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The beginning of Gintama clearly mentions various times the sword ban but the
Shinsengumi are constantly carrying around swords. Why is that allowed?


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2017-07-12T06:09:37.790
41332
2018-08-26T19:02:44.943
34558
question
gintama
In Gintama, why are the Shinsengumi allowed to have swords?


Gintama's setting is mix of fictional inter-galactic universe (which might be
depicting foreigner coming to Japan during that era) referencing to actual
Japan historical era specifically Bakumatsu period.

> In 1876, samurai were banned from carrying swords. A standing army was
> created, as was a police force. This "sword hunt" was performed for,
> ostensibly, different reasons, and certainly with different methods than
> those of several centuries earlier. Ironically, perhaps, this sword hunt put
> an end to the class system while the earlier ones were intended to deepen
> the distinctions between commoners and nobles. Ultimately, however, the
> result of this sword hunt was the same as the results of its predecessors;
> the hunt ensured that the only weapons were in the hands of the ruling
> government and not available to potential dissenters.
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_hunt>

During this time Shinsengumi is the special police force that are there to
protect the government. So it's just the same as now where the military and
police may carry gun but commoners will need certificate to be able to carry
gun legally.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-13T06:52:17.147
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2017-07-13T06:52:17.147
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answer