Edo Shogunate Sword Legislation

Succession of the Sword Hunt Edict and Weapons Control in Early Edo

The Sword Hunt Edict (katanagari edict) issued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Tenshō 16 (1588) focused on depriving peasants of the right to carry swords, and many weapons remained in rural villages. The Edo shogunate was initially not proactive in regulating firearms and swords, but in the late 17th century it moved to regulate sword-carrying. In Kanbun 8 (1668) it prohibited daily sword-carrying by anyone other than the townspeople in official service (goyō chōnin) of Edo, and in Tenna 3 (1683) it prohibited sword-carrying by all townspeople of Edo. The Ikkoku Ichijō Rei (One Castle per Province Law) of Genna 1 (1615) and the Buke Shohatto limited the military power of the daimyō.

Institutionalization of Sword-Carrying Privileges

The Edo shogunate established sword-carrying regulations linked to the four-tier status system (shi-nō-kō-shō). Samurai (bushi, samurai) were required to wear the daishō (paired long and short swords, a katana and a wakizashi) as a mandatory status marker, and carrying them was proof of being a samurai. Farmers and townspeople (hyakushō and chōnin) were in principle prohibited from carrying swords, but people of privileged status, such as nanushi and shōya, were specially permitted myōji taitō: publicly using a family name and wearing a sword.

The reward of myōji taitō gomen functioned throughout the Edo period as an honorary distinction bestowed by the daimyō or the shogunate, and obtaining it required monetary payment or merit.

Regulation of Sword Dealers and the Sword Market

The Edo shogunate also got involved in the buying, selling, and circulation of swords. For the appraisal and trade of old swords (kotō), the Hon'ami family functioned as officially recognized appraisers, and the origami (appraisal certificate) they issued circulated in the market as a quality guarantee for swords. Origami recorded the smith's name and valuation (daizuke) and served a function equivalent to modern appraisal certificates. By officially recognizing the authority of the Hon'ami family, the shogunate indirectly maintained order in the sword market.

Sword-Carrying by Domain Retainers and Domain Regulations

Each domain had its own sword-carrying regulations. Senior samurai could wear long swords with luxurious koshirae, but restrictions on blade length and on the rank of koshirae were imposed on lower-ranking samurai and ashigaru. Also, within domains, smiths were often employed as kakaekō (retained craftsmen).

Kyōhō Reforms and the Promotion of Swords

Under the Kyōhō Reforms of the eighth shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune (in office 1716–1745), the improvement of sword quality and the promotion of martial arts training were pursued as part of a policy to encourage the martial arts. While ordering frugality, Yoshimune emphasized martial arts training as the essence of the samurai and deliberately raised interest in swords as a matter of policy. In Kyōhō 6 (1721), he had Mondo-no-shō Masakiyo of Satsuma, Ippei Yasuyo, and others make swords in Edo.