Ningen Kokuho

The highest rank of the union of Japanese swordsmiths, translating roughly to 'Living National Treasure.' Strict limits are placed on the number of sword blades they produce each year, making the work of a Ningen Kokuho extraordinarily valuable- in the mid-to-high tens of thousands of dollars for a blade alone.These swords are so precious that some of them are passed from father to son as a family heirloom.