Nichigetsu Katana Sword (日月) – Sun and Moon

Nichigetsu (日月): the Sun and the Moon

The sun (nichi) and the moon (getsu) together form a symbol of balance and wholeness: day and night, light and shadow, the unending cycle of time. In Japan, this pairing has long appeared on battle banners, armour and ritual objects as a form of universal protection.

Here, it is expressed through the circular medallions of the fittings, plated in gold and silver (gold for the sun, silver for the moon) appearing on the tsuba, the fuchi and the kashira.

A T10 steel blade with a genuine gunome midare hamon

The blade is forged from T10 steel, a high-carbon tool steel prized for its hardness. Clay tempering brings forth a genuine gunome midare hamon, its milky-white line reading with sharp contrast against the mirror-polished steel surface.

The geometry follows the classical shinogi-zukuri profile, terminating in a chū-kissaki. The absence of a bo-hi allows the hamon to be read along the blade’s full length. Hand-sharpening completes the blade, a level of artisanal finish that makes itself felt the moment the sword is drawn.

Fittings adorned with gold and silver medallions

The round maru-gata tsuba, in brown-patinated copper, features a lightly patinated polished ground (migaki) and two hitsu-ana openings, decorated with gold- and silver-plated circular medallions. Two gilt brass seppa with a knurled edge frame it on either side.

The fuchi, in the same brown-patinated copper, carries matching gold- and silver-plated motifs, while the kashira bears two corresponding circular medallions on its face. The handle is wrapped over wood with genuine white samegawa, beneath a white tsuka-ito bound in hineri-maki, with copper-toned menuki. The ichimai habaki, in burnished copper, is engraved with a floral design.

A mirror-lacquered black saya

The saya is crafted from solid wood and finished in roiro-nuri black lacquer with a mirror-like sheen. Near the koiguchi, beneath the sageo, a section of lacquered grooved leather introduces a contrasting texture. The koiguchi and the rounded maru kojiri are lacquered in high-gloss black. The kurikata, fitted with a gilt shitodome, accommodates a braided black sageo cord.

Dimensions and handling

With a blade of 71 cm and an overall length of 103 cm, Nichigetsu carries the proportions of a traditional katana. Its 26.5 cm handle provides a firm two-handed grip, and at 1.4 kg the sword offers a solid, commanding presence in the hand. At 105 cm in its saya, it is equally suited to display on a wall mount or a table stand.