Terms and Conditions at Aoi-Art Online Shop

Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully. By accessing this website you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions below. These Terms and Conditions are subject to change without notice, from time to time in our sole discretion. We will notify you of amendments to these Terms and Conditions by posting to this website. If you do not agree with these Terms and Conditions, please do not access this website.

1. We are able to ship to overseas from Japan. If you find any item you want to make a purchase, please contact us from order form or please E-mail us directly with the 'order number' in each item pages. We will get back to you as soon as we confirm stock in our inventory. We are able to hold the item for a week until we confirm your payment.
* Please mention the order number of the item and your full name (NOT only company name) and also address, to prevent from shipping trouble. Please input your e-mail address correctly because if not, we could not respond.
As we are getting many contacts from all over the world and does not have enough hands in our shop, sometimes it takes several days to respond. We have to set up in order one by one. Thank you for your understanding.

If one week has passed with no payment, hold will be removed without notice and the item will be back for sale.
Please do not transfer the money before our confirmation are done. We could not refund all the amounts because of the bank charge and the exchange rate of a currency changes daily. Thank you for your understanding.

2. Most items in our shop are antique. This means items are not new so please check the condition carefully from pictures and descriptions in our website. Please purchase the item on your consent.
Authentic Japanese swords are forged by hands throughout long history for nearly thousand of years. Folding-back works are repeated to make a tough blade. By carrying out repetitive hammering while rolling out and folding back the steel, swordsmiths removed impurities to work out homogeneous and tough steel consisted of several thousand layers. So most Japanese swords are not plain such like a mirror but having some textures (Hada, Kitae) on the surfaces usually. If you prefer for a blade with plain new surface just having a shape of Katana, you should not ask us but western knife makers developing modern replica made from 1060 carbon steel. Those are already having enough quality to treat as a tool. We are selling authentic, genuine, antique Japanese swords made from Tamahagane or ancient Japanese iron with a traditional forging technique as a craft of art and a historical documents.
And an appropriate treatment are necessary for true Japanese swords to prevent blade from rust. Please take a read on this page about treatment.
If you need more detailed informations about each items, please feel free to ask us by E-mail.

2-2. Some of the items are including NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai) paper as certificate of authenticity as a set. For the items we indicated as 'guarantee : NBTHK Hozon paper' does not include estimation paper but we ensure the item could pass NBTHK Hozon Shinsa (estimation) as having genuine signature (or unsigned) keeping good quality. Submitting for Shinsa will take additional fee and several months. If you need more detail, please contact to NBTHK official website.

3. All items in our website (except for Auction sale items) are also placed in our store in Tokyo. Once the item is sold out it will no longer be in stock. When you give us your order, please give us time to confirm stock in our inventory. Whoever comes first will be served first. Thank you for your understanding.

4. Auction sale items are only available online. We could not sell or hold item for anyone before auction finish. Successful bid in auction is a good way to ensure the purchase. You have to register to our auction website to bid. At an award time and date, a bidder having the maximum bidding price from bidders wins. We could not accept cancelation for auction items.
Towards fair outcomes for every customers, we could not sell any item that is not placed in our online shop or accept reservation before we place to our Auction site. Operation out of regulations causes much troubles especially for selling / shipping Japanese swords and we could not be responsible for any matter caused by excessive demands.

4-2. We could accept payment in installments within 3 months, but not more longer (Exp. for consignment sale items. We could not accept installment payment for consignment sale items). We could not accept cancelation or item change after you paid your deposit. Item will be shipped after payment for whole amount are completed.

4-3. In order to make a payment to consignor from us immediately after the item has been sold, we cannot accept cancellation on items indicated as ‘consignment sale’ for any reason. The payment must be done in 5 business days. In case if we could not confirm your payment within 10 days, the item will be replaced to Auction again. Once auction got restarted, we could not sell or hold the item to anyone but only the successful bidder. Most of the masterpieces are consigned from other exhibitors and our position is intermediary on consignment sales. Exhibitors are also has their eyes on our website and the auction. Thank you for your understanding and for your cooperation.

5. We only accept Japanese Yen (JPY) for the payment. Please convert quoted prices to JPY upon checkout. If you checkout in any other currency directly, we can't receive your payment in correct amount.
Our currency converter coordinates with New York Stock Exchange daily rate but does NOT including bank commissions, credit card transaction fees and PayPal charge. So please do not transfer with your country's currency directly to our bank account. The payment must be done with JPY.

