Touken Matsumoto (English)

My essay, written in my capacity as a Director, was published in Issue No. 35 of “Zentōshō,” the annual publication of the All Japan Sword Dealers Association. I hope you will enjoy reading it.

“ICHIBA” and “SHIJŌ”

— Sword Auctions and the Sword Market —

Director
Yoshiyuki Matsumoto

Since becoming a Japanese sword dealer, I have learned a great many things at the ichiba (sword auction). As I became acquainted and developed friendships with senior dealers in the profession, they taught me many things. In addition to knowledge of Japanese swords and sword fittings, I learned proper manners at the ichiba and the standards of conduct expected of a sword dealer, sometimes through stern reprimands.　　For a sword dealer, the ichiba is a workplace where merchandise is bought and sold. At the same time, however, it is also a place where one learns the fundamentals of the profession—a kind of school, so to speak.　　There are no written rules or manuals at the ichiba. What one is expected to learn exists as an unspoken understanding and as unwritten rules, which each dealer must learn and make part of himself. Moreover, those who teach us this knowledge are our fellow dealers—in other words, our business competitors. Normally, it would be difficult to imagine receiving valuable information and professional knowledge free of charge from one’s competitors.　　What one learns at the ichiba and how one makes use of that knowledge in one’s own business ultimately depends on the individual.　　Today, I operate the Nodakai Sword Auction, which my father established in 1984. Many young people aspiring to become sword dealers now participate, and I try to make it a place where they can learn the fundamentals of becoming professional sword dealers.　　The shijō (sword market), however, has changed considerably in recent years. Fewer items are being consigned to sword auctions, and the auctions themselves now finish earlier than they once did. At the same time, buying and selling through the Internet has become commonplace.　　Collectors who previously did not participate in traditional sword auctions, as well as people who do not hold an antiques dealer’s license, have also become involved in buying and selling. With the convenience of information technology and the changing times, the shijō has expanded greatly. On the other hand, the traditional ichiba has been declining.　　There is no longer any way to stop this trend. We sword dealers must not allow ourselves to be left behind by the changing times; we must move forward with them.　　What is important, therefore, is to uphold the standards of conduct expected of professional sword dealers and to foster a sound and trustworthy shijō for the buying and selling of Japanese swords and sword fittings.　　I believe that each and every member of the All Japan Sword Dealers Association, an association authorized by the Prime Minister of Japan, must demonstrate, even in the increasingly diverse world of Internet commerce, the professional standards and ethical values that sword dealers have cultivated over many years at the ichiba.

The 9th Sendai Token Ichi was held for three days from Friday, August 28, at Yume Messe Miyagi, a convention center in Miyagi Prefecture.　This time, we introduced swordsmith Norizane Miyagi, who lives in Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture. This also led the Kahoku Shimpo, a local newspaper with approximately a 70% share of newspaper readership in the area, to cover the event for the first time, and an article about the event was published.　The newspaper coverage had a significant impact, bringing even more visitors and making the event especially lively.　With each Sendai Token Ichi, we have become more familiar with local Japanese sword enthusiasts, and once again, we were able to deepen our relationships with them. It was a very fulfilling three days.

We held the 27th Noda Token Ichi, a three-day sales event, from Friday, July 24, at Business Hotel Noda, located near our headquarters in Noda.　Despite the intense midsummer heat, many visitors came to see us, wiping away the sweat as they browsed the exhibition. My father, Tomio Matsumoto, our former president, who is now over ninety years old, was also in excellent spirits and enjoyed welcoming and assisting our customers throughout the event.　We are sincerely grateful to our regular customers who traveled not only from the local area but also from distant parts of Japan to visit us.　We were also pleased to welcome many customers who brought Japanese swords and sword fittings to sell. We acquired many pieces that had remained unseen for many years, and we are excited to bring them back into the public eye and introduce them to collectors once again.　It was a truly fulfilling three days, filled with enjoyable conversations with so many customers about Japanese swords.　On behalf of all our staff, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who visited the 27th Noda Token Ichi.

The 5th Mito Token Ichi was held for two days from Friday, July 10, at the Mito Civic Hall.　Located in the center of Mito City, the Mito Civic Hall is a popular cultural and artistic venue that attracts many visitors throughout the year. The fair welcomed many guests over the two days, including local Japanese sword enthusiasts as well as beginners who were interested in taking up Japanese sword appreciation as a new hobby.　As the event has become more established, the number of familiar customers returning to the fair has continued to grow. This time, we increased the number of staff members so that we could spend more time assisting each visitor. We were pleased to see that this resulted in more attentive and fulfilling customer service throughout the event.　The next Mito Token Ichi will be held for two days from Friday, December 25. We sincerely look forward to welcoming everyone again.

