With their majestic appearance and elegance, Japanese swords fascinate both people in Japan and those around the world. It is no exaggeration to say that there has been an unprecedented Japanese sword boom in recent years. We in Japan are very proud of the fact that so many people are interested in and collect Japanese swords.

On the other hand, however, the modern Japanese sword-smithing industry is facing a shortage of successors, and the transmission of sword-smithing skills is in jeopardy. Despite the boom, the environment for sword making is not stable, and the cost of raw materials such as iron continues to rise across the board. In addition, Japanese swords are made not only by a single swordsmith, but also by a group of craftsmen, including a polisher, a silversmith, a sheath craftsman, a lacquerer, a metal craftsman, an engraver, and a tsuka wrapper, which requires a large up-front investment. If this situation continues, Japanese swordsmanship, having continued uninterrupted for more than 1,000 years, may become a dying art.

Gallery Tozando was established in cooperation with the All Japan Swordsmith Association, the largest organization of swordsmiths in Japan, consisting of more than 170 swordsmiths. Gallery Tozando exhibits and sells the very best in fine-art swords created by both young and world-renowned swordsmiths of the All Japan Swordsmith Association, who have ventured to create the very best examples of Japanese blades. By helping people from all over the globe learn about and purchase modern, fine-art swords, we are not only supporting the swordsmiths who continue the tradition of sword making but also helping preserve the skills that have been handed down since the Heian period.

If you are ever in Kyoto, please consider stopping by Gallery Tozando to experience first-hand these immaculate expressions of the Japanese art of sword making, forged by living embodiments of tradition continuing this great lineage in the modern age.

Tozando Co., Ltd.

Chairman & President

Takahiko Kimura