* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Japanese Sword Museum
刀剣博物館
Overview
Museum Overview
Operated by the Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai (NBTHK), this facility is domestically the most authoritative museum dedicated to Japanese swords. It opened in Yoyogi, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo in 1968 (Shōwa 43) and has since served for half a century as the core institution for preserving and promoting Japanese sword culture. In January 2018 (Heisei 30), it relocated to its present site within the former Yasuda Garden in Yokoami, Sumida Ward, where it was reborn as a new building equipped with state-of-the-art exhibition facilities and an air-conditioning management system. The new site is located right next to the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, a location suited to an area where Japan's traditional culture is concentrated.
Collection and Exhibitions
The collection, centered on swords including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, numbers approximately 200 items, including sword fittings, armor, and old documents. The exhibits are arranged so that visitors can survey the history of Japanese swords, from koto blades of the Heian period to shinshintō of the Edo period, and compare and appreciate the characteristics of each of the Gokaden (the Yamashiro, Yamato, Bizen, Sōshū, and Mino traditions). The lighting design, which brings out to the fullest the beauty of the blade's jihada (steel surface texture) and hamon (temper line), is highly regarded by specialists in Japan and abroad.
Authentication and Exhibitions
The authentication certificates issued by NBTHK (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken, Hozon Tōken, etc.) are recognized worldwide as a quality guarantee for Japanese swords, and at this museum visitors can systematically learn how to view swords based on those authentication standards. Planned exhibitions and special exhibitions are held throughout the year, and the focused displays of famous blades organized around a theme draw the attention of sword enthusiasts each time. NBTHK also regularly holds authentication sessions, study meetings, and appreciation sessions, and offers opportunities for 'temochi kanshō' (hand-held appreciation), in which participants actually pick up and view swords.
Museum Services
The museum shop offers a rich selection of specialist books published by NBTHK and sword-related goods, and back issues of the magazine 'Tōken Bijutsu' are also available. It caters to a wide range of visitors, from basic knowledge about swords to specialized research materials. It is a facility where visitors can immerse themselves in the world of Japanese swords at their own depth, whether they are viewing Japanese swords for the first time or advanced collectors wanting to refine their connoisseurship. It is truly a hall of fame for Japanese swords.
Highlights
- Approximately 200 items in the collection, including famous blades designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. The exhibition covers a thousand years of Japanese sword history, from Heian-period koto to shinshintō of the late Edo period
- Exhibition explanations ideal for developing connoisseurship, where visitors can learn the NBTHK authentication standards (Tokubetsu Jūyō Tōken, Jūyō Tōken, Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken, Hozon Tōken) alongside the actual swords
- The collection also includes sword mountings (tōsō) and fittings (tōsōgu), where visitors can appreciate masterpieces that gather the pinnacle of metalcraft
- In addition to planned and special exhibitions, NBTHK regularly holds authentication sessions, study meetings, and hand-held appreciation sessions, offering valuable opportunities to actually hold swords
- Thanks to the latest lighting and air-conditioning systems, visitors can appreciate the jihada and the play of the hamon in an optimal environment. The exhibition space design is highly acclaimed internationally
* Opening hours and exhibitions are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.