HOZON TOKEN
1) Edo and earlier blades with correct mei, or mumei blades on which the time period, kuni and group can be identified, may receive Hozon paper.
2) Blades that meet the criteria given above can receive Hozon paper even if they are slightly tired or have kizu, as long as those may be permissible in their appreciation.
3) For Nambokucho and earlier zaimei blades by famous smiths, re-temper can be permissible if the blade is valuable as a reference, and if the jiBa and nakago are sufficiently well preserved. However, this has to be documented in the paper.
4) Repair on jiBa is permissible, unless it significantly impairs the beauty of the blade.
5) Blades made in Meiji and Taisho periods, and those by recently deceased smiths, can receive Hozon paper only when the blade is well made, zaimei and has a ubu-nakago.
6) Blades are put to “reservation” if a decision could not easily be made on the authenticity of the mei. This also applies to mumei blades in which an attribution is difficult to make.
7) Blades with hagire may not receive Hozon paper.
TOKUBETSU HOZON TOKEN
1) Blades with Hozon papers with good workmanship and state of preservation can receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper, except for the following:
- Either zaimei or mumei blades may not receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper if they are significantly tired, have kizu or repair which impairs beauty of the blade.
- Re-tempered blades may not receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper unless they were made by famous smiths and their values are extremely high as a reference.
- Edo period works by less famous smiths with mid or lower grade workmanship may not receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
- Muromachi and Edo period mumei blades may not receive a Tokubetsu Hozon paper, as a rule. However, if a blade shows good workmanship, attributable to a very famous smith, having ubu-nakago, and in good preservation, it may receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
- Suriage cut-mei Edo blades may not receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
- Blades with hagire may not receive Tokubetsu Hozon paper.