ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Haitō Edict

Okay, so a long time ago, there was a place called Japan. And in Japan, there were these powerful people called samurais who would go around and fight for their leader, the Shogun.

One day, the Shogun made a very important rule called the Haitō Edict. The Haitō Edict said that no one, not even the samurais, were allowed to carry guns or any other weapons that could shoot stuff.

Now, you might be wondering why the Shogun would make such a rule. Well, it's because he was worried that people who had guns could rebel against him and his government. He wanted to make sure that no one had too much power and that he could still be in control.

So, the Haitō Edict was a really big deal. It meant that samurais had to go back to using swords and other weapons that they had to get up close and personal with to fight. And if anyone was caught with a gun, they would be punished very harshly.

Overall, the Haitō Edict was a way for the Shogun to keep his power and control over Japan. And it shaped the way that samurais fought and protected their leader.