Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Tōkō fujieda teruyoshi to sono jidai by Kawagoe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan

Book Review: Tōkō fujieda teruyoshi to sono jidai by Kawagoe Shiritsu HakubutsukanTitle: Tōkō fujieda teruyoshi to sono jidai
Author: Kawagoe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan
Publisher: Kawagoe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan, 2004
Language: Japanese
Illustrations: Color and black and white pictures
Other: 83 pages, 29.5 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Documents, Nihontō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0218

Nice catalog with swords and koshirae and some older documents related to that. No armour.

Book Review: Yasukunitō – dentō to bi no kyokuchi  by Tom Kishida

Book Review: Yasukunitō – dentō to bi no kyokuchi  by Tom KishidaTitle: Yasukunitō : dentō to bi no kyokuchi
Author: Tom Kishida
Publisher: Yūzankaku Shuppan, 1999
ISBN: 4-639-01551-8
Language: Japanese
Illustrations: Black and white pictures
Other: 116 pages, 29.5 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Nihontō
ID: B0217

Book from Tom Kishida about the Yasukuni swords. A separate English translation was made by Kenji Mishima and published by the Japanese Sword Society of the United States (B0229). Tom Kishida published a book on the same topic “The Yasukuni Swords – Rare Weapons of Japan 1933-1945” in 2004 with Kodansha International (B0460).

Book Review: Tokugawa Bijutsukan no meikoku (Treasures from the Tokugawa Art Museum 1) by Tokugawa Bijutsukan

Book Review: Tokugawa Bijutsukan no meikoku (Treasures from the Tokugawa Art Museum 1) by Tokugawa BijutsukanTitle: Tokugawa Bijutsukan no meikoku (Treasures from the Tokugawa Art Museum 1)
Author: Tokugawa Bijutsukan
Publisher: Tokugawa Bijutsukan, 1995
ISBN: 4-88604-018-7 C0070
Language: Japanese with some English
Illustrations: Color pictures
Other: 230 pages, 26.5 cm by 22 cm, hardcover
Topics: Bugu, Documents, Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Nihontō, Paintings
ID: B02013

Great catalog from the Tokugawa Art Museum that covers famous treasures from it’s collection.

Book Review: Tōken tōsōgu – Swords and Sword Fittings (Treasures from the Tokugawa Art Museum 3) by Tokugawa Bijutsukan

Book Review: Tōken tōsōgu – Swords and Sword Fittings (Treasures from the Tokugawa Art Museum 3) by Tokugawa BijutsukanTitle: Tōken tōsōgu - Swords and Sword Fittings (Treasures from the Tokugawa Art Museum 3)
Author: Tokugawa Bijutsukan
Publisher: Tokugawa Bijutsukan, 1998
ISBN: 4-88604-022-5 C0072
Language: Japanese with some English
Illustrations: Color Pictures
Other: 214 pages, 26.5 cm by 22 cm, hardcover
Topics: Nihontō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0212

Beautiful catalog from the Tokugawa Art Museum with sword and sword fittings.

Book Review: Pierres et Sabres (Restauration des lames de sabres d’art du Japon) – Stones and Swords (Restauration of Japanese Art Sword Blades) by Laurent Milhau

Book Review: Pierres et Sabres (Restauration des lames de sabres d’art du Japon) – Stones and Swords (Restauration of Japanese Art Sword Blades) by Laurent MilhauTitle: Pierres et Sabres (Restauration des lames de sabres d'art du Japon) - Stones and Swords (Restauration of Japanese Art Sword Blades)
Author: Laurent Milhau
Publisher: Kokusai Token Kai, 1999
ISBN: 2-9513535-0-2
Language: French and English
Illustrations: Color pictures
Other: 96 pages, 28.5 cm by 23 cm, hardcover
Topics: Nihontō
ID: B0211

Interesting book from sword restorer and polisher Laurent Milhau (who passed away in 1999). It was the first western book on this topic.

Book Review: Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr. Walter A. Compton (Part I, II, III) by Christie’s New york

Book Review: Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr. Walter A. Compton (Part I, II, III) by Christie’s New yorkTitle: Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr. Walter A. Compton (Part I, II, III)
Author: Christie's New York
Publisher: Christie's New York, 1992
Language: English
Illustrations: Color and black and white pictures
Other: 429, 235, 122 pages, 30 cm by 21 cm, softcover
Topics: Menpō, Nihontō, Tōsōgu
ID: B0208

These are the auction catalogs for the fabulous Walter A. Compton collection, probably the best collection on Japanese swords ever outside of Japan (or even maybe including Japan). Mostly nihontō and tōsōgu.

Book Review: Nihon jōdai no katchū – Nihon jōdai no buki by Masao Suenaga

Book Review: Nihon jōdai no katchū – Nihon jōdai no buki by Masao SuenagaTitle: Nihon jōdai no katchū - Nihon jōdai no buki
Author: Masao Suenaga
Publisher: Mokujisha, 1981
Language: Japanese
Illustrations: Black and white picture, drawings, very few color pictures
Other: 586 + 115, 591 + 160 pages, 26.5 cm by 19.5 cm, hardcover
Topics: Bugu, Kabuto, Katchū, Nihontō
ID: B0206

This fabulous book set is actually a 1981 reprint of two books, one from 1941 and one from 1944 (B0262), completely dedicated to the old, pre-Heian, armours of Japan. It includes also study reproductions. Masao Suenaga is one of the handful armour researchers that people still talk about with a lot of respect. The book set was originally sold for 145,000 yen…