it is the prime weapon of choice for japanese heroes in historical fiction set before the meiji period. carrying a non-sealed katana is illegal in present-day japan, but in fiction this law is often ignored or circumvented to allow characters to carry katana as a matter of artistic license. for instance, some stories state that carrying weapons has been permitted due to a serious increase in crimes or an invasion of monsters from other dimensions. with this law in mind, katana are sometimes used for comic relief in anime and manga set in the present, although this is sometimes replaced by the use of a bokken having surprisingly comparable capabilities. in the film "", the main protagonist is permitted to bring her katana on board an airliner; presumably, this is a policy of the fictitious japanese airline, as other passengers can also be seen carrying swords.