Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Sword Hunt was ostensibly for this purpose.
End all warfare
Forge a giant Buddha
Form an arsenal
Find a stolen weapon
Forge a giant Buddha. The primary purpose of the Sword Hunt that began in 1585 was to remove weapons from all farmers, to make the collection of rents easier and prevent uprisings. The peasants were disarmed and the Buddha constructed. Hideyoshi himself was a farmer’s son who rose to control Japan.