![]() ![]() Many of the swordsmiths were required to close their businesses, leading to the near extinction of katana sworesdsmithing until 1906. The use of the katana in Japanese daily life came to an end at almost the same time with the Haitōrei (sword prohibition) Edict of 1876, which allowed only police and military personnel to carry them. ![]() Regarding the military, the weapons shifted from sword to firearm. With the end of the Edo period and the beginning of Meiji period, Japan began a rapid process of industrialization and westernization. Ideally, samurai could draw the sword and cut the enemy in a single motion. The katana was worn thrust through a belt-like sash (obi) with the sharpened edge facing up. The quicker draw of this sword was well suited to combat where victory depended heavily on fast response times. The increased popularity of the katana among samurai came about because of the changing nature of close-combat warfare. Katana were mainly used by the samurai, the military nobility of feudal Japan (1185-1600) up through the Edo period (1603–1868). ![]() The first original Japanese swords that are considered the precursor of the 'modern' katana began to appear during the early Heian period (around 700 CE). The first use of the term katana to describe a sword occurs as early as the Kamakura period (1185–1333), but the actual history of bladed weapon craftsmanship in Japan stretches back over twenty centuries. At first, Japanese swords were simple variations of the Chinese swords that were straight, double-edged iron blades. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |