{"id":43156,"date":"2023-11-09T22:44:37","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T13:44:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samuraimuseum.jp\/shop\/?post_type=product&p=43156"},"modified":"2024-12-20T01:13:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T16:13:30","slug":"antique-japanese-sword-wakizashi-attributed-to-mihara-kai-masaoki-nthk-kanteisho-certificate","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.samuraimuseum.jp\/shop\/product\/antique-japanese-sword-wakizashi-attributed-to-mihara-kai-masaoki-nthk-kanteisho-certificate\/","title":{"rendered":"Antique Japanese Sword Wakizashi Attributed to Mihara Kai Masaoki
NTHK Kanteisho Certificate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Antique Japanese Sword Wakizashi Attributed to Mihara Kai Masaoki with NTHK Kanteisho<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Certificate<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u3010Description\u3011<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0This blade is attributed to Mihara Kai Masaoki (\u4e09\u539f\u8c9d\u6b63\u8208), who was active during the Tensho era (1573-1592) according to its NTHK appraisal.<\/span>
\nHe belonged to Kai Mihara school in Bingo province (today’s Hiroshima prefecture), one of the most prestigious schools during the late Muromachi period. This school’s headquarter is called Mihara school (\u4e09\u539f).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0According to one theory, Mihara school was founded by Kokubunji Sukekuni in the late Kamakura period. <\/span>
\nMihara school is divided into three categories depending on the period. When the blade is older than the Nanbokucho era(the 1300s), it is called Ko-Mihara (Old Mihara). And it is called Mihara for those forged in the early-Mid Muromachi period. Finally, Sue-Mihara(Late Mihara) is used for the late Muromachi period. Masaoki is categorized as Sue-Mihara.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Kai-Mihara swordsmiths in the late Muromachi period sometimes signed Kai (\u8c9d: Shellfish) in their signature because they resided in a village called Kaigahara(\u8c9d\u3005\u539f). That is why they are called Kai-Mihara school.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0In Bingo province, many lands were owned by politically powerful temples of the Yamato region (today’s Nara prefecture) from ancient times. And it is said that the swordsmiths in the Yamato region strongly influenced how swords were forged in the Bingo province. The blades forged by the Kai-Mihara school had distinctive characteristics of Yamato DEN, one of the five Japanese sword traditions (Gokaden). <\/span>The swordsmiths in the Bishu area, including Kai-Mihara school, produced many swords during the Muromachi period as it was in the middle of the Sengoku period(Warring state period). The demand for weapons increased among strong feudal lords.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Bingo is located near the Chugoku Mountains, where iron sands, one of the essential materials for making Japanese swords, were abundant. This geological location contributed to the Mihara swordsmiths forging high-quality refined blades. We presume Bingo was quite active in sword-forging from ancient times.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0*Please keep in mind that there are a couple of partial black rust on the Hamon area and a couple of kitae kizu on the Ji. If you like to know the detailed condition, please feel free to contact us.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u3010 Blade\u3011<\/span><\/strong>
\nCutting Edge Length(Nagasa)<\/span><\/strong>\uff1a 31.6 cm (12.4 inches)<\/span><\/strong>
\nCurvature(Sori)<\/span><\/strong>\uff1a 0.3 cm (0.12 inches)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Hamon<\/strong><\/span>\uff1a
\nThe crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process<\/strong>
\nJimon(Jihada)<\/span><\/strong>\uff1a
\nvisible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Nakago<\/strong><\/span>\uff1aNakago is the tang of the Japanese sword. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Japanese swordsmiths left the black rust on the tang because it prevents red rust while the tang is in its handle. And the discoloration of the tang was created over time, and it is a great indicator for a Japanese sword specialist to estimate when the sword was forged.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Habaki<\/span>\uff1aHabaki is the equipment to make the blade not touch its scabbard inside. It prevents the blade from getting rusty and chipped.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

*Please keep in mind that this Habaki is made of wood. A wooden Habaki is good to make less friction when removing the Habaki from the blade for appreciation.<\/p>\n

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Authentication Paper<\/strong><\/span>\uff1aNTHK Kanteisho Certificate for the blade<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0NTHK<\/span><\/a>, also known as NPO Nihon Touken Hozon Kai, is the oldest organization for sword authentication of Japanese swords in modern times. It was established in 1889 during the post-Samurai era. They authenticated the blade on Sep 18th in the 4th year of Reiwa (2022). The purchaser will receive this original certificate as well. We can also translate what is written into English and make a PDF file<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> for your record if you request.<\/p>\n

