Touken Matsumoto (English)

This year’s big sword event, the Dai Token Ichi 2013 has come to an end. We were lucky enough that we didn’t have the full effect of Typhoon 27 hit Tokyo with full force.
The rain we had was not as bad as with #26, and so a lot of people made the journey to Tokyo.
Thanks to the previous work carried out this year at several events as well as our website, we had a lot of customers coming to our booth. These facts lead to a new record in sales. However, I still feel there some things that we can improve to become a little better. I hope to be able to see the results of these improvements next year.
I would also like to thank those who came and visited us.
It is much appreciated.

Oct. 14th I hosted a small basic lecture on Japanese swords at the shop in Noda for some friends and sword enthusiasts from abroad.
There were two things I wanted to convey that were especially important to me.
The first, that Japanese swords are not only weapons, but also are said to inhabit a soul, and therefore should be treated with respect when handled by anyone.
Secondly, that swords from different time periods have different shapes and features, and can therefore give us a hint as to by whom and where they were made, as well as when.
At the moment, I need an interpreter to help me with events like this. But it is my hope that I will, one day, be able to convey my thoughts and the facts about Japanese swords and thus help spread the knowledge and appreciation for this part of my culture to people that are from places other than Japan.

Later at night, I asked my friends to join me for dinner at a local Sushi restaurant. It was a pleasure to see foreigners delight over Japanese food and drink, as well as hearing their thoughts and stories mixed with our laughter.
I feel a new form of connection to my foreign friends as well as gratitude for their friendship and enthusiasm.

This year, I attend my 4th annual Dai Token Ichi in Tokyo. The previous 3 years, I have felt embarrassed about how poorly the English translation of the Japanese catalog has been. It was more or less useless to English speakers and Japanese alike, so this year, I volunteered to help produce a translation that would better explain the items on display at the venue.
Though, pressured by an extremely short time to do this, we finally were able to create something that will more easily explain what, and where something, is on display.
Had we had some more time to do this job correctly, the outcome, I feel confident, would have been much better. But, all things considered, I think we did a pretty good job with the circumstances we were given.
It is my hope and wish that this catalog will further help anyone that reads it to appreciate the items at the Dai Token Ichi this year.

In a few weeks, it is time for Dai Token Ichi 2013, the largest sword event in Japan.
Touken Matsumoto will partake, displaying around 80 carefully selected swords as well as a variety of fittings.
This year 74 different sword traders will display some of their best items in the Tokyo Bijutsu Club Bldg. in Shimbashi, Tokyo.
I look forward to meeting all of our friends and customers at the event.　And, I am sure, this year will be especially interesting and successful for all participants and would like to encourage everyone to come, see, listen and learn about the Japanese sword and its many related items.

Yoshiyuki Matsumoto

Last weekend saw the third Okinawa Token Ichi sword event, held in Naha.
A hundred and fifty people visited and some of them came back for the third time showing the genuine interest that the visitors have for the event and Japanese swords.
Even though, Okinawa doesn’t have a sword shop I feel confident that the market for one is promising.
This will be an event reoccurring every 6 months and Touken Matsumoto intend to remain a part of it.
It seemed that many of the visitors were very appreciative of the event due to the fact that it is a little unique to have an opportunity like this to see and learn about the Japanese sword.
The event was a success for both traders and visitors alike.

In the latest issue of the Tokenkai paper, Touken Matsumoto was featured in a very flattering article.
I will try to interpret the article below as I feel very happy about it.

“Touken Matsumoto has been run by Matsumoto Tomio for more than 25 years, and has been successful largely due to this man’s honest and happy character. Three years ago, his son, Yoshiyuki joined the business and has added to it with his youthful character as well.

On the 19th of May, the Nodakai event was held as it always is, and as a result of constant efforts of making customers feeling welcome and satisfied, saw its greatest success thus far.
Another contributing factor may be that Japanese economy is getting stronger, and therefore is helping businesses in general with their sales and stability.”

Personally, I feel hopeful for Japan’s economic future as a depreciated yen makes Japan a cheaper market for foreign customers.

Recently, Touken Matsumoto was featured in an article by the magazine Company Tank in an piece that was rather large and covered a lot of questions about both swords and sword trading.
The interview was conducted by Ami Tokito, a Japanese ‘talent’ often seen on TV, that seemed to have a genuine interest in the Japanese sword and its history.
For me, the article was mostly an opportunity to spread some information, and to contribute to furthering of the enthusiasm for the sword, and the Japanese sword culture.
I think many people, given a chance, would enjoy knowing more on this subject. It is a passion that I personally would love to share with more people so that our community can grow and flourish.
I enjoyed giving the interview and was impressed both by the professionalism and the result that came out of the hour we spent talking.

In cooperation with Toyukai, Touken Matsumoto partook in an event held at Hachinohe department store that started on March 15th and will finish on the 26th.
This is the first time we share an event with Toyukai.
In the near future, we are planning on similar events in the northern part of Japan.
It is my hope that these events will further the interest and knowledge of sword collectors and enthusiasts.

On the 16th and 17th of February, Touken Matsumoto held sales event open to the public at Hotel Granbois in Noda city. This was the first time for us to host this kind of event in our hometown.

Despite the cold northern winds of Japanese winter, quite a few customers and members of the Token-koza(sword study group) visited the event during the weekend, something for which we are very happy and grateful.

This time, we chose to advertise the event in a community paper called Noda Journal attracting mostly locals but also, through our internet site, some visitors coming from quite far away to look at some very interesting items as well as to catch up with friends while enjoying a common passion.

