Valued Japanese swords were often stored in plain wooden mounts and remounted as needed. They were passed down and meticulously (and expensively) maintained from generation to generation. Many of these swords were remounted and used during the war. They are often found dressed as ordinary military production officer swords, even NCO swords, but when you remove the mounts you can find a signed masterpiece from centuries ago.
Here is a good site for further information on these swords:
http://www.japanesesword.com/ I guess during the next round the libs will raid the museums and libraries of Europe and burn any painting, sculpture, or book, that portray weapons, or anything that may look like a weapon.
Very good point - now, consider this needless confiscation and destruction of an ancient Japanese artifact (which should be returned to the family which owns it - all such swords are "owned" by families) with the pillage of a museum full of ancient Babylonian artifacts.
The "newsie" who wrote this article seems positively delighted at the prospect, but you better believe that if it came to the stuff in Iraq, she'd be livid.
Kipling called this the "white man's burden" - the need to destroy the barbarism of the non-white world!
Somebody call the Japanese embassy before these guys get away.