“Can a Japanese Sword Really Be Exported to America?”

This is the question we are asked most often by collectors in the United States, and it is a fair one. A nihonto is a blade, and buyers reasonably wonder whether such an object can cross an ocean and clear customs without difficulty.

The answer is yes — because a genuine Japanese sword does not leave Japan as a weapon. It leaves as a registered work of cultural property, formally examined and approved for export by the Japanese government. That distinction is the foundation of everything we do.

How Your Sword Leaves Japan Lawfully

Within Japan, every sword must hold a torokusho — an official registration certificate confirming it is a legitimate registered blade. Before that sword may leave the country, it must additionally receive export permission from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the government body responsible for Japan’s cultural property.

This means your sword is not dispatched the day you order it. The blade must first be reviewed and approved for export. We regard this as one of the strongest assurances we can offer you: the same process that takes time is the process that confirms your sword is genuine and properly registered. A seller who bypasses it is not exporting lawfully.

From Our Kyoto Showroom to Your Door

1. Approved for export in Japan Your sword receives export permission from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, confirming its status as a genuine registered sword.
2. Prepared and documented in Kyoto Our specialists pack your sword for international transit, together with all documentation required for it to leave Japan lawfully.
3. Flown to the United States Your sword travels as a tracked, insured international shipment, and we provide you with the tracking details.
4. Cleared and delivered Your sword passes through U.S. customs and is delivered to your address.

Duties, Taxes & U.S. Customs — What to Expect

We handle everything on the Japan side so your sword leaves the country lawfully and arrives safely — export permission from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, all paperwork, museum-grade packing, and fully insured, tracked shipping to your door. Once your sword reaches the United States, it clears U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). As with any international purchase, any U.S. import duty, tax, or carrier handling fee is set by CBP and is payable by you, the recipient — it is not included in the purchase price or the free shipping.

How your sword is classified

What you pay at the border depends mainly on the age of the sword. We declare every sword under its correct Harmonized System (HS) code, with its documented age, so it clears in the right category:

HS code	Category	U.S. import duty
9706.10	Antique sword — over 250 years old	Generally duty-free
9706.90	Antique sword — over 100 years old	Generally duty-free
9307.00	Modern or newly made sword	Dutiable at the prevailing rate

For antique pieces we provide the supporting documentation — including the Japanese registration (torokusho) and, where available, appraisal or era records — so the sword is declared correctly as an antique and can qualify for duty-free entry.

The $800 “de minimis” exemption has ended

Until recently, shipments valued under US$800 could enter the United States free of duty under the “de minimis” rule. That exemption was suspended on 29 August 2025 and has since been made indefinite. In practice, every import now goes through a customs entry and may owe duty regardless of its value. We mention this so there are no surprises — it is a change in U.S. policy that applies to all imported goods, not something specific to swords or to Tozando.

How much will I pay?

We cannot quote an exact figure, because U.S. duty rates are set by CBP and have been changing with trade policy. What we can tell you is the structure: duty, if any, is calculated on the declared value of the sword, and genuine antique pieces over 100 years old are currently duty-free when documented as such. For a precise estimate before you buy — especially on a higher-value piece — the most reliable sources are the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (hts.usitc.gov), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or a licensed customs broker. We are always glad to confirm a sword’s age and classification and provide the documentation you need — just ask us before ordering.