Well the month has been busy and it started off perfectly.

The phone rang.

“Hi, is that David?”

“Yes.”

“Oh good. I’ve been given your name and you come highly recommended.”

Always a dangerous opening.

“Who is the target?”

There was a pause.

“Target?”

“Sorry,” I said. “I thought this was something else.”

“No, no. I’m calling about samurai armour.”

“Right. My misunderstanding. How can I help?”

“I’m calling on behalf of National Geographic. We’re making some television programmes about the samurai, and we need real armour for actors to wear.”

This is where the conversation began to wobble.

“How tall are the actors?”

“Oh, around six foot.”

“They won’t fit.”

“They won’t fit?”

“No. Edo-period armour was made for Japanese samurai of the period, not modern six-foot actors.”

“Ah, I see. Never mind. We can get shorter actors.”

A bold solution. Historically flexible, at least. I also notice a post appear on the MK Japanese Facebook Community group reaching out for peeps to be actors - same guy.

“What exactly are you filming?”

“A scene with Tokugawa Ieyasu in camp, directing his generals at Sekigahara. We want them all in full armour.”

“Well, there is a slight problem with that.”

“Oh?”

“He wasn’t on the battlefield at Sekigahara in the way you are imagining. He was at his headquarters, not marching about like the lead in a trailer.”

“Oh right. We didn’t know that. Perhaps we can move him to the Siege of Osaka.”

“There’s also an issue there.”

“What issue?”

“He was dead.”

“Dead?”

“According to one tradition, Sanada Yukimura killed him during the Osaka campaign and he was replaced by a double, he then died officially a year of so later.”

Another pause. Did he realise I was winding him up?

“Maybe we’ll just film him in armour and not place him at a battle.”

“That brings us to the next problem. Ieyasu’s armours are famous. The gold armour, the Nanban armour, the brown armour. They’re all recognisable. I don’t own any of them as they are national treasures.”

Silence.

“Oh. I see.”

And that was that.

We never spoke again. I’m happy too

So I suppose I will not be working with National Geographic any time soon. To be truthful, I am rather relieved. After the guy giving me a Wikipedia account of Japan I nearly choked to death sucking a box of duck eggs.

Next..

As you can see, I am really starting to get to grips with the AI.

I have now digitised around thirty actors and have also begun to understand how to build convincing armour within this process. It is slow work, because AI alone simply will not do it. I still have to photograph reference material, study the original pieces, and then spend hours making everything fit, sit correctly and look authentic.

For example, the above image is a model of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The armour is now close to the photographs I took in Japan, but I still need to make and add the hanpō face armour. After that, I will have to make a real small plate, gild it, lace it in kebiki and sugake odoshi, and then photograph it in the correct positions so that I can replace the generated lacing in Photoshop.

That is the part people often miss. The finished image may look like AI, but the process behind it is much closer to photographic reconstruction. It is a combination of real photography, AI and Photoshop, each doing a different job.

For me, this is taking samurai imagery to a new level. More importantly, it is creating visual material to support the books in a way that would never have been possible on a small budget.

Hmmmm, that given me an excuse to go to Japan and get some more photos for book projects.

The SAMURAI book is finished.
Now comes the dangerous bit

My book is finished. I’m happy about that as well. It was bloody hard work.

Yup. Done and dusted.

Which means I now enter the strange and slightly painful stage where the book stops being a romantic creative project and becomes a pile of boxes that I have to lift, sign, pack, label and carry to the Post Office.

For the limited edition, I am buying the full print run in one order, which means I get a discount. That sounds sensible. It is sensible. But it also means I have to be sensible about something else.

No more free books.

In the past I have given away more than a thousand books. I know. I can hear some of you already saying, “That was very generous, where was mine.”

Yes, it was.

It was also financially ridiculous. But I did it at Art Fairs in the attempt to hook peeps into our lovely katchubunny world.

There is very little money in specialist publishing, and my time these days has to produce some kind of return. So this time, there are no free copies. Not for friends of friends, not for people who “might mention it somewhere”, not even if you happen to be the actress who played Mariko in the new Shōgun series.

Although, to be fair, I would probably pause for a moment because she is rather sexy.

But no. Still no. She earns enough money doing that Godzilla thing on the side at AppleTV. Goodbye Anna Sawai, it’s not happening.

The limited edition will be handled by me directly. I will receive the printed books, match each one with the limited edition print set, package everything properly, and post them out. I will charge a flat postage fee, because some destinations will cost more, some will cost less, and with luck it will all even itself out rather than punish everyone individually.

The odd thing is that I expect the signed hardback limited edition may end up around the same retail price as the print-on-demand softback version. The POD softback will not be signed, and it will not include the limited edition prints. So, if you are choosing between the two, the limited edition from me is really the best route.

