Katana, But No Longswords?

Hello everyone. Thank you for reading this article. I’m Shogo from Let’s ask Shogo, the interpreter of the online lessons and owner of this website.

Many people were surprised when I explained in a recently posted video that you cannot own a real longsword or rapier in Japan. This is because real katana can be owned in Japan. Some people even said that this was discrimination. But there is obviously a reason for this.

The Firearms and Swords Law strictly regulates the possession of weapons in Japan. The Swords and Firearms Law was promulgated on March 10, 1958, and went into effect on April 1 of the same year. The Sword Law prohibits the possession of swords in Japan. Swords under the Swords Law include swords, spears, and naginata with a blade of 15 cm or more in length, swords with a blade of 5.5 cm or more in length, katana with an opening of 45 degrees or more, and knives with a flying blade that opens automatically at 45 degrees or more. However, only those katana that are recognized as “works of art” may possess a registration card in one’s name and may be carried with a valid reason. Therefore, longswords cannot be owned in Japan because they are not recognized as works of art in Japan.

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