Keichodo

Dear sword friends, If you have plans to visit Japan for the DTI (Oct. 26th/27th/28th), the premiere samurai artifact show in the world, I would like to invite you to attend two special activities: 1) a special sword study session and reception in Kamakura on Wednesday October 24th and 2) the Yakatabune dinner party on Saturday, October 27th. If you would like to reserve a spot for either of these activities please correspond with me by e-mail at keichodo@yahoo.com. 1) The sword study session on October 24th will be held from 1:30 p.m. at the impressive Kamakura estate of Mr. Takahashi, President of Shingendo. Mr. Takahashi has offered the use of one of his buildings. Additionally, there will be rooms displaying a wide selection of high grade armor, sword fittings, and swords for sale. Mr. Takahashi is sponsoring a sushi party in the late afternoon and evening. The cost of the sword study session is yen 8,000 per participant. This event promises to be both educational and fun! Overnight accommodation can be arranged in Kamakura at a centrally-located economical business hotel for around yen 8,400 per night or at the more elegant Park Hotel for yen 14,700. These are per person room charges. Let me know as I have rooms on hold. 2) As with previous years, the Yakatabune boat cruise/tempura dinner/ with drinks is being offered again. Participants should meet at around 6:30 p.m. at the departure point near Shinagawa Station (with the boat leaving the pier at 7:00 p.m.) Maps will be available and taxi sharing from the DTI is also possible. The cost is yen 10,500 per participant. This event is becoming legendary! Reservations for either of these activities are required as both are limited capacity events. A reservation means a commitment to pay for your spot. Reservations for the sword study session in Kamakura will be taken until we have reached our capacity of twenty participants. Reservations for the Yakatabune party need to be made by October 25th and payment made at my shop at the DTI on Friday, October 26th. Hope to see you in Japan! Best Regards, Robert

Greetings Sword Friends, After a lapse of a few years I will be back at the S.F. sword show. Yes, I have missed all the colorful characters who attend this event and the quaffing of lager outside the lounge. Lots of interesting stories to share with you regarding the state of sword biz in Japan, etc. Anyway, I will be bringing Mr. Nagamasa Ikeda (sword polisher) and Mr. Hironobu Otsuka (tsukamaki-shi and koshirae maker) who will demonstrate their skills. Mr. Ikeda will polish windows for any interested parties to see what "lurks beneath" the rust and grim. Mr. Otsuka will wrap tsuka for any interested persons. Both gentleman are artisans in good standing with NBSK, the foundation supporting artisans. Hope to see you there! Robert Hughes

Hi Brian Thanks for the strong recommendations! Would certainly like to have you over here this year. Looks like we reached the magical number of twelve participants to hold our Kamakura study session. However, lots of room left for the pirate ship yakatabune party. Regards, Robert

Greetings everyone, Time for an update on the DTI extra activities: There is still plenty of space open for the Yakatabune dinner cruise on Saturday, Oct. 29th. So far, there are about 15 brave souls signed up. Regarding the Kamakura sword study, the response was rather tepid and as a result of waiting I lost my room option at Kamigo Mori No Ie when a large group took all the accommodation. This has resulted in a complete change of plans. Hotel accommodation (Izumi) is now arranged for overnight guests in downtown Kamakura right across the street from a fine little bar called Univibe. Overnight accommodation including breakfast is yen 8,400. On Wednesday Oct. 26th, participants should meet at the front of this hotel at 9:30 a.m. and then proceed over towards the Daibutsu. There is time for a little sightseeing. The study session will be held in a restaurant right across the street from the Daibutsu. The study session starts at 11:00 and lasts for two hours. The cost of the study session is yen 5,000 per participant. At 1:00 a power lunch is scheduled for two hours. It is a famous branch of well-known Yokohama Chinese Restaurant. Top class! Lunch is yen 5,300 per participant. Alcoholic beverages will be extra. The Wednesday night action will be loca,l near the Kamakura station (probably in a local izakaya). For interested participants, a Thursday tour of selected Kamakura locations will be offered. Sorry for any difficulties that arise from these changes! Due to room size limitations, the sword study is limited to twelve participants. Regards, Robert Hughes

