![]() The privilege of carrying swords was finally revoked during the Meiji Restoration it was this and the loss of other key perks that sparked a wave of samurai rebellions. Even after technological advances rendered swords militarily obsolete, the katana still carried tremendous cultural value throughout the Edo period. Only samurai were granted the right to carry two swords in public. ![]() Many of the lesser quality swords were confiscated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1588 and melted down to make a giant Buddha statue. The katana was the larger of the two blades carried by samurai. It was more of a sidearm in the battles of the Sengoku Era, but it was also in this period the pairing of two swords - daisho - was born. Through a vigorous forging process and testing - on condemned criminals - the katana’s reputation for outstanding cutting ability was well-deserved. Most early katanas were simply remodeled tachis. The katana’s longer predecessor, the tachi, was originally around 3 feet in length and was shortened to 2 feet. Swordsmithing became a valuable skill in the Muromachi era. ![]() With the aid of fortuitous weather and a well-chosen defensive position, the Mongols couldn’t play to their strength, and the superiority of Japanese steel at close quarters promptly sent them packing. The early samurai mostly fought as mounted archers, and it wasn’t until the Mongol invasions that the quality of Japanese swords had a real chance to shine. No list of Japanese weapons would be complete without it, but the katana’s combat history isn’t as extensive as you might believe. ![]()
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