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Registration Number : <\/span>Kumamoto 54989<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The Board of Education in Kumamoto<\/span>\u00a0prefecture issued a registration paper for this sword . It is called Jyu Token Rui Torokusho(\u9283\u5200\u5263\u985e\u767b\u9332\u8a3c). Bunkacho(The Agency for Cultural Affairs) acknowledges a Japanese sword with this paper as a work of art.
\nThe sword needs to be traditionally hand-forged and made of Tamahagane carbon steel to be registered in the system. With this paper, its owner in Japan can legally own an authentic Japanese sword. Based on this registration number, we will apply for its export permit.
\nThis paper will need to be returned to the board of education when the sword is being shipped abroad, but you can receive a copy of it. An English translation of this registration paper is available on request.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u3010About us\u3011<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, exhibiting antique artifacts related to the Samurai history. Samurai Museum Shop is the place for those who are interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship. We deal with antique Samurai swords\/armor, traditional crafts made in Japan and so on. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u3010Japanese Sword& Export Process<\/strong>\u3011<\/span>
\n\u00a0The Japanese swords we deal with are hand-forged edged swords made in Japan. It was made from the traditional carbon steel called TAMAHAGANE(\u7389\u92fc)<\/span><\/a>. Samurai Museum is familiar with the proper legal procedure for an antique\/ authentic Japanese sword to be exported from Japan. We have sent more than 700 Japanese swords for the past few years (\uff5e2024) to amazing owners who appreciate its historical value.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Each Japanese sword is registered under the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Board of Education in Japan. They issue a registration paper for each Japanese sword for its owner in Japan to legally possess it. The Japanese sword with its registration paper means it was traditionally hand-forged in Japan.
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\u00a0To legally export the sword from Japan to other countries, we will have to apply for its permit to the Agency for Cultural Affairs(Bunkacho) and return the original registration paper to the Board of Education. It normally takes around 2-4 weeks<\/strong> to receive this permit after submitting required documents. And we would like you to expect at least 1-1.5 months<\/strong> for your order to arrive at your given address after you ordered. For more detailed info, please click here<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0It is allo<\/span>wed for residents in Japan to own authentic Japanese swords without a special license as long as they come with registration papers. Please feel free to contact us if you are a resident of Japan, whether temporarily or permanently. We will also assist you when you leave Japan and need to obtain the export permit.<\/p>\n

\u3010Payment Method\u3011<\/strong>
\nWe accept payment through Stripe <\/strong>(Credit card), PayPal<\/strong>, Apple Pay or ChromePay, all of which are secure payment methods. Also, you don’t need to make an account on Stripe for the checkout. If you prefer other payment method, please contact us. After confirming your payment, we will apply for an export permit. You may either pay in JPY, USD, AUD, CAD,EUR CHF <\/strong>or GBP<\/strong>. The price is set in Japanese Yen. Prices in other currencies are automatically calculated based on the latest exchange rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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* If the amount is above 1 million JPY, Stripe or wire transfer will be the only options for payment.<\/p>\n

\u3010Shipping\u3011<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u00a0We have shipped authentic Japanese swords to the USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Belgium, France, Finland, Hong Kong, Australia<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span>. If you don’t live in these countries and like to order, please contact us first before making a purchase. We offer Free International Shipping<\/strong><\/span> as long as we can send antique Japanese swords by EMS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0We normally ship by EMS<\/strong>(Express Mail Service) provided by Japan Post. <\/span>We will send you a tracking number for your order as soon as we hand it to the post office. We will put 100 % insurance on the shipping document without any extra charge. Based on the total amount, there might be a duty tax or other fee for you to pay, depending on the countries. We use package cushioning to protect the item and put it in a PVC pipe, which is one of the most secure packages because of its durability.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0It will normally takes 5-14 days for the item to arrive at your given address after we dispatch it. Time of delivery is estimated as accurately as possible by the carrier but does not take into account any delays beyond our control such as by inclement weather, post office holiday seasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

* If you live in Australia and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please click here<\/span><\/span> <\/a>to know the detail.<\/strong><\/p>\n

* If you live in the UK and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please contact us first and click here<\/span><\/span> <\/a>to know the detail.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u3010Review\u3011<\/strong>
\n\u00a0Here is o<\/span>ne of the reviews we received from a customer who purchased an authentic Japanese sword from us. For more reviews, please click here.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a>
\n\u201cMy experience overall with the whole process was wonderful. I had many questions about the history and process to purchase these treasures. All my questions were answered very timely and complete. The staff is very knowledgeable and very well versed if any questions do arise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3010How to make sure the condition\u3011<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u00a0Please keep in mind that what you are going to purchase is an antique item. We uploaded high resolution photos for you to check its condition thoroughly. If you like to see more photos with different angles, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to send them to you so that you can make informed decision.<\/span> It is essential for us to know that you are happy with your choice of a sword. and we are prepared to use the best of our ability to serve you.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3010How To Contact Us\u3011<\/strong>
\n\u00a0Please contact us through email, Facebook Messenger or Live Chat if you have any questions. You can find each icon on the right side of the w<\/span>ebsite. Please click one of them to reach us. We will reply to you within 1-2 business days.<\/p>\n

\u3010The Art of Nihonto (Japanese Sword)<\/strong>\u3011
\n\u00a0Samurai’s history is a profound, eloquent legacy of ancient Japanese warriors in which millions of people worldwide are being fascinated. If y<\/span>ou like to find out the art of Nihonto, please click here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u3010A Guide to Japanese Sword Maintenance<\/strong>\u3011<\/span>
\n\u00a0After acquiring an genuine Japanese sword, it is also important to know how to take good care of it. Here is the special video for you. Mr. Paul Martin, Japanese sword expert, shows you how to give proper maintenance to your sword. By mastering how to clean the Japanese sword, its aesthetic beauty will last forever.<\/span><\/p>\n