorei) of 1876 stripped Japanese swords of their practical status as weapons, they were reassessed as works of art and craft objects. At the same time, concern grew that they might be scattered overseas or damaged through careless handling. After World War II, the confiscation of swords during the GHQ Occupation period compounded these problems and made the development of a system for preserving and studying Japanese swords an urgent task. Against this backdrop, a body to academically evaluate and preserve the artistic value of swords was taking shape, centered on Honma Junji (Honma Kunzan), then the leading authority on kotō, and Sato Kan'ichi (Sato Kanzan), the foremost authority on shintō swords.
Founding of the Association and the Start of the Appraisal System
The Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyōkai (NBTHK) was founded on February 24, 1948 (Shōwa 23), and Honma Junji became a director at its founding. He later became chairman in 1970 (Shōwa 45). In September of the same year as its founding, certification screenings for the "Kicho Token" grade began right away, and the association then advanced its appraisal work in earnest alongside its academic research and preservation activities on Japanese swords.
Evolution of the Grading System
The grading system, which initially consisted only of Kicho Token, was expanded: Tokubetsu Kicho Token was added in 1950, Juyo Token in 1958, and the top grade, Tokubetsu Juyo Token, in 1971. In 1973, Kōshu Tokubetsu Kicho Token was added as an intermediate grade, creating a five-tier system. However, in 1982 (Shōwa 57) this five-tier system was abolished, and the association moved to the current four-tier system, which includes Hozon Token and Tokubetsu Hozon Token. The top grade, Tokubetsu Juyo, is reviewed only every other year, and the number of certified pieces is extremely limited.
Role in Today's Sword Market
Certificates issued by the association are among the most widely referenced standards, both in Japan and abroad, for judging whether a sword is genuine, its period, and its attribution. Because the grades under the current system are directly tied to sale prices and documentary evaluation, the association's screening results remain an indispensable indicator for antique dealers, collectors, and researchers who handle Japanese swords.
Characteristics of This Era
- Following the Meiji-era sword-abolition edict, sword scholars concerned about the dispersal and outflow of Japanese swords overseas took the lead in founding a preservation organization
- Founded February 24, 1948; Honma Junji (Honma Kunzan) became a director at the time of founding and later served as chairman
- Certification screenings for the "Kicho Token" grade began as early as September of the same year, launching the operation of the appraisal system
- Tokubetsu Kicho Token was added in 1950, Juyo Token in 1958, and the top grade, Tokubetsu Juyo Token, in 1971, each in turn
- The old five-tier system was abolished in 1982, and the association moved to the current four-tier system, including Hozon Token and Tokubetsu Hozon Token
- The top Tokubetsu Juyo grade is reviewed every other year, and the number of pieces certified, counting swords, mountings (tōsō), and fittings (tōsōgu) combined, remains extremely small
- Even today, the association's certificates function as a primary standard for judging authenticity and value in sword transactions both in Japan and abroad