Nihon to Koza: Lectures on Japanese Swords

The NIHON TO KOZA, or LECTURES ON JAPANESE SWORDS, was first published in Japan in the 1930s in about 25 paperbound volumes. This series was re-edited & published in ten hardbound volumes in the mid-1960s. The monumental task of translating the second edition of these volumes has been undertaken single-handedly by HARRY AFU WATSON, & is being republished in English, with all of the pictures from the Japanese books. Also, except for the Shinshinto volume, where usage is mainly limited to accompanying photos, Kanji is abundantly used with names, locations, & dates, as a valuable learning tool. Nothing comparable to this series has been published outside of the Japanese language, nor is there likely to be. The set comprises three volumes on Koto blades, one on Shinto blades, one on Shinshinto blades, two on fittings, one on sword furniture as a complete entity, one on the history of the Japanese sword, & one that answers questions in general about the Japanese sword. The books are printed on coated paper & sewn in 16 page signatures. As of January 1996, five of the volumes have been published, with the sixth nearing completion. Call for information or to place an order: AFU Research, P.O. Box 630, Cisco, TX 76437; 817-442-2349, FAX: 817-442-2380; Internet: WWW.afuresearch.com; E-Mail: afu@afuresearch.com.