Four wooden rifles that had been used for bayonet practice during World War II as part of military training in schools have been discovered recently in Konan, Aichi Prefecture.
One of the mock rifles bore the stamp of the old Tsushima Junior High School (present-day Tsushima High School) in the prefecture, and experts say the items are a rare historical find which offers a glimpse into wartime training programs for young students.
The tradition of jukendo (literally, "the way of the bayonet") continues into the present day as a martial art. Practitioners argue that jukendo has moved away from its militant origins and is regarded in its modern form as a sport.