Each copy will be signed. There will also be an insert card if you want a personal message.

I prefer doing it that way, because I have never liked dedicating books directly inside the book itself. I know people like it, and I understand why, but I have a lot of books in my own collection dedicated to people I have never met.

“To Wendy, with best wishes.”

Who is Wendy?

Why is she in my library?

And why has she lowered the value of my book?

Years ago, I sold a used copy of Arms and Armour of the Samurai by Bottomley and Hopson at an arms fair. It was priced at £10. Ian Bottomley was sitting at the table with me, and the buyer asked him to sign it and dedicate it personally.

Ian kindly did.

I handed the buyer £5 back.

That, I felt, was only fair.

The new website is alive

My new website is now rolling, and I have to say I am genuinely surprised by how well it has been received. I also enjoy making up these crazy product mock-ups.

So, thank you.

Really, thank you very much for supporting it. It makes my day when I hear a shopify bell ding.

I work long hours and do pretty much everything myself. I am not a major brand with a marketing department, a content team and someone called Hugo who “handles socials”. It is just me, trying to build something worthwhile, while also answering emails, packing orders, photographing objects, writing books and occasionally remembering to eat something that did not come out of a packet. Oh and my wife, I think she still lives with me.

On a side note, I have also been road-testing the Katchubunny T-shirt.

This has produced mixed but interesting results.

I wore it to a Japanese community event, where it was very well received. That was encouraging.

I wore it to a restaurant with a mate, where the waiter immediately assumed we were a couple. That was less expected, although the service was excellent, so perhaps we should have gone with it and snogged it out until the police were called.

I then wore it to my local MMA gym, where nobody cared at all, because everyone there is dangerous and far too busy trying not to be folded in half. Apart from Dan. Why are you there Dan?

June

The next month ahead will be a mixture of me working on restorations and listing items. I’m going to change my way of selling, I will offer items here via the Curators Corner and on a few other platforms, if they don’t sell I am going to put them into auction at the end of each year. So items Ive had in stock for a long time, they need to go to new homes.

I will also re-vamp some of my other books with additional photographs and get them listed on my website. So the year is about downsizing, and working efficiently. I do have something up my sleeve for a new venture for next year which could bee a real game changer, if it comes off.

Thats it of this month, thank you everyone. I do hope to bump into many of you at the Arms Fair in Brum next month.

Please feel free to throw some questions.

The movie work is done and dusted, which is a relief, but I would be lying if I said I had fully recovered. There is still a significant amount of unpacking to do, armour everywhere. Mentally I am still somewhere between the set and the sofa. Somehow though, in amongst all of that, I have managed to keep working on the book. Make of that what you will.

Samurai

The new book is called Samurai (original or what?) and it has honestly been a long time coming. We are talking around 200 pages across four categories:

49 Helmets / 22 Masks / 16 Armours / 22 Jingasa

Every object has descriptions, which I will be honest nearly finished me off, historical context, line drawing references, and a series of humanised plates showing figures actually wearing the armour. It is the most comprehensive thing I have ever put together and I am really pleased with how it is shaping up. It is cool. You need a copy. Trust me on that one.

Now I know some of you will want to know about pricing, ordering, and all the rest of it, and I completely understand that. The honest answer is I do not have those details yet, and here is why. Until the book is fully finished I cannot go to the printers for a quote, and until I have that I cannot work out shipping, packaging, or anything else that involves actual numbers. I know, I know. Bear with me just a little longer. I do have a Shopify store that I quietly built out back in February, ecommerce fully set up and ready to go, it just is not live yet. When it is, you will hear about it here first. Substack gets first dibs, that is the deal. Everyone will get a copy because I will make sure of it, it got goes over 50 orders on day one I’ll increase the Limited Edition Number! There will be no FOMO, unless you don’t order.

Something New, and a Small Confession

Right, I am going to come clean about something.

At a certain point I had started to feel like producing books on armour was boxing me in. The Kiwame Fuda format, one book per armour, is what it is, but it left very little room to do anything creative with it. And I am a creative. I need a vehicle that actually lets me stretch a bit.

So Samurai is my final outing in that format, and honestly I have already moved on. Sitting on my Mac right now is a new project called Samurai Zasshii. It is a journal, covering everything I consider to fall under the world of samurai, around 150 pages, and it will be ongoing.

I am not going to tell you anything else about it right now apart from its a Japanese Armour and History Journal. Fresh ideas are a currency in my world and I am not spending this one early. What I will say is that when you see it, you will get it. And it is going to be good. Samurai Zasshii will be avalaibe only in Print and published worldwide.

