From the 26th to the 28th of June, we hosted the 7th Okiniawa Token Ichi, in Naha. We host this event twice a year, and this was the 4th consecutive year for us.
I was very happy to see that once again we had more visitors than the previous event and that so many look forward to this weekend with great anticipation.
Before opening on the 3rd day, I gave a small beginners level lecture, on how to correctly handle the sword when evaluating it, or when it is being cleaned or inspected. I was happy to find that the number of people attending it had also grown since last year.
The event was an overall success both from a cultural and business perspective, and I feel very grateful to all the people that visited us.
I was also pleasantly surprised at the knowledge of the ‘Saniwa’ girls, (enthusiasts of the ‘Tōken Ranbu’ lit. “Wild Swords Dance”) that visited the event, and I think their enthusiasm and insights may be important for the future impact on, and the interest in the history and craftsmanship of, the Japanese sword. I am very happy to have spent time with these enthusiasts.