The Japanese sword has long held a sacred place in the history of Japan as a nation and as a people. The symbolism of the elements used in its construction, the manner in which it is crafted, and the purposes for which it is wielded have all been used to instruct generation after generation in matters such as religion, ethics, morality, valor, love, wisdom and compassion. From sacred texts written over a millennium ago to the modern sensei of Budo, the Japanese sword has long been used as pedagogical tool meant to cultivate the ideals of humanity in the soul, heart and mind of the pupil.