Tokyo Otaku Mode starts selling custom order replica samurai swords for global fans

SHARE:

tom-replica-swords_featuredimage

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo Otaku Mode, the startup behind the Japanese subculture site of the same name, started accepting custom orders for replica Japanese samurai swords last week, where you can order your preferred design of a sword from over 580,000 combination patterns by choosing its nine components such as hilt binding and blade types. This was made possible in collaboration with Kyoto-based replica sword producer Kotoya.

According to the company, this is the first time that e-commerce retailers accept custom orders for authentic replica swords in the world. A sword is available for $279.99 including shipping fee. The product will be delivered in about three weeks after placing the order.

In our recent interview with the company, they explained that high-ticket items are selling well on their e-commerce channel because of their user demographics.

Replica swords are as expensive as nearly $300, but it will be relatively easy to sell these items to their users since they have many big fans of Japanese anime like Rurouni Kenshin and cosplay performances. The company’s co-founder Takuya Akiyama shared that they have already received many orders from outside Japan.

On a related note, he told us that these replica swords can be smoothly delivered to anywhere in the world by reporting as a ‘toy sword’ to customs. When their users receive their sword, they will be able to share a picture of themselves wearing it, which will help promoting its sales as well. It will be interesting to see how they fare from now on.

tom-replica-swords-screenshot