Fūryū Wakizashi (風龍) – Wind Dragon

Fūryū (風龍): the Wind Dragon

In the mythology of East Asia, the dragon commands the elements, raising the winds, gathering clouds, and calling down the rain. The wind dragon, fūryū, embodies that invisible force sweeping across the heavens and breathing life into the natural world.

This wakizashi brings that force to form: a golden dragon cleaves white clouds across the saya, while on the tsuba it moves freely among waves and cloud forms. The wind scrolls of the fuchi and kashira complete the celestial scene.

A T10 Steel Blade with a Genuine Midare Hamon

The blade is forged from T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness. Clay tempered, it reveals a genuine midare hamon, its irregular, undulating line tracing the boundary between hard edge and softer spine across the mirror-polished steel.

The geometry follows shinogi-zukuri proportions with a chū-kissaki point and a torii-zori curvature. The fuller is a bo-hi ni soe-hi: a main groove accompanied by a second, finer one running alongside it.

Fittings of Waves, Clouds and Wind

The quadrilobed mokkō-gata tsuba is crafted in patinated brass, pierced in sukashi with waves and clouds among which a dragon in takabori relief emerges, with a ribbed rim and two hitsu-ana openings. A gilded brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi and kashira in patinated brown copper bear wind scrolls and clouds in relief. The handle pairs wood with a faux white ray skin, bound in brown tsuka-ito in hineri-maki, with patinated gilded menuki. The ichimai habaki in patinated copper carries a geometric design in relief.

A Black Saya with a Golden Dragon

The saya is fashioned from solid wood, finished in high-gloss black roiro-nuri lacquer and painted with a golden dragon among white clouds in the manner of maki-e. The koiguchi is polished black, and the kojiri lacquered black in keeping with the rest of the scabbard. The black-lacquered kurikata holds a brown and gold cotton sageo.

Dimensions and Handling of the Wakizashi

With a blade of 51 cm and an overall length of 78 cm, Fūryū carries the proportions of a wakizashi, the shorter companion to the katana. Its 23 cm handle offers a comfortable single-handed grip with room for the second hand in support. At 1 kg, it remains agile and responsive. In its saya, it measures 80 cm, an ideal format for displaying its painted dragon to full effect.