Hardback with dust jacket from 1984. Pages are clean and unmarked. Binding is strong and tight. Hardly any shelf wear to the exterior of to book, which looks near new. Very slight soiling/staining along page edges. Dustjacket is lightly rubbed and minutely edgeworn. Overall in near new condition. A very attracive and indispensable book for any Japanese sword collector's private libary or anyone studying written Japanese.