Sword Regulations in the Nara Period: Weapon Management Under the Ritsuryo System and State-Controlled Blade Production

The Nara Period: What Was This Era? — The Establishment of the Ritsuryo State

The Nara period (710–794) was an era when the ritsuryo system, modeled on the legal framework of Tang China, began to function in earnest in Japan. Under this legal system, with ritsu (criminal law) and ryo (administrative law) as its pillars, a centralized state was established, and the capital system, bureaucratic system, and tax system began to function as an integrated whole.

The swords of this era were predominantly "chokuto" (straight swords), which differed fundamentally in shape from the "wantou" (curved swords) that would later emerge in the Heian and Kamakura periods—the curved swords that would become the modern Japanese sword. Understanding the process by which these straight swords, with their linear kissaki and single-edge structure, gradually transformed into curved swords is essential to comprehending the Nara period's sword system. The turning points in sword history must be understood from both institutional and technical perspectives.

Let me clarify the differences between the two, which readers often confuse.

• Chokuto: A single-edge, linear structure with a straight blade that lacks curvature
• Wantou: A curved structure that developed from the Heian period onward

Most chokuto featured a single-edge structure with gentle shinogi, and it is believed that the standard method of carrying them was haiyou—suspended by cords from the waist. This differs from the style that would later become widespread, where swords were carried by being thrust directly into the belt—a distinction worth noting when understanding Nara period swords.

Weapons Management under the Ritsuryo System — "Heiki Ritsu" and State Control

Under the ritsuryo system, the manufacture, storage, and carrying of all weapons, including swords, were strictly controlled by the state. The "heiki ritsu" (weapons law) established in the Taiho Ritsuryo (701) and Yoro Ritsuryo (enacted 757) explicitly prohibited private individuals from manufacturing or storing military weapons without authorization.

Particularly strictly controlled were military weapons such as nu (crossbows), yoroi (armor), hoko (spears), saku (pikes), and gusou (military equipment). With regard to swords, the system prohibited the common people from wearing swords in principle, and permitted only officials (kanin) and military officials to carry them. This distinction was not merely a matter of legal regulation but embodied the social order itself.

Behind this state management lay the tense international situation of the time. After the defeat in the Battle of Baekgang (663), Japan was acutely aware of pressure from Tang and Silla, and diplomatic relations with Bohai were also complexly entangled. Concentrating military power in the state and suppressing private military capability was an essential measure from the perspective of national security.

It is believed that the control enforced by the weapons law was not merely a regulation to suppress private weapon ownership. It is thought to have also served as a governance strategy to prevent local magnates and influential figures from independently accumulating military power, and to enable the center to comprehensively control military forces by coordinating with the system of local administration through kokuji (provincial governors). The concept of determining sword-bearing qualifications according to social rank would go on to influence Japanese weapon culture for a long time to come.

Zoheishi (The Office of Weapon Production) — The State-Run Sword Production System

Essential to any discussion of sword production in the Nara period is the existence of the "zoheishi" (office of weapon production). This government office, placed under the Ministry of War (hyobusho), was solely responsible for the production of military goods including swords, bows, arrows, and armor. In that the state directly controlled production, this was fundamentally different from the later system of private sword smiths.

At the zoheishi, craftsmen called "touko" (sword smiths) were employed as officials and produced swords in mass quantities under state supervision. Rather than spending long periods on individual blades as later private smiths would do, they operated as specialized craftsmen organized in workshops with a division of labor. This was a system in which uniform quality and production volume were prioritized.

It is believed that the workshops of the zoheishi were located in the capital, where they carried out production by integrating raw materials and labor gathered from throughout the realm. While it has been noted that parts of military equipment may have been produced locally, the central state-run workshops are believed to have been the principal production center that consistently met the standards and quality demanded by the state.

Actual examples of Nara period toushi (small swords), taichi (long swords), and token from the Shosoin still exist and convey the high level of manufacturing skill of that era to the present day. Works featuring gold decoration and inlay techniques clearly demonstrate the character of swords as "prestige goods" (ishinzai) that transcended mere weapons. The meanings the state invested in swords spanned both practical and symbolic dimensions.

As these surviving examples demonstrate, Nara period swords rarely circulate in today's market in forms that individuals can own or sell. In reality, only a small portion that has been passed down to the Shosoin and temples has been preserved as cultural property; what modern sword enthusiasts and collectors can actually handle is, in most cases, swords created after the Heian period when the curved style developed. The straight swords of the Nara period are positioned as objects for preservation and study in museums and as cultural property.

The Aristocratic Society and Swords — Sword-Wearing as Formal Dress

For the aristocrats and officials of the Nara period, swords were weapons and at the same time "part of formal dress" (reisou). Wearing toushi or taichi when attending court ceremonies or the imperial palace was established as an act of displaying rank and propriety, not a display of military power.

In formal court ceremonies, "hosobatachi" (thin long swords) or "yokodachi" were used and explicitly specified in the ritsuryo dress code regulations. The decoration of swords—sheaths and hilts of gold, silver, or lacquered finish—functioned as symbols that visually expressed the official rank and status of the sword-bearer. The lavishness of the decoration and the difference in materials directly reflected the hierarchy of official ranks.

Yokodachi and hosobatachi are thought to have been positioned as wearing implements appropriate for ceremonial contexts, rather than as weapons intended for actual combat. The fact that the types and decoration of swords permitted for wear were precisely regulated according to rank and official position indicates that the ritsuryo state utilized swords as a device for visually displaying the social order.

Nara Period Artifacts and Their Legacy to the Modern Era

Many of the swords stored in the Shosoin maintain good preservation after some 1,300 years. Decorative swords such as the "kingin-densou-kara-no-tachi" (gold and silver inlay Tang-style long sword) are precious evidence of the refined aesthetic sensibility of the court of that time and the richness of international cultural exchange through the Silk Road.

The Nara period sword system is positioned as a preliminary stage leading to the rise of the "samurai" in the subsequent Heian period and the formation of a unique sword aesthetic. As the ritsuryo system loosened and regional armed powers rose in prominence, the meaning of swords underwent a major shift from "weapons managed by the state" to "embodiments of individual samurai identity." The origin of this transformation lies in the Nara period sword system.

Today, most Japanese swords that circulate with certificates of authenticity were made in the subsequent era—the period when curved blades became standard and samurai as the custodians of swords fundamentally transformed their meaning. In this sense, Nara period straight swords remain the starting point for tracing the history of the Japanese sword, and continue to be referenced as a preliminary history that can be encountered through textbooks and exhibitions.