Young Brunette Girl With A Japanese Katana Sword Reveals In The Traditional Washitsu Room With Tatami Flooring

In Japan from 1945 to 1953 sword manufacture and sword related martial arts were banned, many swords were confiscated and destroyed, swordsmiths were not able to make a living. Since 1953 Japanese swordsmiths have been allowed to work but with severe restrictions; swordsmiths must be licensed and serve a five year apprenticeship and only licensed swordsmiths are allowed to produce Japanese swords (nihonto), only two long swords per month are allowed to be produced by each swordsmith, all swords must be registered by the government.
Outside of Japan modern katana are being produced by well known western swordsmiths using modern steel alloys such as L6 and A2, these modern katanas replicate the size and shape of the Japanese katana and are used by martial artists for cutting demonstrations (tameshigiri). The use of modern steel and technology can create strong blades without the risk of damaging valuable antique swords or a valuable modern Japanese katana.
Mass produced swords including iaitō and shinken in the shape of katana are available from many countries with China dominating the market, these types or swords are sometimes called "replicas". These mass produced swords are made with a wide variety of steels and methods. People buy these swords for many purposes including martial arts practice, home defense and for historical re-enactments. The quality of these swords can vary considerably.