Why I Will Never Buy Katana From Websites Overseas

As a Japanese katana trainee who has been training for more than 7 years now, I’ve made a lot of videos related to katana. So I often get many DMs through Instagram asking me, “Is this katana worth buying?” along with pictures of katana sold on the internet. Most katana that people send me pictures of are the “battle ready” ones sold on foreign sword websites, and every time I receive these questions, they trouble me. The reason is because, I personally would never buy a katana from such websites. But why wouldn’t I?

So today, I will first explain about the legal definition of a katana in Japan. Then next, I will introduce the definition of a katana according to a katana swordsmith I actually met in Kyoto.

By understanding these two points, you will clearly understand the answer to today’s main topic. I hope this video will be useful for anyone who is hoping to buy a katana someday, both for ornamental and martial art training purposes.

However before we move on, please understand that this is just one opinion from a Japanese katana trainee, and it’s not a representative opinion of any group. I struggled so much to make this video, because I don’t mean to deny the existence of any swords around the world. Every form of katana has a purpose as long as there is someone who needs them.

However at the same time, there is an important message I want you to know. Should anyone feel uncomfortable about my opinion, I apologize in advance. After watching this video, please let me know in the comments about your opinions on how to buy a katana!

In this channel, you can take a closer look at Japanese traditional culture, tips on traveling to Kyoto, and social problems in Japan. So learners and lovers of Japanese language and culture, be sure to subscribe to enjoy more content!

*The content is based on personal studies and experience
There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects

●Tozando: my most recommended katana shop in Kyoto, Japan (for training martial arts)

●Mini Katana: my most recommended katana shop overseas (for decorations and cosplay)
*Get a 15% OFF discount by buying through my affiliate link!

●The video of us visiting a real katana sword smith
Where You Can Become an Apprentice of a Katana Swordsmith for a Day

[Timecodes]
0:00 Let's START!
2:20 The Definition of a Katana in Japan
5:48 The Definiton of a Katana by a Katana Swordsmith
10:40 Today’s Conclusion

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▼Related videos in this channel▼
-6 Real KATANA Recommended by Kyoto’s Iaido Dojo | The Very First Real Katana of My Life
-What Does a Japanese Katana Trainee Think About Mini Katana’s Videos?
-A Day of Training: How Katana Trainees Prepare for a Mat Cutting Competition

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[LetsaskShogo]

●Tozando: my most recommended katana shop in Kyoto, Japan (for training martial arts)

●Mini Katana: my most recommended katana shop overseas (for decorations and cosplay)
minikatana.com/SHOGO
*Get a 15% OFF discount by buying through my affiliate link!

●The video of us visiting a real katana sword smith
Where You Can Become an Apprentice of a Katana Swordsmith for a Day

▼Who is Shogo? What is this channel about?▼

▼Related videos in this channel▼
-6 Real KATANA Recommended by Kyoto’s Iaido Dojo | The Very First Real Katana of My Life
-What Does a Japanese Katana Trainee Think About Mini Katana’s Videos?
-A Day of Training: How Katana Trainees Prepare for a Mat Cutting Competition

▼MY DREAM▼

“To make every Japan lovers’ dream come true, by making Japan a more secure, comfortable, and safer place for everyone to visit, study, and live in”

I will be using the profit I gain from this channel at restaurants, hotels, and cultural facilities in Kyoto to introduce them. The more you watch the videos on this channel, Kyoto and Japan will become a more exciting place, and you can support your own and others’ dreams in the future even more.

▼Join our Membership▼

●Membership benefits
-Limited behind-the-scene videos
-Weekly Zoom call or live stream
-Priority reply to comments

▼[Sub-channel] “Shogo’s Podcast”▼
Please subscribe!!

The perfect channel to learn about Japanese culture and history in your spare time, during your walk to school or work, and when you are cooking or doing house chores.

Not only will I be covering the topics in this main channel, but also some topics that you will only be able to enjoy in the sub-channel, like answering questions I receive, and my opinions towards some of the comments.

▼[Listen to the real voices of the Japanese] "Voices from Japan series"▼

▼[Places recommended to visit in Kyoto] "Kyoto Hidden Gems" series▼

▼Instagram▼
*Please ask me questions through the DM here!（⚠I do not use e-mail）

[victoriazero]

Before starting the video itself, I'd like to preface that the only authentic Japanese Katana (Nihonto/Shinken) is hand-forged from the Tamahagane, which is a controlled resources by a certain company in Japan. Katana produced outside Japan can be either hand-forged or machine forged, but all of them are made of modern steel. Modern steel are so much better in terms of mechanical properties, but it does not have cultural value at all compared to true tamahagane blade.

[orenmontgomery]

I really love and agree with Shogo's attitude on this subject. It reminds me of a guy whose book I readwho was hugely into Harley Davison motorcycles. He basically said he liked Harley's for the tradition, the aesthetic, the spirit of the bikes, and the hobby of tinkering with them. That said, if he just wanted a quality motorcycle that worked well and needed little maintenance, he would buy a Honda because they're just objectivly better at being a two-wheeled motorized transportation.

[jamcalx]

Sentiment, symbolism, and heritage. It's feels similar to buying a custom Western era style Revolver from a Gun Smith, it's very much about preserving the legacy of a way of life as a living history.

[dsouflis]

As a European, I have to stress that importing an iaito from Japan needed the same kind of license and paperwork as if it were a weapon. Including a screening by the Police. I guess it would have been even harder for a shinken. Consequently, I cannot blame people who opt for buying from other markets, if they can get past that more easily.