Every June, at the end of our fiscal year, we take an annual trip with our staff and business partners. It is a valuable opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the hard work and achievements of the past year, while also building momentum and motivation for the year ahead.
This year marked our 12th annual trip, and we traveled to Bintan Island in Indonesia via Singapore.
We were blessed with excellent weather and fully enjoyed the trip, taking a welcome break from our daily work. In Indonesia, we relaxed and enjoyed the tropical atmosphere. In Singapore, we were guided by the president of our tax advisor’s local office and visited several key landmarks of this remarkable international hub city. 
The trip passed far too quickly, but it was a truly enjoyable and refreshing experience for all of us.
Now, feeling recharged and motivated, we are ready to do our very best again in the coming year.

 

 

The results of the 2026 Modern Sword Craftsmen Exhibition have been announced, covering the categories of polishing, blade engraving, metal carving, shirasaya, sword mountings, tsuka wrapping, and habaki making.　For sword craftsmen, the results of this exhibition represent an evaluation of the skills they have devoted themselves to refining over the past year.　I personally know many craftsmen—both those I regularly work with and those with whom I have close relationships—who dedicate themselves every day with the goal of winning a special prize. Because of this, I believe each craftsman received the results with mixed emotions, experiencing both joy and disappointment.　Among them, I am especially pleased to share that polisher Kawakami Yōichirō, who worked together with us at Token Matsumoto for five years, received the highest award in the Shinogi-zukuri polishing division: the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award.　Although he has been extremely busy since becoming independent, he still makes time once a month to help us. He carefully removes minor hike-kizu and small rust spots from swords in our collection.　I have had many opportunities to observe his work up close. Spending a full day watching him polish swords, I have witnessed firsthand his sincere dedication to sword polishing and his extraordinary concentration.　That is why this award feels so well deserved. It is the result of years of steady effort and commitment. I am truly happy for him and deeply proud of his achievement.　When we heard the news, everyone on our staff was overjoyed.

At the Noda-kai, a trade-only sword auction that I organize, we hold study sessions every other month to help improve the knowledge and expertise of young and mid-career sword dealers who participate in the auction. For these sessions, we invite Nakahara sensei, a respected Japanese sword scholar who has served as a lecturer at many sword study groups.
This time, Nakahara sensei gave a practical lecture from the perspective of a sword dealer, covering topics such as how to evaluate unsigned swords attributed to the Hokke school, as well as important points regarding suriage and koshirae.
In our industry, what you know—or do not know—directly affects your business. The ability to judge authenticity and accurately assess value requires continuous study and years of experience. That is why every participant listened to the lecture with great focus and seriousness.
After the session, I received many words of appreciation from the participants, which made me feel that hosting these study sessions is truly worthwhile.
I sincerely hope that each sword dealer will continue to refine both knowledge and discernment, and grow into the next generation of professionals who will support and preserve the Japanese sword industry.

We held the 20th Nishikasai Token Ichi, our quarterly Japanese sword fair, at our Tokyo Nishikasai shop from June 10 to June 14. Since opening our new shop in July 2021, we have continued to hold this event every three months, and we are delighted to have reached this milestone 20th edition. During the event, we welcomed not only our regular customers, but also many familiar collectors who visit us every three months, as well as overseas collectors traveling in Japan. The shop was lively throughout the event. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our customers for their continued support, which has made this achievement possible. We will continue to stay true to our original mission and strive to create a shop that collectors and enthusiasts will always want to visit again. We look forward to seeing you at the next Nishikasai Token Ichi!

Although the regular Nodakai Sword Auction is held at our Noda headquarters on the 3rd and 19th of every month, the June 3 meeting is a special annual event held at a hotel venue as a way of expressing our appreciation to the sword dealers who regularly support and attend Nodakai.
On the evening before the auction, we held a banquet to strengthen friendships among participants. This year, everyone enjoyed a special performance by Keiko, a pole dancer and magician who holds the title of World Pole Dance Champion.
There was concern that Typhoon No. 6, accompanied by extremely strong winds, might make a direct impact on the morning of June 3. Fortunately, the situation was not as severe as feared, and more than fifty sword dealers attended, as they do each year.
The auction featured many attractive items, including Juyo Token blades, a tsuba by Shoami Denbei, and numerous fresh-to-the-market pieces. Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of the attendees, the event concluded successfully and in a lively atmosphere.
Our staff spent two busy days preparing for and managing the event, but it was a rewarding and fulfilling experience for all of us.

