[quote=@Sombrero]
<Snipped quote by NuttsnBolts>

Weren't Samurai all about the bow and arrow anyway? Since when did melee combat become the only awesome/chivalrous way to wage war? (Granted, it [i]is[/i] awesome, but there's more than one way to build a lifestyle around graceful asskicking.)
[/quote]

Bows and spears were the mainstay of war on Japan. Katanas and wakizachis were used, but they were more status symbols than the weapons you depended on. I'd call 'em sidearms.

Of course, polearms and bows/crossbows were SUPER important in basically all parts of the world, at least in warfare, trumping the use of swords in general (though swords did see use, yes). But at least a longsword or scimitar can be used for more than just cutting down unarmored / poorly armored men. And most swords in general protect the hands better than a katana does... Really, I wonder if Japanese swordsmiths would have put better handguards on the hilt if it weren't for the rigid adherence to tradition that became the norm.

EDIT: I just thought of something: I can name medieval battles across the world which did not include swords, but I can't name any which did not include the use of some kind of long stick with a pointy end. Then again, I'm not a historian.