Curator’s Corner and the Rabbit Hole I Did Not Budget For

I have also been working on a number of restoration pieces that will be offered for sale in Curator’s Corner (Kabuto / Menpo / Saihai / Somen) in May, so keep an eye out for those.

And then there was this. I had to do this while trying to watch Daredevil on Disney+, superhero multitasking if you like.

One of the three Naginata I picked up from the Knutsen collection pulled me in the deep end. Several days later I emerged, slightly soaked in cleaning compounds, having tackled what I can only describe as the most dirty urushi surface I have ever encountered in my life. UV damage, cigarette smoke, and what I can confirm was spider droppings. It was dull, it was lifeless, and it was an absolute nightmare to bring back. But I got there. It is done, all 8ft and the Saya. And I am genuinely proud to own it, which makes the whole detour worth it, and yes my fingers have blisters.

More soon, including Big in Japan, The Sekigahara Five Kabuto and anything else I can drum up…

New Section

Samurai History

It’s called Samurai History, and the section is already up and running. So far it’s received some excellent feedback.

You may have noticed that I have been posting into it quite actively to begin with. That was intentional. I wanted to give the section some proper substance from the start rather than opening the doors to an empty room. From here, I expect it to settle into a more regular pace of around one or two posts a week.

BOOKS

Two Books on the Way

I am currently preparing two books for release.

The first is my book on kabuto.

A few of you may actually recognise this already. The original version was produced a coupe of years ago for visitors to the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair. It was never intended to be a commercial publication, if you visited my stand and took the time to speak to me then you got a copy. It was simply a way to introduce collectors to kabuto construction, terminology and some of the historical background behind the helmets that appear on my stand.

Because of that, the book was never made available for sale and only existed in a small print run and a limited digital version.

Over time quite a few people have asked if they could obtain a copy, which was always awkward because the honest answer was that there were none left.

The new edition will be produced using print on demand through Lulu, which solves the biggest practical problem with books, namely shipping them around the world without the postage costing more than the book itself. In many regions it also helps avoid some of the taxes and import charges that have a habit of appearing when parcels cross borders.

The kabuto book will be available in both softback and hardback editions, and it will appear on my Art, Prints and Books website once everything is ready.

I have also been working on a book dedicated entirely to Menpō, Hanpō, Happuri, Hitai-ate, Sōmen and Nodowa.

Armour masks are among the most characterful elements of samurai armour. Some look intimidating, some look quietly furious, and a few appear to be permanently disappointed with the world.

Like the kabuto book, this project looks at the forms, construction and historical context of these masks in a straightforward and practical way.

The plan is for the mengū book to follow after the kabuto volume is released.

Substack

Substack is beginning to gain real momentum and, in many ways, it feels like what platforms such as Patreon should have been from the start. Each day new subscribers are joining and the community here continues to grow. That is genuinely rewarding to see.

One of the great advantages of this format is that it allows for far better content than the short and often chaotic exchanges found in Facebook groups. Here we can publish proper articles, share high quality images, explore research in more depth and have conversations that remain easy to find and revisit later.

As the community grows I also have a number of plans to expand the format. One of these will be a new section called Collector’s Corner, where I will occasionally showcase items that I currently have available for sale. Members here will always have the first opportunity to view them before they appear anywhere else.

Most importantly, this Substack will remain completely free of charge. I see no reason to place the content behind a paywall. The goal is simply to continue building a knowledgeable and enthusiastic community around Japanese arms and armour, and keeping it open allows more people to be part of that.

Noh Noir

You may be wondering what has happened to my Noh Noir project. Rest assured, nothing has been abandoned. Instead, I have decided to expand it.

The original idea centred on a series of atmospheric photographs inspired by Noh theatre and classic Japanese cinema. While I still enjoy producing these images, I felt the project deserved something more cinematic.

Going forward, each story will now include a short visualisation that brings the scene to life and the entire story will break there confines of the photo studio. These pieces are not meant to replace the photographs, but to complement them, creating a stronger mood and allowing the narrative to unfold in a more immersive way.

These are my images that were taken in the studio and then composited to look like vintage Japanese cinema.

FILM REVIEW

At the moment I’m watching roughly one samurai film a month. If it turns out to be a poor one I simply turn it off, bin it, and it will never be mentioned again. However, if it proves worthy of the time investment, I’ll share it here with you.

I thought adding the occasional review might be of interest. If it isn’t, simply skip over it.

