Export of small blades <15cm

[Moritsuchi]

Hi, I've written another post about a similar topic regarding export of non-sword antiques a few days ago, but now I was wondering what the export procedures for blades without a torokusho and a blade lenght of just below 15cm are (hence why this knife I am currently looking at probably has no torokusho, Afaik the Japanese law only classifies blades over 15cm as weapons) Does anyone know more about those/ has already bought something similar?

 

Kind regards,

Florian

[Bugyotsuji]

It depends partly on this end, and partly on where you are sending the blade.

 

You don’t have to deregister it. Your problem will not be with Japan law, unless it’s a national treasure or similar, but with finding a carrier that will take an openly-declared blade.
(Or are you putting it into your own check-in baggage?)

[Brian]

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that mekugi ana plays a part. A blade under 15cm, with no mekugi ana, doesn't need to be registered. Like a kogatana.

[Bugyotsuji]

It’s difficult to correct you Brian, as the law is interpreted differently by prefecture.

The rules as published in Tokyo are relatively clear, but if you try to register a less-than-fifteen cm blade (even with a Mekugi hole) in our local prefecture for example, they will refuse to do it, saying:

“Too much trouble.” This I heard directly from the mouth of the chairman of the local NBTHK who tried to register such a blade. So there is some inconsistency.

But I do not think it will affect the export of a blade. 
The trouble is if you ask the authorities for clarity on the matter, they will suddenly go straight-faced and quote the letter of the law. In this case you could find yourself unprotected, so you are back to square one, trying to register such a blade.

[Mark S.]

A few on-line listings (usually for small items like shorter yari) will state something along the lines of “due to small size of item, no registration is needed and we can ship immediately”.  Usually, the seller determines this on a case by case basis as they are ultimately responsible for getting item out of Japan.  Best to ask them directly as to what they will/can do or not.

[Nobody]

1 hour ago, Brian said:

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that mekugi ana plays a part. A blade under 15cm, with no mekugi ana, doesn't need to be registered. Like a kogatana.

 

Any blades under 15 cm do not have to be registered except daggers. Daggers over 5.5 cm are always illegal. Usually, a kogatana does not need to be registered only because its blade length is less than 15 cm. There is no description of mekugiana in the Act for Controlling the Possession of Firearms or Swords and Other Such Weapons.

 

[Moritsuchi]

2 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

It depends partly on this end, and partly on where you are sending the blade.

 

You don’t have to deregister it. Your problem will not be with Japan law, unless it’s a national treasure or similar, but with finding a carrier that will take an openly-declared blade.
(Or are you putting it into your own check-in baggage?)

 

Thanks, yeah, when I leave Japan in August/September, I'll take these things in my check in luggage. the thing with the "National Treasure" is losing me some sleep. Sure I know that the rusted broken yari I got from a Nominoichi or some Jomon pottery shard, or whatever is not a national treasure. And no reasonable person would assume they were. And even if, I have somewhere a book where all national treasures are listed and shown with pictures. But I fear the Japanese tendency of asking for Form A38 (Idk if this Asterix reference is widespread) will hit me at the airport. I'm German and I find Japan overbureaucratic, on the brink of weaponized autism, that says something...

[Brian]

I can't think of a single time anything was stopped in check in luggage for reasons of "national treasure" and that is the last thing I would worry about. It's not going to happen, and no-one is going to stop you to check for quality.
At the most, they may ask about it, you say "it's under 15cm blade and doesn't require paperwork" and they will let you proceed.
I left Japan with a small Jumonji Yari and a yari in shirasaya in my luggage and no-one said a word, even with X-Rays. They didn't even ask to look at them.
Don't stress so much.

[Moritsuchi]

The National Treasure thing is afaik the reason why you need an export license in the first place, because these are prohibited from export, while everything else only needs confirmation that it isn't a national treasure or designated cultural property or something.

 

I remember the first time I went to Japan when I was 17 I bought one of these unsharpened aluminium alloy Iaidos and shortly before boarding they asked me to come to the counter and open my luggage and the customs officer put a maget on it, and two years ago I bought a naginata from Japan where the export permit took ages, so I presumed they were very strict. (And my experience living here also has given me a lot of contact with the Japanese bureaucracy)