6. Bank-wire, credit cards and PayPal are available in our online shop. Bank transfer fee and 3.7% PayPal charging fee are not included in the price. Please burden at your expense. Thank you.
Please note; each banks, credit card companies and PayPal charge up to 3~5% in fees over and above the prevailing currency exchange rate. For more information about JPY payment, please contact to bank teller or credit card company / PayPal user support.
In case of refunds via Paypal, please burden the 3.7% charging fee at your expense.
We will refund the money after we subtract the commission fee from the total amount from our account, so please do not request a refund from your Paypal account.

7. We will prepare for shipping after we receive your payment. For shipping swords, Hinawa-Ju and any items with the total price over ¥200,000- to overseas, we must report Ministry of Education Japan about details of the item, name of purchaser and shipping address to make the export license apply. Usually it will take about 2~3 weeks for this step. Some delay would happen around holiday seasons.

7-2. In case if the blade had any mismatch to Japanese registration card (such like signature misspells, the number of the holes in stem which are called 'Mekugiana'目釘穴), we have to submit for re-registration and takes about 3 months in total to make it possible to export. Such matter would happen to the blades registered at mid Showa period because of the confusion happened at the beginning of institutions. Before the starting of registration under the Law to Control the Possession of Firearms and Swords, Japan surrender at the end of WW2 and all Japanese swords were prohibited by Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers for several years. Numerous amounts of swords were destroyed at previous century. But as Japanese swords are the treasure for every people in Japan as the traditional craft of art, and also as the precious documents of history, many intellectuals worked hard to make swords legitimate again with the new registration institutions lead by Board of Education. But, some confusions happened because of the huge amount of the swords got returned at once and lack of manpower.

7-3. Now the law in Japan is very strict for any item able to treat as a weapon intending to counterterrorism. We have to follow Japanese Administration with the appropriately steps for exporting Japanese swords, or matchlock guns (Hinawa-Ju).
The term of validity for Export license is one year. If we couldn't ship within a year by some reason such like restoration, NBTHK Shinsa or any other, or in case if you need us to change the shipping address, we have to cancel export permission at once and then re-submit to Ministry of Education Japan. It would take additional 2~3 weeks or could be take more longer for reapplication.

7-4. For Hinawa-Ju, we also have to make export license apply from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Hinawa-Ju will take additional weeks for shipping.

8. Parcel will be transported by EMS or the other courier. Courier to be chosen depends on the country and the city to be shipped. We will notify you the tracking number when we are ready for shipping. Delivery dates and time cannot be specified. Delivery time will be about a week after our shipping notice usually by EMS, but depends on procedures by the courier and Customs in each country.
The upper limit of shipping insurance are JPY ¥2,000,000-. for the items shipped by EMS. An amount of insurance for the item with the price lower then JPY ¥2,000,000-. is same as the amount declared.

— the limit amounts which will be covered by the insurance are…
-EMS 2,000,000JPY
-FedEx 1,000USD
-UPS 50,000USD

8-2. We are able to ship Japanese swords / Hinawa-Ju using EMS to following countries ;

Australia (*Direct flight to Sydney airport)
Belgium
Canada (*Direct flight to Vancouver airport)
Indonesia
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong (香港)
Philippines
Russia (*Direct flight to Moscow)
Singapore (*import permission necessary in Singapore)
Taiwan (台湾)
Thailand
U.K.
U.S.A.

*For Canada, Australia and Russia, EMS delivery are getting complicating because reception desk of Japan post office does not accept for the parcel that would be transit at an airport but only direct flight to designated airports.

For shipping to any other countries, we have to contact to other couriers and investigate they are able to carry by air transportation with appropriate clearance.
Area able to ship Japanese swords may change by political reasons.
We could not ship Japanese swords to regions of conflict. Thank you for your understanding.

