Sankin-kotai and Sword Culture: Why Was Drawing Swords Forbidden on Edo's Streets?

The Edo Period—An Era When Swords Transformed from "Weapons" to "Status Symbols"

The Edo period (1603–1868) is the most paradoxical era in the history of the Japanese sword. It was a time when Japanese swords circulated more widely than ever before and were possessed by more people, yet their actual combat use was strictly prohibited.

At the heart of this paradox lay the "sankin-kotai" (alternate attendance) system and the "sword-wearing ordinance." This article examines the actual implementation of Edo's sword policy and the process by which swords transitioned from "weapons" to "status symbols."

The Sankin-kotai System and Swords

What Was Sankin-kotai?

Sankin-kotai was a system made mandatory in 1635 by the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, through the "Buke Shohatto" (Laws for the Military Houses). All provincial lords (daimyo) throughout the nation were required to travel regularly between Edo and their home domains.

The purposes of this system were:

1. To drain the economic resources of the daimyo and prevent rebellion
2. To place the daimyo under the shogun's regular surveillance
3. To establish Edo as the center of political and economic power

Daimyo Processions and Swords

The journeys associated with sankin-kotai formed magnificent processions known as "daimyo processions." Hundreds to thousands of people marched in orderly formation according to the daimyo's rank and status, including numerous armed samurai.

The role of swords in daimyo processions:

• Sword-bearers (tachimochi): Retainers who specialized in carrying the daimyo's long sword led the procession, displaying his prestige
• Spear-bearers and bow-bearers: Spears, bows, and swords functioned together as indicators of status
• Naginata-bearers: The processions of high-ranking daimyo also included naginata-bearers

Samurai's Obligation to Wear Swords—The Sword as "Workwear"

During the Edo period, samurai (members of the warrior class) were obligated to wear the "daishō"—a pair consisting of a long sword (katana) and a short sword (wakizashi).

The Meaning of Sword-Wearing

For samurai in the Edo period, wearing a sword was not merely a form of armament but "proof of being a samurai":

• The sword made a samurai's "status" visually apparent
• Sword-wearing was a privilege granted only to samurai; farmers, artisans, and merchants were generally prohibited from carrying swords
• Even while traveling, samurai carried swords and used them to prove their identity at checkpoints and way stations

The Social Meaning of "Daishō-gaku"

The "daishō-gaku" (the wearing of a matched pair of long and short swords) was an essential part of formal samurai dress and was required at official occasions such as daimyo processions, audiences with the shogun, and ceremonial events like weddings and funerals.

The Prohibition of Tsuji-giri—Creating a Society Where Swords Were Not Drawn

What Was Tsuji-giri?

"Tsuji-giri" refers to the act of slashing unsuspecting passersby on crowded streets. From the late Warring States period through the early Edo period, incidents multiplied in which samurai would kill innocent people under the pretext of "testing" their blades.

The Shogunate's Regulations

The Edo shogunate cracked down severely on tsuji-giri:

• 1648 (Keian 1): The shogunate issued an edict strictly prohibiting tsuji-giri and blade-testing
• Punishments: Those caught faced execution or seppuku as standard; collective family punishment was sometimes applied
• Strengthened collective liability: If a samurai committed tsuji-giri, sanctions against his lord (daimyo) were possible, demonstrating the shogunate's intent to hold feudal lords responsible for their retainers' conduct

The Social Effects of "Sword-Drawing Prohibition"

As a result of the tsuji-giri restrictions, "drawing one's sword except in legitimate self-defense" became an unwritten law of Edo society.

The social effects of this prohibition:

1. A samurai code of conduct solidified: "wear a sword but do not draw it"
2. Swords shifted from "practical weapons" to "status symbols"
3. Greater attention was paid to the aesthetic and artistic value of swords

"The Haniwa Pine Corridor Incident"—A Sword-Drawing Scandal at the Shogunate

In 1701 (Genroku 14), an incident occurred in the "Pine Corridor" (Matsu no Rōka) of Edo Castle in which Asano Takumi-no-Kami, daimyo of Akō, drew his sword against Kira Yoshinaka. This constitutes the greatest "sword-drawing scandal" in Japanese history.

Drawing a blade within the shogun's castle was one of the gravest taboos, and Asano was ordered to commit seppuku the same day. The following year's "Chūshingura" incident—the raid by the Akō ronin—was a direct consequence of this affair.

This incident provides the best evidence of how serious the act of drawing one's sword was in the Edo period.

Swords on the Sankin-kotai Road—What Travel Journals Reveal

The travel journals of daimyo processions contain various records regarding swords:

Storage at way stations: At lodgings, the swords of the daimyo and retainers were stored on special sword racks (katanakake). Some inns had dedicated rooms for sword storage.

Verification at checkpoints: At the shogunate's checkpoints, weapons were strictly screened under the policy of "guns in, women out." The swords of the daimyo procession were verified against travel documents known as "soejō" (attached certificates).

The Late Edo Period—Prelude to the Abolition of Swords

After over 200 years of sword policy by the Tokugawa shogunate that cultivated a culture of "wearing but not drawing swords," the Edict of Abolition (1876) issued after the Meiji Restoration was perceived by the samurai class not as a "practical loss" but as a "loss of identity."

"To be deprived of one's sword is to have one's very existence as a samurai denied"—this sentiment arose precisely because swords had functioned as status symbols throughout the Edo period.

Conclusion—The Paradox of the Sword Becoming a "Tool of Peace"

The combination of sankin-kotai and the prohibition of tsuji-giri created a sword culture unique in world history. In the era when swords were possessed by the greatest number of people, they were used least—this paradox epitomizes the "pacification" of swords in the Edo period.

The fact that we can appreciate the "beauty of the Japanese sword" today owes to the history of Edo-period samurai carefully maintaining and passing down their blades without drawing them.