Japanese Loses Ancient Sword Vital to His Life

J. Imamoto's sword had been in the family since 1200 A.D. Imamto's ancestors for centuries carried the sword as their mark of Samurai, the gentry in the Japanese feudal days, and occasionally used it on their enemies. The Samurai had power of life and death over the commoners.

Besides all this, the sword, pilfered from its ornate case in the Imamoto home, 4106 Main St., was valued at $600 on the open market, Imamoto told police today as he reported the theft.

Imamoto said the ancestral silk cloth and braided silk cord in which the sword was wrapped, also were taken.