I grew up in a rural area which was hunting country and almost everyone was a bit of a gun nut. There was a hunting club, and most men in particular enjoyed collecting guns. To me, they were always inelegant, dangerous, and troubling weapons. In Japan, guns are legal, but only hunting rifles and getting them is difficult, so I have never seen a real gun for sale here. I do, however, see swords for sale. While I see no appeal in weaponry of any sort, there is something very old world about the fact that swords are on offer in a seemingly casual fashion.
It harks back to Japan's ancient history, and it is a uniquely Japanese experience seeing a shop that sells swords, and I'll miss it.
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