The Haitōrei Edict in 1876 forbade the carrying of swords in public except for certain individuals, such as former samurai lords ( daimyo), the military, and police. Modern katana ( gendaitō)ĭuring the Meiji period, the samurai class was gradually disbanded, and the special privileges granted to them were taken away including the right to carry swords in public.

Only samurai could wear the daisho: it represented the social power and personal honor of the samurai. The pairing of a katana with a smaller sword is called the daishō. The katana was often paired with a similar smaller companion sword, such as a wakizashi, or it could also be worn with the tantō, a smaller, similarly shaped dagger.

By the late 16th century, the average length had increased again by about 13 centimetres (5 in), returning to approximately 73 centimetres ( 28 3⁄ 4 in). During the early 16th century, the average length dropped about 10 centimetres (4 in), approaching closer to 60 centimetres ( 23 1⁄ 2 in). In the late 14th and early 15th centuries, katana blades tended to have lengths between 70 and 73 centimetres ( 27 1⁄ 2 and 28 3⁄ 4 in). The length of the katana blade varied considerably during the course of its history. Previously, the curved tachi had been worn with the edge of the blade facing down and suspended from a belt. Ideally, samurai could draw the sword and strike the enemy in a single motion. The katana further facilitated this by being worn thrust through a belt-like sash (obi) with the sharpened edge facing up. The quicker draw of the sword was well suited to combat where victory depended heavily on short response times. The rise in popularity of katana amongst samurai came about due to the changing nature of close-combat warfare. The fact that swordsmiths started signing swords with a katana signature shows that some samurai of that time period had started wearing their swords in a different manner. When a tachi was worn in the style of a katana, with the cutting edge up, the tachi's signature would be facing the wrong way. Japanese swords are traditionally worn with the signature facing away from the wearer. This was in response to samurai wearing their tachi in what is now called 'katana style' (cutting edge up). Starting around the year 1400, long swords signed with the 'katana' signature were made. The evolution of the tachi into what would become the katana seems to have continued during the early Muromachi period (1337 to 1573). Thin tachi and chokuto style blades were often unable to cut through the boiled leather armour of the Mongols, with the blades often chipping or breaking off. The Mongol invasions of Japan facilitated a change in the designs of Japanese swords. These references to ' uchigatana' and ' tsubagatana' seem to indicate a different style of sword, possibly a less costly sword for lower-ranking warriors. The first use of 'katana' (gatana) as a word to describe a long sword that was different from a tachi occurs as early as the Kamakura Period (1185–1333).

Shinsakutō (newly made swords 1953–present).

Jōkotō (ancient swords, until around 900 CE).

The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:

Katana drawing