My teenage son would like to buy a sword (!) Is this even a possibility, i.e. he probably has a couple hundred dollars? Can he take it home on the plane? Where would we look for that?

No, he certainly cannot take it on teh plane. It would have to be packed and checked as luggage, and declared to the airline.

If you mean a real antique, no, a couple hundred dollars won't do it. I'm not sure he could buy a new sword for that price. But I've not priced them in Japan.

Real sword (I'm assuming you are talking about Japan?) are thousands of dollars, but he could get a nice reproduction sword for a couple hundred dollars.

Dept stores in Tokyo carry them, usually near the dolls in the glass cases. The store can pack it to check it on an airplane.

WOW! Icuy, thank you very much and certainly what he wants is a reproduction; how nice to know he could pick it up in a department store and have them pack it to check on the plane.

There's also a sword vendor in Asakusa on that street full of shops leading up to the temple (if u walk towards the temple, they are on the left about 2/3 way to the temple).

They may have better deals than a deparments store, but you'd need to compare.

Can get a &quot;Hattori Hanzo&quot; katana sword with scabbard at amazon for twenty two bucks. Just like in the <i>Kill Bill</i> movies (stupid name for a movie, imo).

But, seriously, your DS might be interested in learning about Kendo (something that I believe Florence knows a bit about).

There is some info about kendo on page 3 of this pdf:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-807.pdf

Lots more info about kendo, and swords, elsewhere on the web, I am sure.

meant to sign that post with my first name.

Bill

p.s. http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/nihonto.htm

i would also ask the airline now what their rules are even of one in you luggage...

I got one at Japan Sword in Tokyo..it's is a reproduction piece, very nice that cost $400.
The real deal swords are in the $2000 + range, and probably have some bad Karma attached to them..
(and they won't let you take a reprod. sword on the plane either, and it won't fit in your suitcase, but they will ship to the states)

Although it was not a long sword, more of a long dagger - we just brought one home from Morocco last month packed in our checked luggage no problem. And before even entering the Casablanca airport we had to put ALL our luggage and ourselves through the detectors.