GoJoe 9/10

Gojô reisenki: Gojoe, directed by Gakuryū Ishii and released in 2000, is one of those samurai films that stays with me long after watching it. The film draws upon the well known medieval legend of the warrior monk Benkei and the young Minamoto no Yoshitsune, whose famous encounter on Gojo Bridge has been retold for centuries in Japanese theatre, literature and folklore. Rather than presenting the story as a conventional chanbara tale, Ishii approaches it with an almost mythic sensibility, blending historical narrative, spiritual symbolism and a brooding atmosphere that feels closer to dark folklore than to traditional samurai cinema.

The story unfolds in Kyoto during the late Heian period, as tensions rise between the Genji and Heike clans in the years leading up to the Genpei War. Rumours spread through the city that a demon haunts Gojo Bridge, slaughtering Heike warriors who attempt to cross it. This “demon” soon draws the attention of the warrior monk Benkei, a formidable and feared fighter who is seeking redemption for the violence of his past. Believing that confronting this creature might offer some form of spiritual absolution, Benkei sets out to face whatever lurks at the bridge.

Benkei is played with imposing presence by Daisuke Ryū, whose performance captures both the raw brutality and inner conflict of the character. Opposite him is Tadanobu Asano as Shanao, the mysterious young warrior who is eventually revealed to be Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Asano’s portrayal is intense and unsettling, presenting Yoshitsune less as the refined military genius of later legend and more as a wild, almost supernatural force moving through the landscape.

What I find particularly interesting about Gojoe is the historical inversion at the heart of the film. In the traditional legend, Benkei famously becomes the loyal retainer of Yoshitsune after their duel on Gojo Bridge, serving him faithfully until the very end. Here, Ishii deliberately twists that expectation. Yoshitsune becomes Benkei’s adversary, and the film frames their relationship as a confrontation between opposing forces. The duel is not simply a meeting of warriors but something closer to a struggle between good and evil, between order and chaos. That reversal gives the story an unexpected tension, especially for viewers familiar with the original legend.

The film is also deeply mystical in tone. Magic and spiritual imagery appear throughout the narrative, reinforcing the sense that this is not purely historical drama but a myth unfolding on screen. In one memorable scene, a monk performs a ritual and conjures a spell that manifests visually as floating bonji, the sacred Sanskrit seed syllables used in esoteric Buddhist practice. Moments like this add to the film’s strange and dreamlike atmosphere, suggesting that the world of the story is shaped as much by spiritual forces as by human ambition.

One of the most visually striking moments occurs during the final confrontation on Gojo Bridge between Benkei and Yoshitsune. The sequence is staged with powerful symbolic intensity. At one point Benkei is shown seated, surrounded by rising flames, an image that clearly evokes Fudō Myōō, the immovable Buddhist guardian deity often depicted engulfed in fire. The visual parallel is unmistakable. Benkei, like Fudō, appears calm and immovable in the midst of chaos, embodying both spiritual resolve and terrifying power. It transforms the duel into something more than a physical battle. Instead it feels like a ritual confrontation, a moment where myth, religion and warrior legend merge.

For me, Gojoe works best when approached not simply as a samurai film but as a meditation on violence, redemption and destiny. Ishii seems far less interested in historical realism than in atmosphere and symbolism. The pacing can feel heavy at times, yet the film contains moments of extraordinary visual power and imagination. By reinterpreting the legend of Benkei and Yoshitsune through a darker and more mystical lens, Gojoe offers a striking and unconventional vision of one of Japan’s most enduring warrior stories.

Thanks for reading!

I’m currently working on another book (series) project that is sucking up my bandwidth, I think you are all going to like it, however I need another couple of months to finish it. All will be explained!

Next post Big In Japan and Sekigahara Kabuto

D

I seem to have written rather a lot on Substack this month, and worked out how to make the menu work. It has quietly become my preferred corner of the internet to establish my own extension of Mordor. Stacky sends the articles straight to your inbox, the website is clean and easy to navigate, and best of all it is free, you don’t even have to subscribe. No tiers, no locked doors, no mysterious platform wobble. After certain previous experiences elsewhere (Pateron), that alone feels rather civilised.

I know many of you read via email, which is excellent. However, may I ask a small favour. Every now and then, pop over to the actual site. Leave a like. Add a comment. Even a brief “interesting” will do. That sort of interaction is what turns a collection of articles into an actual community. It also motivates me to create content.

Of course, if you are firmly committed to the ancient martial art of Spectator-no-Jutsu, sitting serenely while others engage, I respect your discipline. Just know that the door is always open if you feel like stepping onto the tatami and joining the conversation.

Thank you, as always, for reading and supporting the work. It genuinely makes the effort worthwhile.

Big in Japan will return

You may recall the mammoth journey I undertook across Japan a few months back, which gradually evolved into a travel journal. It has been sitting patiently in the wings while other work has taken priority, but I intend to pick it up again. I simply need the time to write up the material properly and edit the photographs.

