New Arrivals — Browse our catalog for the latest authentic Japanese sword arrivals. Browse →
How to buy, authenticate, and care for a Japanese sword
Inheritance, Registration & Ownership Guide→
What to do when you inherit or own a Japanese sword
Step 1
Select your preferred sword from the catalog. Items marked 'Buy Now' can be added to the cart and checked out immediately. For 'Inquiry required' items (one-of-a-kind or high-value pieces), contact the listing dealer via the inquiry form and they will provide a quote with additional photographs.
Step 2
All TOUKENZA blades are certified by NBTHK. Three grades—Juyo, Tokubetsu Hozon, Hozon—guarantee authenticity and quality.
Step 3
Shipping methods, costs, and timelines are arranged per transaction with the listing dealer. Contact the dealer via the product page for details specific to your destination.
Step 4
Export of Japanese swords requires a registration certificate (torokusho). Please confirm export procedures with the listing dealer. Compliance with import regulations in the destination country is the buyer's responsibility.
Step 5
Apply a thin layer of choji oil and store in a shirasaya (plain wood scabbard). Perform maintenance monthly, avoiding direct sunlight and high humidity.
How to buy from Japan, sword laws by country, and how to read certification papers
How to tell a genuine Japanese sword from a replica before you buy or after you inherit one — papers, construction, signatures, and the gimei problem.
WWII bring-back swords in US attics — identify gunto, showato, and gendaito, understand NBTHK appraisal, and learn if repatriation to Japan is possible.
Buy a genuine Japanese sword from Japan and export it legally: torokusho deregistration, the cultural-affairs export permit (~10 business days), shipping.
Newly made or antique? Era taxonomy, smith licensing, condition factors, and budget bands to guide your first Japanese sword purchase.
What NBTHK papers mean before you buy a Japanese sword: the four tiers, how shinsa works, reading a certificate, and how older papers are treated today.
How a genuine Japanese sword (nihonto) is treated for ownership and import in the US, UK, Germany, France, Canada, and Australia, with sources.
Whether a katana is legal in Australia depends on the state. Import is federal and admits a single-edged sword, but Victoria and SA need an exemption.
Are katanas legal in Canada? CBSA import rules under tariff 9898, prohibited blades, duty and GST on antique swords, and Criminal Code carry rules.
Are katanas legal in Germany? Free ownership for adults under the Waffengesetz, the §42a public-carry ban, customs on imports, and reduced import VAT.
Are katanas legal in France? Free ownership for adults as a category D weapon, the port and transport ban, customs, and reduced import VAT on antiques.
The UK restricts curved swords of 50cm or more, but a defence covers swords made by traditional methods or before 1954, so a genuine nihonto is exempt.
How a katana is treated in the US: no federal ownership ban, CBP import rules, switchblade contrast, HTSUS duty, and state carry laws like New York.