ens ibly , ▁different ▁reasons , ▁and ▁certainly ▁with ▁different ▁methods ▁than ▁those ▁of ▁several ▁centuries ▁earlier . ▁This ▁sword ▁h unt ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁class ▁system ▁while ▁the ▁earlier ▁ones ▁were ▁intended ▁to ▁deep en ▁the ▁dist in ctions ▁between ▁common ers ▁and ▁nobles . ▁Ult imately , ▁however , ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁sword ▁h unt ▁was ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁its ▁prede cess ors ; ▁the ▁h unt ▁ens ured ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁weapons ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁r uling ▁government ▁and ▁not ▁available ▁to ▁potential ▁diss ent ers . ▁ ▁Today , ▁Japan ▁has ▁a ▁S word ▁and ▁Fire ar ms ▁Law ▁which , ▁much ▁like ▁gun ▁control ▁laws ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁gover ns ▁the ▁possession ▁and ▁use ▁of ▁weapons ▁in ▁public . ▁The ▁purchase ▁and ▁ownership ▁of ▁certain ▁s words ▁within ▁Japan ▁is ▁legal ▁if ▁they ▁are ▁properly ▁registered , ▁though ▁the ▁import ▁and ▁export ▁of ▁such ▁items ▁is ▁tight ly ▁controlled , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁items ▁that ▁might ▁be ▁l abeled ▁as ▁national ▁or ▁cultural ▁artifact s . ▁S words ▁that ▁are ▁not ▁produced ▁by ▁lic ensed ▁sm ith s ▁( including ▁all ▁machine - made ▁s words ) ▁are ▁prohib ited ▁for ▁individuals . ▁Japanese ▁military ▁s words ▁are ▁legal ▁in ▁Japan ▁if ▁they ▁were ▁made ▁with ▁traditional ▁materials ▁and ▁methods . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁Sans om , ▁George ▁( 1 9 6 1 ). ▁" A ▁History ▁of ▁Japan : ▁ 1 3 3 4