Japanese Swords (Nihonto)
Nihonto — Japanese swords — are weapons and works of art produced by named smiths across more than a thousand years of unbroken tradition. Browse authenticated examples from 50+ specialist dealers worldwide, certified by NBTHK and other recognized appraisal organizations.
Sword Types
- KatanaBrowse authentic Japanese katana for sale from trusted dealers in Japan and worldwide.
- WakizashiBrowse authentic Japanese wakizashi for sale.
- TantoBrowse authentic Japanese tanto for sale.
- TachiBrowse authentic Japanese tachi for sale.
- NaginataBrowse authentic Japanese naginata blades for sale.
- YariBrowse authentic Japanese yari spear blades for sale.
- Juyo Bizen SwordsBrowse NBTHK Juyo certified Bizen school swords.
- Juyo Soshu SwordsBrowse NBTHK Juyo certified Soshu school swords.
- Juyo Yamashiro SwordsBrowse NBTHK Juyo certified Yamashiro school swords.
- Juyo Mino SwordsBrowse NBTHK Juyo certified Mino school swords.
- Hozon Bizen SwordsBrowse NBTHK Hozon certified Bizen school swords from trusted dealers.
- Hozon Soshu SwordsBrowse NBTHK Hozon certified Soshu school swords.
- Hozon Yamashiro SwordsBrowse NBTHK Hozon certified Yamashiro school swords.
- Hozon Mino SwordsBrowse NBTHK Hozon certified Mino school swords.
- Hozon Yamato SwordsBrowse NBTHK Hozon certified Yamato school swords.
- Tokubetsu Hozon Bizen SwordsBrowse NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Bizen school swords.
- Tokubetsu Hozon Yamashiro SwordsBrowse NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Yamashiro school swords.
- Tokubetsu Hozon Soshu SwordsBrowse NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Soshu school swords.
- Juyo Koto SwordsBrowse NBTHK Juyo certified Koto-era swords.
- Juyo Shinto SwordsBrowse NBTHK Juyo certified Shinto-era swords.
- Hozon Koto SwordsBrowse NBTHK Hozon certified Koto-era swords.
- Hozon Shinto SwordsBrowse NBTHK Hozon certified Shinto-era swords.
- Hozon Shinshinto SwordsBrowse NBTHK Hozon certified Shinshinto-era swords.
- Tokubetsu Hozon Koto SwordsBrowse NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Koto-era swords.
- Tokubetsu Hozon Shinto SwordsBrowse NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Shinto-era swords.
- Tokubetsu Hozon Shinshinto SwordsBrowse NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Shinshinto-era swords.
NBTHK Certification Grades
Each sword on NihontoWatch links back to its dealer for direct inquiry and purchase. Listings are aggregated daily from the dealers' own catalogs, and every entry includes the original source URL so collectors can verify provenance independently.
The most commonly traded sword types are katana (the long curved sword worn edge-up, the classical samurai blade), wakizashi (the shorter companion sword), and tanto (daggers). Older styles include tachi (the ancestral long sword worn edge-down by mounted warriors), naginata (polearms with curved blades), and yari (straight spear blades) — these are rarer and command premium prices for surviving examples in koto-era (pre-1596) condition.
The NBTHK (Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) issues four primary certifications. Hozon ("worthy of preservation") confirms authenticity and quality. Tokubetsu Hozon ("especially worthy") marks a higher tier of preservation and importance. Juyo Token ("important sword") is the highest regularly awarded grade — typically the top 5% of items submitted. Tokubetsu Juyo Token ("especially important") is reserved for masterworks of national-treasure caliber, awarded only occasionally and after Juyo certification.