Dai Token Ichi 2011 Special Events Yakatabune Tokyo Bay Cruise with dinner party (including the all-you-can -drink arrangement) Date: October 29th Saturday Time: approximately 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Boat departure at 6:30. Meet at 6:20 Cost per participant: Japanese yen 10,500 Departure point: Near Shinagawa Station Attendance by advanced reservation only because the minimum number of guests to charter the cruise ship is 20! Please contact Robert Hughes (keichodo@yahoo.com). The number of participants must be confirmed 3 days in advance of event as this includes a fabulous seated meal of sashimi, tempura and other treats. A reservation is a full-commitment to attend i.e. payment required. Please make your reservation before October 26th. This is a great social opportunity to meet the who's who of sword fanatics. See website: http://www.funasei.com Kamakura Sword Study Session, Dinner Party, and Kamakura tour! Dates: October 26th Wednesday and 27th Thursday Location: Kamigo Mori No Ie (Japanese style inn) on the border of Yokohama and Kamakura Website: http://www.kamigou-morinoie.org/ Cost per participant: Yen 20,000 (including accommodation w/lunch/dinner/breakfast, sword study session, Kamakura tour). If interested in only the sword study and BBQ lunch (no accommodation or evening meal) yen 7,500 Participation by advanced reservation only, made in advance by contacting Robert Hughes (keichodo@yahoo.com) Deadline for reservation October 12th, 2011 Minimum number of participants: ten Sword Study with Nagamasa Ikeda, an expert sword polisher and sword researcher. His father was a famous sword authority with numerous book publications. Ikeda Sensei is a fun-loving guy with a high tolerance for alcoholic beverages. This study session will begin with an informal introductory level kantei session (with various levels of assistance if needed) to distinguish the five main schools and the related swordsmiths. Detailed lecture/discussion of the kantei pieces will follow. Lunch will be a Japanese-style BBQ at the outdoor BBQ site (weather permitting). The evening meal will be a beautifully arranged Japanese meal of assorted delicacies. Kamigo Mori No Ie is situated near the border of Kamakura and Yokohama. It has hotspring water baths (onsen) and is nestled in a forest (as the name in Japanese suggests). The basic plan is for participants to arrive on Wednesday morning at Kamakura Station at 9:30, proceed to the venue on a chartered bus and begin the sword study at 10:00 a.m.. On Thursday, a tour of selected sites in Kamakura will be given.

Greetings everyone, Here are additional details: The yakatabune event is organized through the company Funasei. Their web page has an English explanation but unfortunately, the map is on the Japanese version of the website only. It appears under the panel of the word "access" written in katakana. I will provide maps at the Dai Token Ichi with some English information so that no one gets lost (before the departure). What happens afterward, well, let's wait and see ........ Anyway, I will leave the DTI at 6:10 with anyone who needs a guide to the departure location which is near Shinagawa Station. Taikeido is offering an auction on November 3rd beginning at 1:00 p.m. A preview of the lots is possible on Saturday, October 30th and Sunday, October 31st from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. An exhibition party will be held on October 30th, Saturday from 7:00 p.m. (complimentary food and drinks). Auction catalogs and location maps can be picked up at the Taikedo stall at the DTI. You can leave your name with Taikedo if you intend to attend the party. The venue for the preview, party and auction is called Matsuya Annex Building, Ginza Conference Rooms, Ginza 3-7-10, Chuo-ku Tokyo. (Note: this is not at the Taikeido Sword Shop) The venue is not too far from the DTI. I am not sure what time the party will end but probably around 8:30 or so, which leaves plenty of time to get into mischief somewhere else ..... Regards, Robert

Hi there sword friends, The yakatabune event is shaping up nicely with 24 brave souls already on the list. This should almost be enough people to entice Guido to do one of his infamous burlesque dances, the kimono peeler. All in all, it promises to be good fun and just remember a clean fully functional liver is highly over-rated. I will be posting additionally information about the Saturday Taikeido auction viewing/reception as soon as the details are revealed to me. It might even be possible to hook up later with Pierre's group if they are in Ginza or Shimbashi. Sunday with Gordon and the NTHK looks very rewarding. Yes, you can have it all! Regards, Robert

Greetings NMB readers, Re: catalog tanslations The printing of the translation comes out much later than the actual catalog as the catalog takes priority. The translation is just a courtesy for foreign visitors who have yet to master kanji signatures. Generally, the translations are available at the show. The translation booklets are not intended to go with every catalog, but are available on request. Hisashi Saito and I share the translation workload. Having said this, I will see if I can make the electronic data available to forward by e-mail, in addition to requesting hard copies from our association to distribute to interested parties. Regards, Robert

Hi everyone, Those folks who do not imbibe but can tolerate the whimsical nonsense of those who do imbibe, are most welcome to attend. There will be plenty of non-alcoholic beverages as well. Regards, Robert Hughes

Greetings NMB users, Hope everyone is well in sword collector land! For those who will visit Japan for the DTI, I would like to give a quick uddate regarding the possibility of serious debauchery. Two events are currently in the works. 1. Friday, October 29th A Yakatabune dinner cruise on Tokyo Bay with a splendid meal of sashimi, tempura, and extras. Of course this includes the all-you-can drink option. Meeting time will be 6:40 at the Shinagawa pier with departure at 7:00 p.m. The boat will be a chartered arrangement (with a minimum of twenty guests). The cost is yen 10,500 per participant (the meal is superior quality and the booze never stops flowing). Guido will be dressed as a pirate and will be allowed to navigate the ship after he has consumed his nightly limit of eight litres of beer. If you would like to attend this event, I would ask that you send me an email at by October 25th. Payment should be made to me at my DTI stall prior to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 29th. Maps will be available at my stall. This is strictly reserved seating, so once you have given your name to attend, I will anticipate your payment. 2. Saturday night, October 30th. Auction viewing and reception. Mr. Aoki, the proprietor of Taikeido, a sword shop in Tokyo is holding a sword and fittings auction on Wednesday, November 3rd which is a national holiday in Japan. All overseas visitors are invited to attend the viewing of items and a reception on the 30th, as well as the auction on the 3rd. Additional details will be available later. After the reception, which is in Ginza, an opportunity will exist to go out and get further polluted. Regards, Robert Hughes