The 5th Morioka Token Ichi was held for three days starting on Friday, May 22, at Kioxia Aiina (Iwate Prefectural Information Exchange Center). As this was our fifth event, we once again did our best to make it a success by advertising in local newspapers and on social media. However, the dates unfortunately coincided with the “Tohoku Kizuna Festival,” one of the largest festivals in the Tohoku region, bringing together major festivals from all six Tohoku prefectures and attracting around 300,000 visitors. Because of traffic restrictions and parking lot closures near the venue, many sword enthusiasts found it difficult to visit, and sales were disappointing. While I was feeling discouraged, I was encouraged by a visitor who had come all the way from Aomori and told me, “I check your website every day.” Later, when visitor traffic slowed and we began packing up earlier than expected, 94-year-old Mukansa swordsmith Yamaguchi Kiyofusa kindly stopped by to see us. His visit gave me great encouragement. This year’s Morioka Token Ichi reminded me once again how difficult it can be to organize and run a sword exhibition and sales event.

The All Japan Sword Dealers Association held its 39th General Meeting on May 17 at the Tokyo Art Club. The association currently has 151 members. Under the new leadership of Mr. Yoshio Iida of Iida Kōendō, who was elected chairman during last year’s board member election, the business report for fiscal year 2025 and the business plan for fiscal year 2026 were approved. I sincerely hope that the sword industry will continue to develop in a healthy manner and that sword dealers throughout Japan will prosper in their businesses. As for myself, I was relieved to successfully fulfill my role as master of ceremonies and finally be free from the tension of the occasion.

The 5th Yamagata Sword Fair was held for three days from April 24 (Friday) at Yamagata Big Wing. With this event, we have now reached our fifth annual gathering.
With each year, we have had the pleasure of welcoming more familiar faces. In addition to visitors from Yamagata City and the surrounding area, many returning sword enthusiasts came from within the prefecture—such as Yonezawa and Shonai—as well as from neighboring Sendai.
We feel that we are gradually gaining recognition among local collectors, which is greatly encouraging. 
Going forward, the event will be held twice a year, every six months, with the next fair scheduled for October this year. We will continue to make every effort so that you can look forward to our future events.

We held the 19th Nishikasai Token Ichi at our Tokyo Nishikasai shop for five days starting Wednesday, March 25.

In addition to our regular customers, we were pleased to welcome many first-time visitors. This time, however, the weekend coincided with “Katanaza,” one of the largest sword fairs in western Japan held at Osaka Castle, so we felt that the number of visitors over the weekend was somewhat lower than usual.

On the other hand, this gave us the opportunity to spend more time speaking in depth with each customer who visited, which we truly appreciated.

We will continue to do our very best in the circumstances we are given, without ever becoming complacent.

March 13 (Friday) to March 15, we held the 8th Sendai Sword Exhibition and Sale at Yumemesse Miyagi. With each event, the number of familiar customers continues to grow, and many visitors remembered us, which led to many enjoyable conversations.

Although the number of Sendai local swords on display was smaller than usual this time, many sword enthusiasts were able to find pieces they liked and we were pleased to see several of them purchased.

The event remained lively throughout and became a very fulfilling sword exhibition. However, unfortunately, some of our staff, including myself, suffered from food poisoning, and we struggled with poor health during the latter half of the event. I regret that there may have been moments when we were not able to provide the level of service we would have liked.

Going forward, we will pay closer attention to maintaining our health so that we can welcome everyone in the best possible condition.

To let more people know about us, we have installed an illuminated advertising sign on the platform at Nishi-Funabashi Station on the Tozai Line.
Nishi-Funabashi Station is a major terminal station served not only by the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, but also by the JR Sobu Line, Musashino Line, Keiyo Line, and the Toyo Rapid Railway.
We had previously placed illuminated platform signs at our nearest station, Nishi-Kasai (Tozai Line), as well as at Urayasu Station, where rapid trains stop. Gradually, we have seen an increasing number of visitors telling us they “came after seeing the station sign.”
We will continue doing our best to welcome many more valued customers!