Everyone calls me “John,” but this is actually a nickname given to me during my student days because of my sharply chiseled facial features – I am, in fact, born and raised Japanese. Because Ayumu relentlessly insisted on calling me “John,” that name stuck, and I came to accept my post here at Unique Japan under the name John as well.

Currently, I handle all aspects of photography and post-production – editing and finishing – for the swords, armor, and fittings featured in the Unique Japan catalogs.

I was born and raised in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. As a young child, I spent my days doing nothing but staying at home and watching Godzilla movies.

Once I started elementary school and made a like-minded friend, we became fully absorbed in creating stop-motion animations using a home video camera and LEGO blocks. By the time we reached junior high, we would gather to carve wooden swords out of branches we found in the mountains, creating live-action videos centered around samurai sword-fighting action. In high school, my interests expanded into music; I picked up the guitar and began songwriting. Looking back, my journey as a creator had already begun in those early days.

When I entered university, I joined the drama club, which is where I met Ayumu. Looking back, it may very well have been a fated encounter.

We shared the stage many times during our regular theatrical performances, but what truly developed me as an entertainer was neither the official rehearsals nor the actual stage shows. It was the relentless, absolute showdowns we had during rehearsal breaks: our own “impromptu mimicry championships.” You had to declare the title of your skit, perform it, and if it didn’t get a laugh, you had to immediately pivot to a completely different bit. The cycle continued relentlessly until you finally won the room over. To this day, I have never been more mentally pushed to the brink than during those moments, and I am certain I never will be again.

After graduating from university, I stayed in the theater world for a while before gradually shifting my creative focus toward independent filmmaking. Around that time, Ayumu and I began running in the same circles again.

Just as I was growing thoroughly disillusioned with the corporate day job I was working to fund my film productions, he introduced me to Unique Japan, to Pablo, and to Eric – who would become my mentor. Without a shred of hesitation, I resolved to join the team.

Every single day, as I capture the hamon (temper lines) and intricate mountings up close through my lens, I am consistently struck by their sheer beauty. Yet, what I truly feel radiating from them is the soul residing within.

While the swords we handle at Unique Japan are antiques whose histories span centuries – histories that may well include the battlefield – the sword is, by its very nature, a weapon. Because of this, it holds a tremendous amount of concentrated energy – something akin to an intense spiritual intent or a spell.

If I lose my focus for even a second during a shoot, or if my own mental state is off, I can easily be swallowed up by the dark side of that power. It is precisely within this extreme, unparalleled tension that I find supreme value as a photographer.

To honor this energy, my photography cannot simply be about documenting a physical object. It becomes a dialogue between light and shadow. By shifting the angle of a single light by a mere millimeter, or adjusting the depth of focus, I am not just capturing steel – I am attempting to give form to the invisible, to draw out the silent voice of the bladesmith who poured his own life into the forge centuries ago.

Ultimately, this work has transformed how I view my own craft. It requires a level of reverence that goes beyond standard photography. Every shutter click is a moment of profound respect, a commitment to preserving the timeless spirit of the Japanese sword, and ensuring that its quiet, fierce dignity resonates clearly with the modern world.

On a personal note, I married my wife, Mitsuyo, in 2025.

I have by no means abandoned theater, filmmaking, or composing, and I continue to vigorously pursue new hobbies and fascinating external projects. However, above all else, I feel a profound sense of purpose and, more than anything, an immense pride in the work I do here at Unique Japan. It was precisely because I achieved this unwavering pride in my career that I felt ready to take the step toward marrying her.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to my fellow comrades standing under the Unique Japan banner, and to my wife, Mitsuyo.

Thank you for visiting Unique Japan. We look forward to working with you.

Warm regards,

Masaomi John Watanabe
Photographer, Unique Japan