Category: Books

Kokusai Tosogu Kai 2025

21th Edition, 95 pages

Condition: new

Price: 190 Euro

The Art of the Japanese Sword – The craft of swordmaking and its appreciation – by Leon and Hiroko Kapp / Yoshindo Yoshihara

256 pages, hardcover, mint condition like new

Price: 40 Euro

Tosogu- by Hirata Michiko / Sannenzaka Museum

Published by Hirata Michiko in 2001, this book features high quality Tosogu from the museum in high quality color photographs. All descriptions are in Japanese, lucky titles are in English.

~80 pages, hardcover, very good condition

Price: 20 Euro

Tsuba – Beauty of Design and Craftsmenship by Hayashi Eiroku

Published in 2012, this book shows on 150 pages in crisp black and white pictures the beauty of tsuba. All descriptions in Japanese.

150 pages, softcover, mint condition like new

Price: 20 Euro

100 Masterpieces from the Collection of Dr. Walter A. Compton by Christies

Released in 1992 when the famous collection of Walter A. Compton was auctioned off by Christies. The 100 Masterworks are described in English and shown in high-quality color images for Tosogu and black and white images for Blades.

321 pages, hardcover, clothbound, dustcover, slipcase, good condition

Price: 100 Euro

Lethal Elegance – The Art of Japanese Sword Fittings by Joe Earle

This English language book was published in 2004 by Joe Earle (Boston Museum of Fine Arts). It shows 150 high-quality sword fittings with a focus on their style and techniques. Visual effects of different alloys as well as evolution and symbolism are also discussed and explained.

This book is the hardcover version!

256 pages, hardcover (!!), very good condition

Price: 70 Euro

Nihon no Bi – The Japanese Sword by Gakken

A modern book that gives a very good introduction to “The Japanese Sword” with full size fold out photos of blades, tosogu, tsuba and more.

Just read the review by Markus Sesko! 

252 pages, softcover, slipcase, very good condition

Price: 120 Euro

Japanische Schwertzierraten – Sammlung G. Oeder

This book is a copy of the book on the famous Oeder collection. The condition is good.

If you manage to find the original book through the Oeder Collection, you will find it very expensive because it is very rare. But that is not necessary as this book provides equally good information about one of the famous Tosogu collections.

~220 pages, clothbound

Price: 200 Euro

Selected fine Japanese Swords from European NBTHK Collections

Published in 2002 by the NBTHK European Branch, this books shows and describes in detail 45 swords, 6 koshirae as well as tosogu. It features an article about Yagyu tsuba as well.

Descriptions are in German and English.

The book is in used condition, all pages are fine, some discoloration due to age

~330 pages

Price: 100 Euro