Hoshizora Katana Sword (星空) – Starry Sky

Hoshizora (星空): the starry sky

Hoshizora is the starry sky, the clear nights when one loses oneself in the constellations. In Japan, it is bound to the Tanabata festival, which celebrates the annual meeting of two stars separated by the Milky Way.

This katana carries that poetry into every detail: a midnight-blue saya alive with shimmering flecks, evoking a warm summer night, and a black tsuba pierced with small round openings that allow light to filter through like distant stars.

A T10 steel blade with a genuine gunome midare hamon

The blade is forged from T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness and edge retention. Clay tempering creates two distinct hardness zones across the blade, giving rise to a genuine hamon.

The temper line traces a gunome midare pattern, a sequence of irregular, rolling waves. The blade follows a classical shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki point, the definitive form of the traditional katana, and is hollowed by a bo-hi that reduces weight without compromising presence. The edge is hand-sharpened, a level of finishing that distinguishes craft from production.

A black mounting pierced with stars

The tsuba, in four-lobed mokkō-gata form, is cast in black alloy and pierced with small round openings that scatter light like a night sky. The fuchi and kashira, in plain black alloy, remain deliberately understated, allowing the guard to command attention.

The tsuka combines a wooden core with black faux ray skin, wrapped in a diamond-pattern black tsuka-ito braid, beneath which black dragon menuki emerge at each turn. The gilded brass habaki, engraved with a kamon, introduces a single luminous note.

A midnight-blue lacquered saya

The saya is crafted from solid wood and finished with a glittering midnight-blue lacquer. In the light, the flecks shimmer and shift like a starry sky, the image from which this katana takes its name. A blue and brown sageo completes the presentation.

Dimensions and handling

With a 71 cm blade and an overall length of 103 cm, Hoshizora carries the proportions of a traditional katana. The 26.5 cm tsuka allows a firm two-handed grip. At 1.25 kg, the balance remains confident and the sword a pleasure to handle. Sheathed, it measures 105 cm, an ideal format for display.