A Rare Japanese Meiji era (1868-1912) "Sword Ban" Period Katana in good to very good condition. Offered here is a remarkable and historically significant example of a shikomizue "prepared cane" or "hidden blade cane"), a covert Japanese sword ingeniously disguised as an everyday walking cane. Crafted during the Meiji era (1868–1912), this piece directly reflects the turbulent transition from feudal samurai society to modern imperial Japan specifically, the era following the infamous Haitorei (Sword Abolishment Edict) of March 28, 1876. In 1876, the Meiji government issued the Haitorei, prohibiting the public carrying of swords by anyone except military, police, and select officials. This edict stripped former samurai (now shizoku) of their traditional right to wear daisho (paired swords), symbolizing the deliberate dismantling of the samurai class and its privileges amid Japan's rapid Western-style modernization. While ownership of family heirloom blades was still permitted at home, openly carrying them became illegal prompting resourceful sword owners, disaffected warriors, and gentlemen to commission or refit blades into concealed forms. The shikomizue emerged as a clever act of quiet defiance: a functional sword hidden in plain sight, masquerading as a simple walking stick. Often utilizing older, unsigned (mumei) blades from the Edo or earlier periods (or newly forged ones in traditional style), these were mounted without tsuba (guard) for discretion, with the scabbard crafted to resemble bamboo, lacquered wood, or even kabazaiku (cherry bark wrapping) to blend seamlessly into daily life. Popularized in the late 19th century, shikomizue allowed proud bearers to retain the "soul of the samurai" while evading authorities embodying both resistance and adaptation during a transformative period.