Yozakura Katana Sword (夜桜) – Night Cherry Blossoms

Yozakura (夜桜): the cherry blossoms of the night

Yozakura refers to the contemplation of cherry trees in full bloom after dark, a Japanese tradition rooted in hanami. Beneath paper lanterns, white petals stand out against the night sky in a spectacle that is at once serene and fleeting.

This katana captures that atmosphere entirely: a saya in deep burgundy tones scattered with white blossoms, and a silver-toned mounting in which cherry flowers echo one another from guard to pommel. The cherry blossom, fragile and transient, was also a reminder to the samurai of the beauty of a life lived to the full.

A T10 steel blade with a genuine gunome midare hamon

The blade is forged in T10 steel, a high-carbon steel valued for its hardness. It has been clay-tempered, a process that creates two distinct zones of hardness and brings forth a genuine hamon along the steel.

Its temper line traces a gunome midare pattern, a succession of irregular undulating waves. The blade follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki tip, the classical form of the katana, and is grooved with a bo-hi that reduces its overall weight. The hand-sharpening is carried out entirely by hand, a standard of craftsmanship that makes all the difference.

A silver-toned mounting adorned with cherry blossoms

The rounded tsuba in silver-toned alloy is pierced with cherry blossom motifs that appear to drift through the air. The fuchi and kashira in matching silver-toned alloy echo the same floral design, lending the mounting a perfectly unified character.

The tsuka pairs a wooden core with faux black ray skin, wrapped in a diamond-pattern black tsuka-ito, beneath which silver-toned menuki are revealed. The habaki in gilded brass is pierced and set against a black alloy ground textured with fine stippled points (nanako).

A burgundy lacquered saya with white blossoms

The saya is crafted in hardwood, finished with a glittering burgundy lacquer that shimmers like a night sky. White blossoms are inlaid across its surface, evoking cherry petals carried on the wind. A black and white sageo harmonises with the colours of the mounting.

Dimensions and handling

With a blade of 71 cm and an overall length of 103 cm, the Yozakura carries the proportions of a traditional katana. Its 26.5 cm tsuka allows a confident two-handed grip. At 1.25 kg, balance is maintained throughout, making it a pleasure to handle. At 105 cm in its saya, it displays equally well on a wall mount or a table stand.