The next instalment will be a strong one. In fact, I may need to divide it into two parts.

During that leg of the trip we visited what is, without exaggeration, one of the greatest samurai collections in the world, a museum that houses an extraordinary concentration of Japanese National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties under a single roof. It deserves more than a rushed summary. So keep ya eyes open.

Websites

My website has finally begun to behave.

David Thatcher Samurai Art
Over the past few weeks I have rebuilt large parts of it from the ground up, creating new templates using HTML and CSS so that every image on a page now links directly to a unified lightbox. Any photograph selected opens instantly into a high resolution gallery view, with the detailed files served from a remote server. It is faster, cleaner, and finally does justice to the objects themselves.

I have also built a proper gallery wall template. Works will soon be listed there in a structured way that makes browsing easier and more coherent. For years the site has felt like a storage room rather than a gallery. It is now starting to feel curated, and I will open it again soon.

https://www.davidthatcher.co.uk/antiques-for-sale/

I’ve listed the Kaga armour for sale that featured in one of the posts this month. For those who check in from time to time, the blog section has reopened under a new name: Journal. It reflects some of the themes explored on Substack, but the content is distinct and I deliberately use different photography. Each platform stands on its own. Neither is a diluted version of the other.

David Thatcher Art
My prints and books website will also open shortly. As a trial run, I revisited my book on Jinbaori and substantially expanded it with jingasa, also my book on Kabuto is being completely re-written and extra buckets added and some line drawings.

Aslo note that books and prints are POD, print on demand, so for most countries, no import tax and cheaper shipping, yaaaay!

SOON, SOON, SOON

Two new prints completely re-edited. I used Ai to make them completely naked and then put their clothing and armour back on, and if you believe that you will believe anything.

Brum Arms Fair

To end this month’s ramble, I dropped in on the Birmingham Arms Fair and walked the tables in the hope of turning up a hidden gem. Unfortunately, there was nothing that floated my boat or prised the hard earned cash from my hand, so I settled instead for a bacon sandwich with brown sauce!

Okay that’s a lie, I got some tsuba, just don’t tell my wife.

The fairs themselves are growing in footfall, largely thanks to the tightening of laws around shipping. You cannot seem to post anything sharp these days, although oddly the occasional thermonuclear device does not appear to be on the prohibited list.

For me, the fairs are as much about people as objects. They offer a chance to catch up, talk shop, and exchange stories and get ya leg pulled. The crowd on both sides of the tables are welcoming and good humoured, and they make the effort of heading out on any cold Sunday entirely worthwhile.

That’s it,

I’ll start working on the next instalments after I’ve spent the next week or so in the photo studio getting some items listed.

D

Swords

Yes, I did just say swords. I know, shocking. You probably assumed I was strictly an armour man. That assumption is going to need a small adjustment this year.

While I was away in Japan, a few colleagues and I managed to put together a secure and fully compliant logistics route for exporting swords from Japan into the UK. No shortcuts, no grey areas, and no sharp intakes of breath from customs officials.

Because of the legal framework surrounding the sale of swords, I will not be offering them for sale through my website. Instead, we are going resolutely old school and taking them directly to military and arms fairs, Birmingham being on the list. You can see them in person, handle them properly, and walk away with your chosen treasure the same day. Radical, I know.

The first shipment will land in a few months, and the pricing will be sensible. No Mayfair mark ups, no speculative nonsense, just honest examples at honest prices. The aim is simple: to allow people to own and cherish a genuine samurai sword without having to liquidate a kidney or a small family member to medical science.

All swords will be properly certificated with a KNKBSK certificate confirming age, and most are accompanied by documentation from the NBTHK, so authenticity is not something you will need to lose sleep over.

Our stall will feature armour, swords, tsuba, books, and the occasional pole arm for good measure. In short, plenty of things that are pointy, historical, and entirely capable of elevating even the most pristine open plan living space, assuming your idea of interior design allows for a little feudal drama.

Film / TV

This month’s watchlist was Kwaidan. You may recall that in an earlier blog I mentioned a friend who never returned my copy, so I treated myself to a replacement, this time the Blu-ray. After a bit of hunting on eBay, I tracked down what is generally regarded as the best cut, distributed by Eureka, and opted for the special edition which also includes the Kwaidan book.

The film itself is an absolute must. Four traditional ghost stories are presented as carefully composed visual tableaux, slow, unsettling, and beautiful, where colour, sound, and silence do as much work as the narrative.

Now that I have reached the ripe old fart age of 61, this felt like a proper indulgence. I watched it on the projector, volume firmly turned up to 11 and stuffed down a birthday cup cake.