[dannyeckerd]

I understand wanting to preserve culture but from my perspective as a blade Smith it all seems so creatively stifling

[Theorof]

I see the swords and firearms law as very flawed. It needs to be opened up to allow for European swords to be considered art, and to allow for a new category of sharp steel sword made by certified swordsmiths but with modern steel. The purpose of them would be to serve katana trainees for battodo, tameshigiri, etc. without damaging an expensive art sword, and increased safety due to the modern steel. Also it will allow Japanese swordsmiths to sell in a profitable market. The reason for the existence (and prosperous business) of those websites is because there is a market demand. It should be allowed for Japanese swordsmiths to own that market instead of companies that will degrade the image of the katana.

[boywhohaslvedhascometodie]

I agree, however, I do believe there should be both side by side, allowing to exist together as one to keep an ancient art alive, and the other to improve an ancient legend!

[zanshin]

There is so much misinformation and lack of knowledge about Japanese swords on the internet. I really appreciate Shogo making videos like this to help explain the difference between Nihonto and non-Japanese swords. For anyone interested in this topic, do LOTS of research. Buy books; don't rely on random YouTube channels. You'll quickly understand WHY a real Japanese sword is so valuable, and how it differs from swords made elsewhere.

[lostinlymbo]

First point is totally valid .
Regarding your second point I really would like to know what you think about master smiths overseas. The first person that comes to mind is Walter Sorrells. I feel disappointed that as a person in Japan I can't order a piece of work by him just because he's outside of Japan.
How do you feel about this?

[sejembalm]

13:45 "Traditional steel has flaws." Indeed! Tamahagane is made of an iron sand (satetsu) found in Shimane, Japan. This sand is heated and the iron melts and settles to the bottom where it is collected, heated and hammered together, but not liquefied as with modern crucible (or blast furnace) steel where impurities are skimmed away.
Tamahagane inherently has more non metallic inclusions because it's produced by forge consolidation of a bloom. Even though it's sorted for carbon content inside that bloom, and thus can have a nice hard edge, it's still going to have plenty of forge welds to get it to that stage. And the non metallic inclusions in tamahagane can lead to failure under stress where inclusions may cause a fatal stress point, or where a weld fails and opens.

[waynesmallwood]

I used to belong to the Bladesmith Society, as a junior knifemaker. To become a Master bladesmith could require as little as two years, providing your blades pass inspection. It was interesting that a bladesmith in Japan could be learning the craft for over 40 before qualifying as Master.

[mikotagayuna]

In a perfect world, a swordsmith hopes that the buyer esteems his sword as much as he does but in reality, value is ultimately in the eyes of the buyer. People buy katanas for reasons that are no less important than a swordsmith's reasons for making them and often do so at a steep personal price. We can only strive to educate people about the culture behind them and hope that others find the culture worthy of preservation.

[patternsofdisorder]

I love this video and the great care you always take in respecting everyone with their own views.

I’m a practitioner of what goes by “Kenjutsu” in my country. I got my first “Katana-Style”-Sword last year and it’s been serving me well. I’m taking care to maintain it, though I’ll have to replace the Sageo ribbon and handle binding soon, I fear.
That said, my sword is a tool for my sport. It has its basic beauty that I love — but it’s not a deity to me, nor is it my soul. I imagine that one day, if I get to go to Japan and purchase a real traditionally made Katana, it’ll be different. At the same time, I feel that would truly be a piece of art for me that I might never use in training, for fear of something happening to it. So it would loose the ‘tool’-aspect, for which I am at some point probably replace my current sword with a better, more beautifully made blade with a higher performance steel which tamahagane is, in truth, not.

So, to me: Japanese, traditional katana are works of art that are to be treated with reverence but I could probably not handle for fear of my own incompetence, while industrial steel blades here are tools that perform well but lack in the soul-department.

[dogman]

I'm so happy to have found you and your channel. You are my go to for any of my questions about Japanese culture and katanas. You need not apologize for your opinions....you are more than qualified to speak on these matters....thank you so much for your honesty and integrity.

[XValothBranstrommerX]

I can respect the tradition and artistry of the Japanese katana in the same way I'd respect any other traditionally made weapon from some other region, and I believe that retaining the knowledge and practices for such is important. My utilitarian side, however, is more likely going to value availability($$) and edge retention which probably be more readily available in non traditionally crafted swords. This goes for western weapons as well. I'd take a steel sword over a traditionally bronze or copper weapon any day of the week. Great video. Thanks for posting.

[ketchup]

this video literally completely changed the way I look at and feel about the katana, thank you.

[datpudding]

The whole folding stuff with tamahagane boils down to drive out impurities. In my apprenticeship I learned how to make folded and multilayered steels and we also learned why one would do the one thing or another. I see the amount of work and effort that went into the manual purification and appreciate original katana exactly for the craftsmanship and experience needed to properly perform it.

Where I live we have comparably a little less tense but still pretty similar regulations on bladed objects and I absolutely get the point about such strict rules.

[pandamilkshake]

The rest of the world: "SWORD IS SWORD!"

[josephalmonte]

You know everyone of your videos makes me respect you more and more and I agree with everything you said. I like katanas because they are beautiful yet deadly, soft (metaphorically) but also demand respect from its user and others so keep making these videos it’s helping me learn!