During the decades after the Meiji revolution (1868), the samurai class in Japan paid a heavy toll. Military governments ended, and a central government and a professional bureaucracy was established. They lost several privileges and were eventually suppressed as a social class. In 1876, the Japanese government prohibited wearing swords, which had previously been the custom for samurais. Pedro del Rio Zañartu was a witness of this transition during his travels in Japan at the beginning of 1881.
Swords are weapons, but they are also a symbol of social status and a reflection of rich history and traditions. The Tanto dagger is a short sword that was especially used for the seppuku suicide ritual, also known as hara-kiri. Its size and slightly curved shape set it apart from other daggers.