NOTICE:*********************************************
For the shipping via FedEx and UPS, we have to charge you for additional shipping fees.
It will be around 30,000JPY~60,000JPY when we send swords by one parcel.
We will calculate the shipping fees and let you know, so please make an inquiry.
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8-3. Duties and taxes are not included in our price. Please contact to the Customs in your country about importing Japanese swords, other antiques and works of art. We could not responsible for any matter such like delay on delivery, dispatch error or confiscate caused by courier or Customs in each country. In that case please contact to the courier or Customs by your self. We do not have every informations about how Japanese swords are administrated at foreign countries.
If the item got returned to Japan by any reason, please burden the fee for shipping and registration in Japan by your expense. Re-registration is necessary for making export license apply again.
For shipping Japanese swords, Administrative Guidance directed for the parcel / Invoice must be declared with appropriate item names and correct amount (sample of shipping invoice). We could not be responsible for any operations out from our regulations. In case if return happen by any reason (cancelation, delivery trouble, etc…), item name and amount, and also the items contained in the parcel must be exactly same as when those were exported from Japan or return could be rejected. The item would be confiscated by Japan Customs with some penalties.
We could declare as 'antique' only for the items made before hundred years ago. For the items made at contemporary period and the Showa blades made during WW2, we must declare as 'modern' items.

9. If trouble such like lost, theft or damage happen while shipping, coverage of insurance will be the amount parcel declared less then JPY ¥2,000,000- for shipping by EMS.

10. We check the condition of each items and confirm there are no problem very carefully before packing every time. In case if damage caused while shipping, we are able to repair the item with a coverage of insurance. In that case please take the photograph and E-mail us. (Also please take a photo of the parcel how it is damaged if possible)

11. If purchaser want to cancel and return, announce for cancellation must be done in 3 days after item has arrived. Item have to be shipped in 7 days from announce of cancellation. Shipping charge and insurance for returning are purchaser's expense and we would not be held liable for lost, theft or damage happen before returning. In case if the item was damaged, altered, or replaced, cancellation will be rejected. We refund after the item returned back safely.

11-2. We could not accept cancellation for the items indicated as 'consignment sale' because the payment has been already done to exhibitor (consignor). Please be carefully when you purchase any consignment sale item. Most precious items such like 'Juyo' master pieces are exhibited from collectors with their cooperation.

11-3. We could not accept cancellation for any items ordered for optional restoration (polish) or any crafting such like Shirasaya, because each crafting are made to fit only to the blade and we also have to pay craftsmen for their work.

11-4. We could not accept cancellation for the items you have visited to our shop in Tokyo directly and confirmed condition of the item by your self.

12. When you ship the sword back to our shop in Japan, please use Express Air Mail (parcel via Tokyo International Post Office). If you send by any other way, the parcel via Narita Airport. Inspection may take over 3~6 months at Narita Customs. Shipping back the swords back to Japan will take at least over a month for us to receive. Please burden the fee for shipping and registration in Japan by your expense. Thank you for your understanding and for your cooperation.

13. We could not accept consignment / trade / selling from overseas. It is very difficult to appraise the value without seeing real object on Japanese swords and importing to swords back to Japan is very difficult. Japan Customs and Administrations are very sensitive, strict on importing any sort of item that are able to treat as a weapon.

14. We could provide submitting for Shinsa, restoration or any other services for the items purchased only from our shop but NOT other. In that case please ask to the dealer you've made purchase. We could not be reliable for any matter out of our regulations. Thank you for your understanding.

We sell Japanese swords as an antique, craft of art, or documents for studying Japanese history and the culture. Please do not treat as a weapon.
Cutting test could cause damage to the blade such like bent, nick (Hakobore) or even able to break if you don't have enough knowledge to Japanese swords, Iai training and also experience.
We could accept Restoration for items we sold from our shop but would take enough time and money.
Thank you for your understanding.

Aoi-art bank account information
Bank name : THE CHIBA BANK, LTD

Subbranch : Urayasu Branch (routing # 013)

Saving Account : 3117361

Bank address: 1-16-8 Kitasakae, Urayasu-shi 279-0002 Chiba JAPAN

Receiver Name : Aoi Bijyutsu Corp (Yugen Gaisya Aoi Bijyutsu)

( ※ Please send the transfer with the Receiver Name Aoi Bijyutsu Corp.)

Swift code: CHBAJPJT

Aoi-art bank account information in Japanese
銀行名：千葉銀行 浦安支店 (店番号 013)

普通口座 3117361

口座名：有限会社　葵美術　代表取締役　鶴田一成

銀行住所: 〒279-0002 千葉県浦安市北栄１丁目１６番８号

銀行電話番号：047-351-2141