Since ancient times, the Japanese sword has proven to be an exemplary weapon in many battles. Although for many years the emphasis on the sword was as a cutting weapon, from 1876 (Meiji 9), when the Haito-rei law was decreed banning the wearing of swords in public, the sword moved further and further from practical use. In recent times, Japanese swords have come to be referred to as art-swords, and are now appreciated as art objects.