About Edo Antiques
Legal Status & Licensing
Edo Antiques is a fully registered and legally established business operating under Japanese regulations. We are officially licensed as an antique and secondhand dealer by the Osaka Prefectural Public Safety Commission.
- Antique Dealer License No. (Kobutsusho): 621132200204 (Registered via the Kita-ku Police Station)
I am also proud to be an official, registered member of the Osaka Art Sword Dealers Association (大阪美術刀剣商業組合), a professional association officially recognized by the Osaka Prefectural Public Safety Commission.
This membership ensures that all my antique swords are handled, evaluated, and traded in strict accordance with the professional and legal standards in Japan.
If you still have some time, here is the short story of Edo Antiques.
I arrived in Japan somewhat by chance in the mid-2000s. I wanted to travel, and when you want to travel, you need a starting point—for me, it was Japan. I had no interest in this country, nor any knowledge about it. I saw it as a transit point before moving on elsewhere. I thought I could earn enough money here to continue my journey. And it was during my first year in the land of the rising sun that I learned a great life lesson: when you land in Japan without knowing how to read or write, and barely knowing how to say konnichiwa, well… it’s going to be hard to find a job. The problem was that I was really starting to like this country, so I hung in there. I survived my first year with a few hours of French tutoring and whatever baito (part-time jobs) I managed to find.
It was during one of these baito, making 850 yen an hour, that I met a man who would change my life. He was a traveler like me. His name was Armand. I explained my situation to him, and he said to me:
Armand: “You want some work? I sell Japanese antiques on the internet and I need a guy to help me. If you’re interested, let me know. Do you know a little about Japanese antiques?”
Fred: “I know kimono.”
Armand: “Alright, listen, we all start somewhere, and for you, it’s here. Drop by the house on Monday, I’ve got some kimonos for you to sell.”
Armand showed me everything he knew. There are rare people like him who give without any second thoughts. I was lucky enough to meet one.
I started making a living by buying tsuba at markets between Osaka and Kyoto, which I resold on eBay. I rarely had enough money to buy a real sword. That is when Edo Antiques was born—just a simple username on the internet.
To live in Japan as a sword dealer, it is not enough to have money to invest or to have encyclopedic knowledge about an obscure lineage of blacksmiths from the depths of an Echizen valley. To establish yourself as a sword dealer in Japan, you need a network and the right contacts. The world of sword dealers is a closed world. Even the Japanese don’t have access to it. Without contacts or a senpai (big brother) to introduce me, the road was long and adventurous. But over time, the “Sorry, members only” turned into “Dozo, Fred-kun, oideyasu.” Now, I am part of this world, to my greatest happiness.
I now spend my days looking for rare, original, and authentic swords that I offer on Edo Antiques. I want to make Edo Antiques a bit of an underground place where those who know how to look can find a special piece at a reasonable price. A good spot that not necessarily everyone knows about.
Thank you for reading.
Fred.
