Dr. Paul Martin

Paul Martin is a Tokyo-based Japanese sword and culture specialist who brings expertise from his tenure as a curator at the British Museum, where he managed the Japanese arms and armor collections. With a Master's Degree in Asian Studies, he's a Trustee for the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Sword Culture and founder of the Shin-Gobankaji Project. He is the first non-Japanese recipient and two-time winner of Tokyo's sword appraisal competition. Paul has translated for major Japanese...See more

Paul Martin is a Tokyo-based Japanese sword and culture specialist who brings expertise from his tenure as a curator at the British Museum, where he managed the Japanese arms and armor collections. With a Master's Degree in Asian Studies, he's a Trustee for the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Sword Culture and founder of the Shin-Gobankaji Project. He is the first non-Japanese recipient and two-time winner of Tokyo's sword appraisal competition. Paul has translated for major Japanese sword exhibitions, authored key books and DVDs, and appeared on global TV networks from the Discovery Channel, to History Channel, National Geographic, NHK World, and the BBC. In addition to his martial arts achievements, including being a three-time English Karate champion, 4th Dan Kendo, and 5th Dan Iaido, and Batto-jutsu practitioner, Paul plays pivotal roles in documentary production; he's the associate producer for "Art of the Japanese Sword" and executive producer for the award-winning "Forgive-Don't Forget." Notably, he's been recognized with the 2022 Scottish Samurai (Sir Thomas Glover) Taisho Award and the 2022 Shibusawa Eiichi Abacus and Analects Award for promoting Japanese culture worldwide, particularly Japanese swords. See less