Your Experience Of Carrying Blades Out Of Japan

[Bugyotsuji]

When you buy for example at the DTI or at a Tokyo sword shop and you make the choice to carry it home, what has been your experience at the airport?

[Ken-Hawaii]

Hi, Piers - In checked luggage, no problem at all. Linda & I have brought back everything from iaito to a very nice naginata-naoshi katana. We did use a lockable case, of course.

 

Ken

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Cool Ken! They said nothing when flagged up on the X-Ray?

[Ken-Hawaii]

If they x-rayed the checked luggage, it was out of my sight. And since no gendarmes came running after us, I didn't worry about it.

 

Ken

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Every bag was X-rayed before check-in, both carry-on and check-in baggage. There was a suspicious shape in my suitcase, a gift from a friend, and despite my open and honest reply, (people don't call me St. Bugyotsuji for nothing) the sharp-eyed superintendent called the cops. They fingered the edge of the blade, "Oh, dear, very sharp, ha ga aru!", then clicked a small round magnet against the blade repeatedly, "Tetsu desu ne" and measured the length with a retractable ruler, "Over the unpapered legal length."

 

All's well that ends well, but my general question to the wider membership still stands: if anyone has had any unusual problems, how did you deal with it? My narrower question is regarding the paperwork that they required and which I guess I was expected to produce. ( I suspect they were concerned primarily with the safety of the flight, rather than other technical legalities.)

 

In the hopes that this thread will add to the helpful information corner. 

[Guido]

You need an export permit; how to get one (and more) is explained here: http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/articles/sword_law.pdf

[Bugyotsuji]

Thank you Guido. A very good read which filled in a few holes in my knowledge.

[brannow]

I had a funny one.  The kid at security wanted to take it out and show the pretty young ladies working at the counter he knew a lot about Japanese swords, but got it home.