I have recently started putting some funds aside to save up so that I can go back to Japan and buy an authentic Japanese katana. This goal being achieved is probably still a couple of years down the line, but I wanted to get this piece to help motivate me to head out there and do it (I'll probably also find a cool kimono).
I've been wanting to go to Japan again, for years. This will not only give me a good excuse to go, but also get me out into a part of the country that I probably otherwise would never see. A lot of the traditional sword crafting schools are out in remote mountain towns; and these people have family traditions that go back centuries in the art of sword making. It should all be a really cool experience, when I'm finally able to make it happen. But for now, I'm very much in the save and dream portion of the experience.
I love Japan and Japanese culture. I mean, I grew up in the era of Nintendo, Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon. Had an early love of Final Fantasy and JRPGs, it was only natural. Any part of their culture that I can collect for myself is something that I'll happily oblige in.

Art ©:  zumjakal
Ajabu ©: Myself