Seeing Swords in Japan — Museum and Gallery Guide

Museums across Japan house magnificent sword collections.

Tokyo National Museum: Houses Mikazuki Munechika and Dojigiri Yasutsuna from the Five Greatest Swords. Japan's largest sword collection.

Kyoto National Museum: Especially strong in tachi. Special sword exhibitions draw enormous crowds.

Japanese Sword Museum (Sumida): NBTHK's dedicated museum. Permanent collection plus several special exhibitions yearly.

Tokugawa Art Museum (Nagoya): Swords from the Owari Tokugawa. Includes National Treasures.

Sendai City Museum: Numerous Date clan swords. DATEKATANA's home turf.

Sano Art Museum (Mishima): Rich sword collection with important pieces.

We recommend checking exhibition schedules before visiting.