The other day, a foreign gentleman asked me:

“Why were you able, in the past, to purchase Japanese swords from foreigners overseas and then sell them in Japan?”

In response, I would like to share my answer with everyone.

I once worked as a purser for Japan Airlines.
At that time, my superior had previously been a newspaper reporter and, after changing careers, was doing the same job as I was at Japan Airlines.

One day, he said to me,
“It seems that many Japanese swords are being sold in America.”

So, using my free time, I began visiting various shops in San Francisco.

Indeed, I found many different items.
Although the sword was a fake, I purchased one for 200,000 yen.
After having it examined in Tokyo, it was confirmed to be a forgery, but through consignment sale I still made a profit of about 50,000 yen.

After that, I focused on purchasing only inexpensive Shōwa-period swords and sold them to Japanese dealers.

At one point, I attended a gun show in San Francisco and purchased a superb masterpiece by Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro, measuring two shaku five sun.

At that time, while purchasing fine items from a second-generation Japanese-American sword dealer, I was also introduced to a client in Chicago.

I was told that one of the dealers lived about two hours away by car.
I drove for roughly two hours from Chicago in a Mercedes-Benz and arrived at the location.

When I stepped outside, I was astonished.
The surroundings were nothing but vast cornfields.

Eventually, I arrived at his house, and when we went down into the basement,
about sixty swords were piled on top of a billiard table.

I examined each sword one by one, calculated the total value, paid in cash, and left.

He owned a twin-engine airplane,
and inside his house were two secretaries who organized the letters that arrived every day.
Everything was prepared so that he could depart at any time,
and he kept multiple computers running so that even if one failed, operations would not be affected.

In any case, he was an extremely quick-thinking individual.

When there were no Japanese buyers around, he would likely travel across the United States for several days in that airplane, carrying plans prepared by his secretaries, waiting for Japanese buyers to arrive and then selling to them.

From this experience, I began to think,
“Someday, I would like to conduct business using computers.”

Many of my acquaintances were also interested in applying computers to real business,
and I was given my first opportunity to use a computer in commerce.

I took photographs and initially listed about five tsuba, sending the information overseas.
After a while, inquiries came in such as,
“How much is this tsuba?”
“I would like to buy this tsuba.”

Next, requests came in asking for Japanese swords.

The era of purchasing Japanese swords from abroad evolved over time:
first, foreigners bought Japanese swords and gathered them across the United States and Canada;
then, American dealers began welcoming customers from the United States, Europe, Asia, Dubai, and other regions.

Whichever way one looks at it, it was a very challenging era.

I realized that even in the middle of vast cornfields, large-scale business could be conducted.

Eventually, swords brought in from the United States and other countries gradually disappeared,
and people began to rediscover the true value of swords,
to purchase proper works,
and to buy correct swords from Japanese dealers.

At that point, I stopped purchasing in the United States
and adopted a model of sourcing in Japan and selling in Japan.

After learning about online sales in the United States and beginning to sell on the internet,
in order to sell quickly to foreign customers, I increased the number of items available
so that multiple examples of the same type could be compared and selected.

For example, I felt it was fine to have five swords by Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro available at the same time.

I believe that if one purchases a sword and cherishes it,
even painful experiences can be forgotten.
And by forgetting hardships and holding onto great hope,
good things will eventually happen.

I do not know whether Japanese swords will drastically lose value in the future or become extremely expensive.
The same can be said of gold and silver.

If you find what others cannot do and devote yourself to it with effort,
you can enjoy meaningful and rewarding experiences.

At one time, I had the experience of selling a Nagamitsu for 5.5 million yen.
A young customer, around 32 years old, came into the shop and said he wanted to buy that Nagamitsu.

However, I did not sell the sword to him.
The customer left the shop.

Later, that sword was purchased by someone with considerable purchasing power.
I sold it to a professional dealer.

When the original customer learned this, he came back and asked why I had not sold the sword to him.

I explained,
“This piece is very beautiful, but the blade has become dull in activity.
While it does have a signature, even if you own it, it will not become an Important Sword.”

He then asked,
“What do you mean by ‘dull’?”
and continued,
“Then what kind of sword would you sell to me?”

So I introduced him to a Sue-Bizen Chōmei sword,
an Important Sword without flaws.

I told him,
“If you come to dislike it in the future, I will buy it back at 70%.”

That person is still a close acquaintance of mine today.
He trusts me and does not purchase from anyone else.

At times, I say to customers,
“You are still young in the period of your sword collecting life,
so it may be better not to purchase any swords for about a year.”

This is never meant sarcastically.
If purchasing only leads to unpleasant experiences,
then swords themselves become a source of pain.

Even now, fighting continues between Russia and Ukraine.
Enough is enough—Russia should stop its war against Ukraine.

So many children, wives, and husbands have lost their lives or been injured.
I want such suffering to end.
Those who started the war will eventually pass away.
I sincerely ask that it be stopped.

At present, many swords are being sold in Japan.
I would like to caution everyone.

When purchasing a sword, please be extremely careful.
There are not only false signatures, but also very convincing imitation sayagaki.
Therefore, you must carefully examine and consider before making a purchase.

I strongly believe that Hozon and Tokubetsu Hozon papers are essential.
Older Tokubetsu Kichō and Kichō certificates are no longer valid,
so please be careful.
Examine carefully and confirm thoroughly before purchasing.
Even I am sometimes deceived.
Above all, do not buy based only on the sword and its papers.

Grandfathers and grandmothers, please live together in harmony.
Mothers and fathers, please take good care of your health.
From time to time, enjoy a meal together or rest at a ryokan.

For your children, raise them to be strong, cheerful, and modest,
and allow them, at times, to return to a life close to nature.
Let them have great experiences, think deeply, and look toward the future.

With my best wishes to you all.

Tsuruta Kazushige