It is time for traveling, finally. Tokyo, Japan is one of the hottest destinations! We are awaiting for sophisticated travelers who loves something deep and authentic! Koi Travel focus on cultural tours to meet hand crafts masters and to touch their spirits as well as way of living.

Please find our tours as below.

Sword Smith Visit

Sake brewery visit in Tokyo

Bonsai Village Tour

A blade of a mamori-gatana for wedding is usually straight with no wave blade patterns, which symbolized her family’s wish that the bride would fit into the new family smoothly.

The purpose to carry a mamori-gatana can be various. A common one is self-defense in case of being attacked, but it can be suicide in case of being involved in an embarrassing incident, and sometimes assassination if getting married to a samurai in a hostile relationship.

On the other hand, a mamori-gatana has been believed to have a power not only as a practical weapon to protect its holder from other human beings but also as an amulet to expel evil spirits and bad luck. From the ancient

Some might think that Japanese swords were used only by male samurais. However, some short-length swords were also important for female, especially ladies in samurai families.

Typical ‘katanas’ or Japanese swords are usually 60-70 cm (23-28 inch) long and basically fighting tools used mainly outdoors, whereas ‘mamori-gatanas,’ ‘kaiken’ or Japanese daggers are shorter, usually 20-25 cm (8-10 inch) long, often carried by ladies in samurai class for mainly self-defense purpose used indoors.

It is said that a daughter of a samurai would carry a mamori-gatana in the belt of her wedding kimono when she gets married and that she continued to carry it for the rest of her life. A mamori-gatana was usually slim without a tsuka (hand protector) and usually put in

What can you do if you want to have a sword in your hand and see it closely? Visit antique shops! Some of antique shops in Tokyo are dedicated to Japanese swords, armors, and other related parts. If you behave politely and ask the shop, they might let you take swords out from the show case. And most of antique shops also have scabbard and other related parts, which will be very interesting to see.

Pros of visiting antique shops is that it is easy and free. You can just go and drop in. Cons of antique shops are, however, that not all the swords in the shops are good quality. Today most of precious or important antique swords has owners. And