The next occasion for this type of event in Noda will take place on July 5th and 6th.
I will advertise this not only in the local paper, but extend it to the neighboring cities to attract more sword enthusiasts.

I hope to see you there.

On the 25th of January, we had a sales event in Ningyocho, down town Tokyo. This was the 2nd time we organized such an event in the area, and I was happy to see some familiar faces at the event. Some had come from as far as Nagoya and I was very flattered to see them there. Others had learned about the event via the internet, and had decided to show up and have a look at the items on display.

Events, like the one at Ningyocho, serve as more than an opportunity to sell and buy swords. It is also an opportunity to network, and to find time to discuss things of interest with likeminded people. Because it is a relatively small event, people seem to connect much easier with each other. To me, this is an important part of the sword world and any event like this.

I look forward to this event improving with time and experience. Providing our customers with a richer and more interesting experience as time goes by.
I intend to do my very best to make sure that improvement and inspiration is a constant part of the Ningyocho event, now as well as in the future.

The year 2012 has been a year of changes.

In February, we started a new project, creating a homepage.
This project has been a challenge and through it I have learned a few new things.
Initially, we had some big problems, but as the New Year approaches we are getting closer to successfully completing the homepage.

Since the end of October, I have changed from a Japanese page developer to a Canadian, who is also fluent in Japanese. This has improved some of the things that were previously problematic with the project.
Thus, I am happy to say that I think we are finally on the right track when it comes to making a homepage that offers swords and other items at an affordable price, as well as offering information for anyone interested to read and learn from.

During the year 2013, I intend to upload items on a more regular basis, as well as entering more posts on this blog.
Should you be looking for a specific item that you wish to purchase, please don’t hesitate to contact me as I enjoy challenges like these.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013.

Sincerely,

Yoshiyuki

This time, was the second event in Okinawa this year.

More than a hundred people visited us and I was especially glad to see one of the more famous Iai-Shihan from Okinawa return.
His knowledge seems to be growing steadily, and he has good taste in Japanese swords.

We also had quite a few foreign visitors stationed in Okinawa visit. I’m always happy to see how a common interest in the sword can make people connect and learn from each other. This is something I value greatly.

Although Okinawa has very few sword shops, I feel the interest from people living there is growing stronger every year. This is something that makes me very happy as it is this interest that spreads and promotes knowledge and understanding for the Japanese sword.

In Okinawa, there is only one active sword smith and I was delighted to meet him again this time.

All things considered, this was an event that was very enjoyable, and I can not wait to go back to Okinawa again.

It is rather surprising how people from all walks of life come to this event every year.
Foreign visitors and Japanese alike, take a couple of days off, to immerse themselves in an environment overflowing with all things to do with the Japanese sword.
Many came to look and to learn for a few days or hours. For others, it was more about business.
Some lived close, but many had come from quite far away to take part in this venue.

On the two floors of the Tokyo Bijutsu Club, visitors took the opportunity to fill their weekend with their yearly doze of their common passion for all the different aspects of the Japanese sword. And they seemed invigorated by it, judging from the many smiling faces.
It seemed, I think, most of us were a little dazed by the sheer volume of items displayed at the event.
But on the good side of that, there was something for everyone!
From newly made blades, to blades forged during the ‘Kamakura-era’.

For me personally, this event was a good opportunity to catch up some old friends I hadn’t connected with in a while, as well as meeting some new ones.
Being far from the only foreigner at the event, and, from talking to some of the others, it became evident how appreciated this annual venue is, among foreigners and Japanese alike. We all seemed to enjoy ourselves. And why wouldn’t we?
This event is the biggest of its kind in Japan, and feels, at times, like a two floor ‘Nakamise’ for the sword enthusiast.

There was even a nice little cafeteria area, serving very tasty ‘Bento’, the Japanese version of boxed lunches, should anyone need to “refuel”, before going on to the next floor.

The Ningyocho event took place from 26 – 30 of September, and was the first event since we got rid of the Ueno Touken Kaikan in July, due to the lack of space and the awkward location.

While we are still looking for a new place, many of our clients have asked us to have another sales event, and so we organized the Ningyocho event, to answer to their request and to further our good relationships with them.

Ningyocho is in Shitamatchi (downtown Tokyo), and a place that is housing a lot of traditional shops as well as training places for traditional skills and crafts.

A lot of people came to the event, and stayed for a long time.
In total, more than 50 clients attended, and they seemed very happy, talking and learning about the Japanese sword, which also made sales for us pretty good.

However, on the last day of the event, there was a big typhoon coming, and the weather man on TV warned people again and again, to not go out if it could be avoided.
The weather therefore unfortunately made it impossible for some clients to show up on the last day.
This dampened the event a little, but I still feel very happy, as most of our regular clients showed up and stayed for a long time.
To me, it was a really good time.

On September 23, Myoga-sensei visited our place in Noda to conduct our monthly ‘Touken Kouza’.

Five different, and very beautiful ‘Meitou’-blades, from different periods, and with different characteristics were displayed, after which the lesson began with all the attendees in a good mood.

Myoga-sensei spoke, among other things, of the different aspects of ‘nie’, often taking a student’s question and with the help of a white board giving a general, but clear explanation. Then, in a ‘person to person’ type lesson making sure the answer was more elaborate and informative he explained the finer points.
This was very appreciated by the people that attended, and a clear sign of the passion that students and teachers share.

A small but fun contest was also held, after which the group sat down for a bite to eat.

It was a very nice evening with a lot of smiles and many great learning experiences, which furthered everyone’s understanding and enthusiasm for the study of the Japanese sword.