Yoake no Umi Tanto (夜明けの海) – Sea at Dawn

Yoake no Umi (夜明けの海): the sea at dawn

Dawn (yoake) holds a singular place in Japan, the “land of the rising sun”. The first sunrise of the year, hatsuhinode, is still witnessed today from coastlines and mountaintops as a moment of renewal.

This tanto captures that instant: a gilded habaki where the sun rises over the waves, and a blade as blue as the sea before the light fully breaks, illuminated by a pale wave along its length. The gold splashes of the saya recall the first reflections of daylight on water.

A mirror-polished metallic blue blade with a pale wave

The blade is forged from 1045 carbon steel, a dependable and low-maintenance steel well suited to everyday use. It follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a compact ko-kissaki tip and no bo-hi.

The blade carries a mirror-polished metallic blue finish, and its bright steel edge traces a wave along the full length of the blade. This notare-style line is a decorative hamon.

A mounting of arabesques and the rising sun

The round (maru-gata) tsuba in dark brown-black patinated alloy features foliate arabesques in raised relief (takabori) against a dark ground, two hitsu-ana openings, and a rim (fukurin) in gilded brass. A gilded brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi and kashira in blackened alloy are chiselled with flowers and foliage. The handle combines wood with faux white ray skin, beneath a black tsuka-ito wound in hineri-maki, with patinated silver menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilded brass bears raised motifs of waves, a rising sun and seagulls.

A black saya speckled with gold

The saya is crafted from solid wood, coated in a high-gloss black lacquer speckled with gold splashes. The koiguchi and kojiri are lacquered in the same high-gloss black, maintaining the continuity of the scabbard. The black-lacquered kurikata with gilded shitodome accepts a black cotton sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the tanto

With a blade of 33 cm and an overall length of 55 cm, Yoake no Umi is a tanto of generous proportions. Its 17 cm handle sits firmly in one hand. At 0.7 kg, it remains light to carry. It measures 57 cm within its saya, a format that shows its blue blade to full advantage on a display stand.