MYŌŌ · TOKYO

Japanese sword appraisal, acquisition and advisory — from Tokyo

For collectors, museums and investors outside Japan

Myōō Co., Ltd. is a Japanese sword dealer in Kanda, Tokyo. Our chairman has appraised and handled swords for 41 years, from Hozon-grade pieces to swords of National Treasure calibre. We advise international clients on buying, selling and exporting nihontō, and we handle the Japanese paperwork so that you do not have to.

Send an inquiry → 日本語サイトへ
Services

What we do for clients abroad

Appraisal · Acquisition · Sale · Export
Appraisal

Written appraisals and condition reports

We assess era, school, workmanship, condition and provenance, and explain our reasoning in writing. Where NBTHK certification would add value, we guide the submission.

Acquisition

Sourcing the right sword for your collection

Tell us the school, era, grade and budget you have in mind. We draw on a network of Japanese collectors, dealers and auction houses to find pieces that are not listed publicly.

Sale & export

Selling into the Japanese market, and shipping out of it

We arrange private sales, consignment to auction houses in Japan or overseas, export certification from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and insured shipping.

Why Myōō

Why international clients work with us

Experience, access, discretion
41 yrs
Appraisal experience
National Treasure tier
Highest calibre handled
Sotheby's · Christie's
Auction-house network
Est. 2014
Incorporated · Tokyo

Most of the scholarship on nihontō attribution exists only in Japanese, and most Japanese dealers do not work in English. We sit in between: a Tokyo dealer with four decades of connoisseurship, and a team that corresponds with clients in English, prepares documents in English and understands what an overseas buyer needs to know before wiring funds.

Every piece we sell is a registered work of art under Japanese law, and every export is done through the official procedure. We do not deal in unregistered blades.

Process

How buying from overseas works

Four steps
01
問

Inquiry

Tell us what you are looking for

Use the form below. We reply in English within two business days with candidate pieces or an initial opinion on a sword you already own.

02
鑑

Viewing & documentation

In Tokyo or online

View in person in Kanda, or receive high-resolution photographs, video and a written condition report. NBTHK papers and provenance are shared in full.

03
約

Agreement & payment

Clear, itemised terms

A written agreement in English and Japanese, with price, export costs, insurance and shipping itemised. Payment by international bank transfer.

04
送

Export & delivery

We handle the paperwork

We obtain the export certificate from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, return the domestic registration card, and ship fully insured to your address.

FAQ

Questions from overseas clients

Frequently asked
QCan I buy a Japanese sword from you and take it out of Japan?+
Yes. Registered Japanese swords (nihontō) can be exported with the proper paperwork. We handle the export certificate from the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the return of the domestic registration card, and we arrange insured international shipping. Import rules differ by country, so please confirm the regulations at your destination before purchase.
QDo you provide appraisals and written valuations in English?+
Yes. We provide written appraisals and condition reports in English, and we can advise on obtaining NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai) certification — Hozon, Tokubetsu Hozon, Jūyō and Tokubetsu Jūyō — where it adds value.
QI own a Japanese sword outside Japan. Can you help me sell it?+
Often, yes. Depending on the piece, the best outcome may be a private sale to a collector in Japan, consignment to an international auction house, or a direct purchase. Send us photographs of the whole blade, the tang (nakago), the signature and the temper line, and we will give you an initial opinion free of charge.
QCan I view swords in person?+
Yes, by appointment at our office in Kanda, Tokyo. Online viewings with high-resolution photographs and video are also available for clients abroad.
QHow do payments and pricing work?+
Prices are quoted in Japanese yen. Payment is by international bank transfer. Export documentation, insurance and shipping are itemised separately so you know the full landed cost before you commit.
Contact

Send us an inquiry

We reply in English within two business days
— EMAIL —
contact@myoo.co.jp
Photographs can be attached to your email after our first reply.
— OFFICE —
Akimoto Bldg. 1F, 17 Kanda-Tomiyamachō,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0043, Japan
Tel 03-6271-7366 (Japanese) · By appointment only
※ All inquiries handled with strict confidentiality.