Tsukamoto Museum 塚本美術館

A sword collector's treasure trove

The Tsukamoto Museum house 400 swords and hundreds more fittings collected by a local businessman, Tsukamoto Sozan. Admission is free. When you arrive at the entrance, you are buzzed in and a receptionist asks you to register your name. Upstairs is a gallery space for 20 items. On our visit, we saw exquisite antique Bizen blades and some nihonto (modern swords). The first cabinet has a display of the forging process with models of a katana in the process of transformation from tamahagane, treasure steel to a polished blade. Each time you visit, you will see the rotated collection of 20 objects. Museum staff are happy to answer questions and may evaluate swords in your possession.