Bringing a Katana to Japan

I'm coming to Japan this coming fall, and hope to bring my katana with me, but I'm not sure about laws regarding importing and owning a katana in Japan. Anybody here got a clue about paperwork or procedures I would have to fill out or do?

Thanks

from a 2008 post in Japan-Forum:
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+55541

"All swords and antique muzzleloading firearms are registered in Japan. Machine made swords like many WW2 swords are banned, and will be confiscated and destroyed on entering Japan.
Genuine (forged from tamahagane) swords are legal, but must be registered and get torokusho papers. This is done when you enter Japan.
Any swords are taken away and sent to be examined. This can take a week or 2. Once it is verified as legal, a torokusho paper is issued and you may collect your sword and legally possess it.
On leaving Japan, swords must be deregistered and the permit is kept by the authorities. Having a sword without a license is a serious offence. But getting a permit isn't too difficult provided the sword is genuine, Japanese and forged traditionally.
This will explain it all:
http://www.nihontokanjipages.com/japanese_sword_laws.html
Regards",

Thanks! Glad it's hand-forged, and not machine-made, lol. Wouldn't want it to be destroyed.

Maybe a dumb question, but may I ask why you want to bring your collection item to Japan? Are you getting it appraised by a pro, or are you going to use it as part of some performance or something?

Well, I plan on going to college for at least 4 years in Japan and possibly living there long term, and my katana is one of my more highly valued possessions, so I'd appreciate being able to bring it with me. I would probably keep it in its sheath and on its mount most of the time simply because I do not as of yet know how to properly handle a katana. However, I do wish to change that fact while in Japan. Sorry, my reasons aren't nearly as interesting as getting it appraised or using it in a performance.

PNGKale,

Thank you for writing back to my question - I was simply curious... it makes sense if you are going to "live" here in Japan :) Still you "could" consider leaving your exotic collection back home... as a student it might be difficult to get accommodation with suitable space for displaying it properly :)

"I plan on going to college for at least 4 years in Japan and possibly living there long term"

Forgive me if you find my question totally stupid, but we have had quite a few posts on this forum from young people (some from the USA) that want to go to Japan and stay there for years, unaware that they can't fly to Japan (or other countries) and stay there as long as they want(as long as they have the financial means).

US and Canada citizens--and some others-- can stay for 90 days max, with a visa they receive at the immigration desk in the arrival airport.

For longer stays, including studying, they must apply in their home country for one of several possible visas. This is not always as easy as it seems.

@...--No problem. I'm not really too worried about space, any small table big enough for the display mount will do. The katana itself is about 4, maybe 4.5 feet long, so it's not exactly huge. I would give a more exact measurement except that I'm currently living in Papua New Guinea while the sword sits in a storage unit. I would've brought it with me except that it's illegal to ship weapons into PNG.
@ Running Rabbit--Well, to clarify, my plans aren't set in stone yet. I want to go to ICU, and will be applying in a couple days (for some reason, Japanese colleges, even ones that start at the same time as American colleges, have really late application and notification periods), but won't know if I can go until March. At that point, if I'm accepted, ICU will assist me in getting a student visa which will let me stay there long term, as long as I'm in school, that is. Of course, getting the visa is going to be just buckets of fun, and by fun I mean paperwork, because I'm currently living in Papua New Guinea. And yeah, money will be a little tight, but as long as I made the most out of my 28 hours allotted work time per week (I think that's how much you're allowed on a student visa?) I should be able to get by. I don't have any expectations of taking grand vacations on break or shopping my heart out in Akihabira or anything. Tuition is actually comparatively low at ICU versus most American colleges, which is nice, but I understand it's the living costs that'll really bite. And, if this all doesn't work out, I have already applied and been accepted into several USA colleges, one of which I'll go to and then go to ICU as an exchange student for a year and maybe transfer there after a couple years of living and working in America (I am a US citizen, by the way). However, I really would rather do the first option because I plan on becoming an international businessman working in Japan, and the faster I can accomplish that, the better.

PNGKale,
Thank you so much for replying.
Obviously you have done your home work! congratulations, and good luck.

Samurais dont need a paperwork for they swords, especially WW2 machined katana (they are best for action).