At the same time, I have continued working my way through What You Gonna Do, Ieyasu? on Amazon Prime and have now reached episode 18 (Amazon Prime UK just dropped it but you can VPN to the USA and its still there, haha fooled you amazon). I still find Tokugawa Ieyasu deeply annoying as a character. Whiny, indecisive, almost ADHD in his dithering, and often coming across as spineless. All the more reason it is fascinating to watch how this version of him is supposed to harden into the ultimate ruler of Japan.

That transformation is really the hook of the series. You can see the groundwork being laid, insecurity slowly turning into caution, then calculation, and eventually something far colder and more durable.

Unless, of course, you buy into the old theory that Sanada Yukimura actually succeeded in assassinating him during the Siege of Osaka and that the Ieyasu who ruled thereafter was a stand-in. Unlikely, but it does add a certain spice to watching him stumble his way through the early episodes. What can you do, Ieyasu indeed.

Samurai - British Museum Visit

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the opening gala of SAMURAI at the British Museum. I will admit that when I first heard, sometime back in 2025, that the museum was preparing a new samurai exhibition, it did not exactly set my pulse racing. Big institution, big subject, big expectations. However, I am happy to report that the exhibition genuinely delivers. The opening evening easily matched other major events I have attended at the museum, including the Hiroshige exhibition. The guest list was a broad and interesting mix of museum staff, patrons, representatives from societies and foundations, and specialists from various fields. As ever, the museum’s staff and hospitality were exemplary: calm, efficient, and welcoming, and more than capable of managing a diverse crowd with very different levels of enthusiasm and expertise, all without missing a drum beat.

Guests were welcomed by a taiko drumming troupe whose performance brought the surrounding area to a complete standstill, in the cold. The sound reverberated through the museum entrance like a living loudspeaker, while passers by pressed against the iron railings outside, clearly wondering whether they had accidentally wandered into a feudal uprising.

Opening speeches followed, after which the evening moved seamlessly into a demonstration of Japanese swordsmanship and tameshigiri mat cutting by my friends from Fudokan Battodo Dojo, led by John Evans Sensei. Sharp blades, clean cuts, and not a single insurance form required on the night.

After a respectable amount of yakitori, drinks, and the usual networking with familiar faces, we finally moved into the exhibition itself. I will spare you a fully nerded out, piece by piece breakdown of every armour on display, although those present may have noticed that I somehow ended up giving an entirely unofficial guided tour to anyone who stood still for too long.

The exhibition space is dark and dramatically lit with LEDs, creating an atmosphere best described as a kind of Purple Haze as Jimmy would say. It looks superb in person but plays absolute havoc with photography thanks to reflections. For this reason, I have opted to share my images in monochrome, which I think allows the forms and details to be appreciated more clearly. One very welcome point is that photography is actively encouraged. Japanese museums, please take notes. This simple decision makes the experience far more relaxed and will undoubtedly help spread the word.

Most of the armours are pure edo art, but I’ve no issue with this because they are outstanding!

I rate this exhibition very highly and would strongly encourage anyone with the opportunity to visit to do so. And finally, in a moment of entirely justified restraint, I limited myself in the gift shop to just two pre-release hard copies of the catalogue, one of which is for my son.

There is also a distinctly modern twist to the exhibition. Dave Prowse’s Darth Vader suit is on display, alongside a number of other points of interest that bridge the historical and the contemporary, from console gaming references to modern art. Seeing the suit unexpectedly unlocked a long buried memory from the 1980s, when Dave Prowse was walking through Central Milton Keynes shopping centre and I, entirely unintentionally, stepped on his cloak and sent Lord Vader himself stumbling forward. Proof, if any were needed, that even the Dark Lord of the Sith is not immune to over enthusiastic teenagers.

Kneel before Zodd Lord Vader.

Books / Manga

I treated myself to a birthday present, since no one ever buys me anything, cue the smallest violin. While trawling the net I came across the complete set of Blade of the Immortal. I started reading it years ago in comic form, then missed a few issues and drifted away. Now I have the whole lot, problem solved.

The Dark Horse Comics Deluxe Editions are a proper indulgence. Oversized hardbacks, huge and heav, beautifully printed, with Samura’s scratchy, violent line work given room to breathe. Each volume gathers multiple chapters, bound solidly, with high production values that suit the brutality and melancholy of the story. It is grim, bloody, and thoughtful, revenge, immortality, and consequence wrapped up in one of the most visually distinctive samurai manga ever produced, its a real work of art, and blood…

A Quick Studio Update

Let me take you back to 2025, when I proudly launched my range of books, digital books, and prints online. On paper it all made perfect sense. In reality, it turned into a minor logistical horror show. Printing costs, international shipping fees, and assorted unpleasant surprises combined to give me what can only be described as print related PTSD.

