To clarify, Japanese swords CAN have fullers (called "Bo-hi" or just "Hi"). The idea that a sword handles best when the Point of Balance is very close to the guard (called a Tsuba on a Japanese sword) is correct for straight-bladed swords, but doesn't apply quite the same way to sabres and curved swords. Swords of different purposes have different optimal Points of Balance. In my personal experience, the point of balance on a Japanese sword varies from roughly four inches from the Tsuba, to roughly six inches from the Tsuba. This is affected by the weight of the Tsuba, the curvature of the blade, and the length of the blade. As curved swords are primarily made for slashing and severing (often from horseback), they tend to be more blade heavy. I hope this helps! I'm no expert, but I've read a fair amount on the subject and am a bit of a sword enthusiast. For more info on swords, you should visit /r/swords. Very friendly and knowledgeable folks there, and I'm sure they'd love to get a post NOT asking them to identify a sword.