Kairyū Wakizashi (海龍) – Sea Dragon

Kairyū (海龍): the sea dragon

The kairyū is the ocean dragon, a being of the deep that stirs the waves from below. In Japan, an archipelago shaped entirely by the sea, the sea dragon is a figure of profound significance: feared and revered in equal measure by fishermen and sailors alike.

This wakizashi portrays it on its tsuba, the dragon surging through the waves, with darkened insets that throw its form into sharp relief. The fuchi and kashira, chiselled with wave motifs, complete this maritime scene.

A T10 steel blade with a genuine gunome hamon

The blade is forged from T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness and edge retention. It has been clay-tempered, a process that draws a genuine gunome hamon across the mirror-polished surface.

The geometry follows classical shinogi-zukuri proportions with a chū-kissaki tip, and a polished bo-hi that terminates in a clean right-angle finish (kaku-dome) before the habaki. The blade is hand-sharpened, a level of artisanal finishing that makes all the difference.

Gilded dragon-and-wave fittings

The round (maru-gata) tsuba in gilded patinated copper presents a dragon among the waves in high relief (takabori), with darkened areas that deepen the sculpted form, a partially hammered ground (tsuchime), two hitsu-ana openings and a rounded rim (maru-mimi). A gilded brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi in gilded patinated copper is finely chiselled with scrolling foliage and wave motifs, while the kashira features a domed cap with a flowing wave design. The handle combines wood with faux white rayskin, wrapped in a hineri-maki black tsuka-ito braid, with patinated copper menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilded copper is pierced with a honeycomb (kikkō) pattern over a nanako ground.

A pale wood saya with visible grain

The saya is fashioned from solid pale wood, finished under a clear kijiro-nuri-style lacquer that leaves the natural grain fully visible. The koiguchi is lacquered in high-gloss black, while the kojiri retains the same clear varnish finish. The black lacquered kurikata, set with gilded shitodome, holds a black cotton sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the wakizashi

With a blade of 51 cm and an overall length of 78 cm, Kairyū carries the proportions of a true 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 genuinely manoeuvrable. At 80 cm in its saya, it is equally suited to solo display or alongside a katana.