One blade, selected for you

You don’t choose a katana.
The katana chooses you.

Q: What price range do you typically work in?

Unpapered antique blades typically range from JPY 300,000 to 800,000. NBTHK Hozon blades range from JPY 500,000 to 1,000,000. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon blades begin from JPY 1,000,000. Share your budget candidly and we will tell you what is realistic.

Every authentic blade in the world is ninety-nine percent sword. The final one percent is given only when a swordsman lifts it. Yushin-sensei — a practicing master shihan known abroad as the Modern-day Musashi — selects, holds, and sends one blade to you, by message or in person at our Kyoto dojo.

Begin a Private Consultation

No obligation Reply within 24 hours 50+ swords delivered yearly, worldwide

50+Swords delivered yearly

Real nihontoAuthentic blades, not replicas

Yushin-ryūMaster shihan tradition

WorldwideUS · EU · Asia delivery

Antique Japanese katana blade by Motoshige

A Kotō-period blade. The kind of object a master shihan reaches for and feels what no photograph can show.

How it works

Two ways to find your sword.

No video calls. Every consultation is completed by detailed message exchange — or in person at our Kyoto dojo.

Path A — Visit our Kyoto dojo

Hand-pick the blade yourself.

For collectors in Japan, or planning a visit to Kyoto.

Send your inquiry. Yushinkan replies within 24 hours.
Yushin-sensei selects several blades for you — drawn from his own stock and his dealer network across Japan. You choose the one that calls to you.
Schedule a private viewing at the dojo. A refundable ¥10,000 deposit secures the appointment — applied to your purchase.
Hold the blade in your own hand. Decide on the spot, or after your stay — no pressure.
We handle Cultural Affairs export inspection and ship the blade to your home with full documentation.

Begin a Kyoto consultation

Path B — Source from a distance

Find your sword by message.

For collectors who cannot travel to Japan.

Send your inquiry. Yushinkan replies within 24 hours.
Yushin-sensei selects one blade for you — sent with detailed photography, video, and his personal written commentary.
Discuss every detail by message. Close-ups, condition, history, price. Take days or weeks. The pace is yours.
When you are ready, payment in full by credit card — settled before shipment.
Full Cultural Affairs export inspection and worldwide shipping with complete documentation.

Begin a remote consultation

Why us

Three reasons to source through Yushinkan

A swordsman, not a dealer

Yushin-sensei is a practicing master shihan of Yushin-ryū — known to collectors abroad as the Modern-day Musashi for his rare mastery of the two-sword technique. He selects swords the way a swordsman recognizes another: by hand, by edge, by spirit. Not by inventory turnover.

Fifty swords a year, worldwide

This is not a new venture. Yushin-sensei has personally selected and delivered more than fifty antique and contemporary nihonto to collectors in the United States, Europe, and Asia every year. The sourcing model is already proven — we are simply making it reachable.

Chosen for you, not from a shelf

This is not a catalogue. Before any blade is named, Yushin-sensei learns your hand — the schools and periods that draw you, how the sword will live with you, whether you draw it or display it, what your eye and your training are ready to meet. Only then does he begin the search. The sword that arrives was chosen for you, not waiting before you asked.

Yushinkan dojo in central Kyoto, where private viewings take place

Yushinkan dojo, Kyoto — where Path A collectors hold the blade selected for them in their own hands.

The 99% Sword

Ninety-nine percent of Japanese swords only ever pass through a merchant’s hands. Ours pass through a samurai’s first.

“Fine blades change hands across the world every day — almost all of them only between merchants. The sword you receive from Yushinkan has been lifted by a modern samurai before it reaches you. That is what makes it whole.”

— from the workshop of Yushin-sensei

Yushin-sensei — practicing master shihan of Yushin-ryū, known abroad as the Modern-day Musashi — handles every blade himself before it is offered. A lifetime of training with steel tells him what no photograph can show. He holds each sword until he knows it. Only then does it leave for you.

Detail studies — the kind of inspection every blade we source receives before it is offered.

Yushin-sensei, master shihan of Yushinkan Kyoto, known as the Modern-day Musashi

The Yushinkan dojo training hall in Kyoto

The Curator

Yushin-sensei

Master Shihan · Modern-day Musashi · Yushin-ryū

Yushin-sensei is one of the rare living masters of the two-sword (nito) technique that defined Miyamoto Musashi’s Niten Ichi-ryū. International collectors and martial artists know him as the Modern-day Musashi for this reason.

He runs the Yushinkan dojo in central Kyoto, where students from across the world train under his direct instruction. He has personally selected and delivered more than fifty antique and contemporary nihonto to collectors in the United States, Europe, and Asia each year.

Every sword that passes through Yushinkan has first been held — and judged — by a man who knows what a sword is for.

The three paths

Three paths into your first authentic blade.

We source three kinds of nihonto for our collectors: blades carried under Yushin-sensei’s own name, blades carried under NBTHK Hozon papers, and blades carried under NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. Choose the path that fits the sword you are seeking — and the budget you are working with.

Unpapered

Yushin-sensei’s hand

Genuine antique blades without NBTHK paper

¥300,000 – ¥800,000USD $2,000 – $5,300

These blades have not been submitted for NBTHK certification — but each one has been personally selected by Yushin-sensei. Recommended for those acquiring their first Japanese sword.