That said, I am not particularly good at letting things beat me. So rather than setting fire to the idea and pretending it never happened, I have been quietly working away in the background on a new commercial website, this time with all the bells, whistles, and lessons painfully learned.

The most significant change is that I have partnered with two leading print on demand suppliers. This means that my books and prints can now be produced locally within the UK, EU, USA, and other territories, dramatically reducing shipping costs and, in many cases, avoiding import duties altogether. In short, fewer tears at checkout and they ship it all, no in-house printing for me!

I have looked at a number of samples of the fine art papers and so far it’s been impressive.

The site is not quite ready yet. While the creative side is largely done, I have only recently fought my way through the operational and backend hurdles required to make the whole thing function properly. I will share more details as we get closer to launch, once I am confident that this version is not out to emotionally scar me again.

www.davidthatcheart.com

Hi all,
I thought I’d try something a bit different on Substack. A monthly chat. This is just a place where I’ll share a short summary of my latest antics, and hopefully you can jump in too with feedback or tales of what you’ve been up to. Think of it as a relaxed community catch-up.

If you don’t feel like commenting, that’s totally fine. I hope you’ll still enjoy reading along and popping in when the mood takes you.

Let’s begin….

Books

One very nice surprise landed on my doorstep from Rodney (Rod Johnson), who kindly sent me his new book on Samurai history. It’s excellent, and yes, you should go and buy it.

Book number two was Lone Wolf & Cub from Dark Horse. I’ve loved this series for years and even own some of the original Japanese editions. The rebooted hardback is beautiful. I’m very happy with it. My wife is less impressed that I’m reading comics at 60. Such is life.

A Special Find

I also hinted in my Big in Japan blog that I’d picked up something rather special while in Japan.

At first glance they look like a fairly sorry bunch of low‑end, rusty helmets. That would be completely wrong.

In fact, the dealer who sold them to me said I was probably the only person on the planet who would restore them properly. Whether that’s flattery or some kind of cosmic destiny, I’ll take it.

What makes these helmets truly unusual is provenance. Japanese armour is often signed by a maker or associated with a clan, but almost never with an actual historical context. According to the Gifu City Museum, these helmets can be placed at the Battle of Sekigahara, making them Momoyama period and present at one of Japans most significant battles of all time.

They are kasu momonari (unlike o-kashi munitions armours) in construction, likely made to a standard pattern and loaned out by a daimyo, and probably worn by hatamoto, suggested by the use of gold. Finding one like this is a treat. Finding five is close to unheard of.

They also strongly echo the famous momonari helmets used by the Tachibana clan during the earlier Korean campaigns, making them very close cousins and very possibly the same armour maker. One of these Kabuto with cracking lacquer was sold at auction at Christies in 2004 for $16,730, it resurfaced with dealer Giuseppe Piva for €16,000 increasing the asking price by a couple of thousand dollars.

My task now is to restore them sympathetically. Not shiny, not new, but honest and believable. They deserve better than rust and neglect.

For once, I’ll be properly documenting the restoration. These helmets deserve a companion book to go with their new life, after all they hold historical importance.

Christmas Movies

I’m not going to be offering any kind of in-depth review in this post. There are already countless detailed and insightful reviews available online, written by people who can describe these films far better than I ever could. Instead, this is simply a personal record of the Christmas movies I will watch over the festive season and the elements that stood out to me (Die Hard is a Christmas Movie and so is Rambo).

The first film I on the list is Kuroneko (Black Cat) (1968), directed by Kaneto Shindō, who also made Onibaba (1964). Kuroneko is a Japanese ghost story centred on vengeance, the supernatural, and doomed samurai, and it clearly carries thematic and stylistic echoes of Onibaba.

What stood out to me most about this film was its highly staged approach. The haunted house is set within a bamboo grove, with a wooden pathway running along its side. This is completely reminiscent of the bridge used to enter a Noh stage. The use of curtains, the deliberate framing, and the ghost performing a Noh-style dance during each encounter with her samurai victims all reinforce this theatrical quality. The film is visually stunning, pure Noh noir, and at times it genuinely feels like you’re watching something that could have been filmed during the Ōnin War itself.

Kurosawa Sensei
No Christmas feels complete without consuming some Kurosawa. Way back in time, before VCR players were even a thing, the BBC would often screen a Japanese samurai film around New Year late at night. I suspect that tradition has stuck with me ever since. As time has moved on, I now have an indoor cinema setup with a projector and a Sony Atmos system, dark nights, the lights down, and let the chanbara roll.

I picked two films to watch this year: Red Beard and Kagemusha.