Hozon

NBTHK Hozon Tōken

Certified by the Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai

¥500,000 – ¥1,000,000USD $3,300 – $6,600

Independently certified by Japan’s principal sword preservation authority. A serious first authenticated sword — fully documented, properly registered, and ready to learn the form by.

Tokubetsu Hozon

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken

Signed blades by named smiths of recognized schools

From ¥1,000,000From USD $6,600

Culturally significant blades certified at NBTHK’s higher tier — confirmed origin, refined work. Recommended for serious collectors building a long-term collection.

Every sword — papered or not — passes through Yushin-sensei’s own hand before it is offered. Every delivery includes full registration documentation and Cultural Affairs export certification.

Recently sourced · verified reviews

A glimpse of what buyers walked away with.

Three pieces recently sourced through Yushinkan — followed by verbatim reviews from the collectors who bought them.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“Excellent Sword Purchase Experience”

“After the class, Yushin Sensei displayed several Katana for us to look at for purchase. They explained each sword and allowed me to feel and appreciate each one. The process was not pressured at all and was done with the highest respect to the dojo, the sword and Yushin Sensei.”

“The sword arrived about three months after purchase. During the purchase process, the paperwork presented explained the process for getting the sword out of Japan as well as the time frame. Sayo kept in contact via email and let me know when the sword cleared the government. She sent the tracking number so I was able to follow the package.”

“The sword arrived in the exact condition I purchased in. I do not know how the whole experience could have been done any better.”

— Steve F · August 2025 · Verified TripAdvisor review

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“A wonderful, authentic samurai experience”

“Our whole family went for an authentic samurai training experience. We were presented with a genuine samurai outfit, which made it even more enjoyable. Sayo was a fantastic teacher and very committed to his craft. After the experience I decided to buy a traditional Japanese wakisashi sword from Sayo. I highly recommend the experience.”

— Matt K-H · October 2025 · Verified TripAdvisor review

Public on TripAdvisor — view the original listing →

Yushin-sensei in formal training preparation

“The blade does not lie. Neither do we.”

Where are you in the world?

Visiting Kyoto, or sourcing from a distance — every inquiry meets the same curator and the same standard.

Begin your consultation

Tell us what you seek.

Yushin-sensei reviews every inquiry personally. Expect a reply within 24 hours.

50+ / yrSwords delivered worldwide

Real nihontoAuthentic blades, not replicas

Yushin-ryūMaster shihan tradition

Step 01

Reply within 24 hours

Yushin-sensei reviews your brief personally and replies with clarifying questions.

Step 02

Curator brief

One blade chosen for you, photographed in detail with full provenance and certification.

Step 03

By message, or in person

In person at our Kyoto dojo, or entirely by detailed photo, video, and message. No video calls required.

Your information is kept private. Yushin-sensei replies personally within 24 hours, Kyoto time. No video calls — every consultation is completed by message, or in person at our Kyoto dojo.

Frequently asked

Questions worth answering before you inquire.

How is authenticity guaranteed?

The Hozon and Tokubetsu Hozon blades we source carry NBTHK appraisal papers — independent third-party certification. Unpapered antique blades are personally selected by Yushin-sensei, with a lifetime of training in steel standing behind each one. You will always be told plainly which standard applies to the blade selected for you.

What price range do you typically work in?

Unpapered antique blades typically range from ¥300,000 to ¥800,000. NBTHK Hozon blades range from ¥500,000 to ¥1,000,000. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon blades begin from ¥1,000,000. Share your budget candidly and we will tell you what is realistic.

How does international shipping work?

Antique blades over 100 years old require an export inspection certificate from the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Kobijutsuhin yushutsu kansa shōmei). We handle the application. Shipping is by insured EMS, with cost varying by destination — typically in the tens of thousands of yen. Where EMS is unavailable due to current trade policy, we ship by UPS or specialist art-handling carriers at comparable cost. Customs duties and import VAT in the buyer’s country are the buyer’s responsibility.

Do you offer Zoom or video calls?

No. We complete every consultation either by detailed message correspondence — with full photography and video of the blade selected for you — or in person at our Kyoto dojo. Close inspection of high-resolution images and considered written exchange suits serious sword sourcing better than a video call, and it lets you take your time. Choose the path that fits your travel.

Do I need to travel to Kyoto?

No. Most consultations are completed entirely by detailed photography, video, and written correspondence by email or message. Collectors who travel to Japan are warmly welcomed to hold the blades in person at our Kyoto dojo by appointment.

How are deposits and payments handled?

Once the blade selected for you is confirmed for serious consideration, we request a refundable ¥10,000 deposit to secure private viewing. Final payment is made by credit card upon agreement. Deposits are returned in full if no acquisition is made.

How does this differ from inventory-based dealers?

Inventory dealers sell what they have on hand, optimized for turnover. We do the opposite — we begin with your interest and then source from a network of dealers, auctions, and private collections across Japan. The result is fewer compromises and a sword chosen for you, not for someone like you.

What if I am a first-time collector?

A significant share of our clients begin here. We will not steer you toward something beyond your understanding. We typically recommend an Edo-period wakizashi as a first acquisition — properly certified, fully documented, and the right scale to learn the form.