Red Beard (Akahige, 1965) is Kurosawa’s humanist period drama set in a rural clinic, following an arrogant young doctor whose worldview is reshaped under the guidance of the compassionate and formidable Dr. Red Beard. Mifune stars.

Kagemusha (1980) was the first samurai film I ever saw in colour. It tells the story of a petty thief who is recruited to act as the double of a powerful warlord, exploring identity, power, and the illusion of authority against the backdrop of Japan’s Sengoku period. The battle of Nagashino is excellent. Nakadai stars.

Kawiden was also on my list however my Blu-ray is missing, I do loan out the odd movie and boxset to my mates, nice if they actually returned them.

Dirty Photos - Noh Noir

I also wrapped up my final photographic shoot for Noh Noir. Editing remains… an existential question, and I’ve released my beautiful Japanese model into the wild forevermore free to nibble on bamboo shoots and other types of supermarket foraging in ALDI. K was/is absolutely central to the work. Without her creative input, the imagery would not be the same. Her professional posing, grounded in dance and ballet, elevated every frame and took the work to another level. I’ve decided to produce the book now in Hard Back in a large format 300 x 300mm. So it will happen now in 2026.

A preview the next two photographs are taken from my Noh Noir story Heike.
The work draws on the Battle of Dan no Ura and the spirit of a Noh mask that gradually takes possession of the woman who wears it. (photos above and below)

The narrative is intentionally eerie and is written as a chant, imagined as though performed by a biwa player, echoing the oral tradition of The Tale of the Heike. Through this form, history, memory, and the supernatural intertwine.

The first image presents the storyteller, who introduces the historical and spiritual foundations of the tale. The second image is a performance: the same figure now wearing the mask, embodying the spirit that has crossed from the past into the present.

It is strange, unsettling, and deliberately ambiguous, but I hope viewers will allow themselves to enter its world.

I have to admit that I am completely taken by the work of director Kaneto Shindō, and this obsession is now starting to sneak its way into my photography (like a well-dressed ghost you don’t notice until it’s too late). I’ve always been a fan of Film Noir, from the early classics right through to Batman. That said, my real love has always been Japanese supernatural, yōkai, Noh, Mugen and basically anything involving spirits, shadows, and the strong possibility of being cursed.

Followers on my social media have already seen plenty of the concept work, and I genuinely appreciate the feedback, it’s been invaluable, especially since I’m not a real photographer and am essentially learning all of this by enthusiastically pressing buttons and hoping for the best.

On a final note, I threw together a concept artwork for my book inspired by Kwaidan and The Tale of Hōichi the Earless. After posting it on social media, I was contacted by the editor of Amateur Photography Magazine, and it’s now featured as a full-page spread in the January edition. Feeling kinda proud. Also mildly shocked. Mostly proud.

Happy Christmas or woke-full seasonal non-binary holidays to you all!

Don’t forget to buy some armour off me - you deserve it. lol.

That’s my month outta the way. Over to you!

My trip to Japan is just around the corner, I’ll be heading off to the land of the rising sun at the end of next month. Armed with my camera, I’m ready to capture some incredible content along the way.

The past few weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster with plenty going on behind the scenes. I’ve been working on some exciting pieces that will be released over the coming months. In the meantime, to give the site a boost, I’m running hefty discounts for this month only on selected stock items. A little FOMO warning for you!

On a different note, I recently entered a photographic competition with Click Masters. Honestly, I didn’t take it too seriously at first… but then discovered I’d beaten 300 professional photographers in my category (Monochrome) and made it through as a finalist. I suspect that’s as far as I’ll go, and part of me feels a bit guilty about “stealing” a spot that might mean more to someone else. Hopefully, I don’t win so I can avoid the guilt trip entirely!

Speaking of Click, I’ve agreed to take Keiko chan with me to the Click Lite Expo next week. We’ll be hosting a samurai-themed photographic pod for attendees (no titties). The day before, I’ve got a shoot lined up with her modelling Daimyo-grade armour while wielding the biggest No-dachi I’ve ever encountered. Trust me — size really does matter to this gal.

And finally…, onto sales. I’m going a little crazy this month and have dropped the prices on several items purely with the intention of finding them new homes. Take advantage while you can — and yes, instalment payments are available too.

Sales
Tengu Menpo - Rare

Unkai Kaga Suji-Tate Kabuto and Menpo
SOLD

Ressei Menpo

Jinbaori Jacket

Sword Stand

Bullet Proof Armour

All prices includes shipping and insurance to the full value of the goods.
US and EU Clients contact me as I have a solution for the import pain.

All items can be viewed here:
https://www.davidthatcher.co.uk/antiques-for-sale/

Offers VALID until the 30th September 2028

Well thats it for now…. I’ll be back on soon.

David