Niji no Ryū Wakizashi (虹の龍) – Rainbow Dragon

Niji no Ryū (虹の龍): the Rainbow Dragon

In the legends of East Asia, the rainbow (niji) was sometimes seen as a celestial dragon drinking from rivers. Its appearance after rain heralded the return of fair weather and the benevolence of nature’s forces.

This wakizashi evokes that imagery through its iridescent saya, where green, blue and gold mingle across a deep black lacquer. On the tsuba, dragons move among clouds, as if crossing the sky after a storm.

A mirror-polished 1045 steel blade with bo-hi

The blade is crafted from 1045 steel, a robust, widely used high-carbon steel that is straightforward to maintain. It follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki tip, and carries a polished bo-hi that stops short of the point.

The surface is mirror-polished, with a milky-white line in strong contrast against the satin body. This notare-style line is a decorative hamon.

A dark mounting of dragons and clouds

The kawari-gata tsuba in polished bright-black iron is pierced in sukashi with dragons and clouds in takabori relief, with an irregular rounded rim and two hitsu-ana openings. A gilt brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi and kashira in polished blackened alloy are smooth. The handle combines wood with a faux green ray-skin, wrapped in a hineri-maki black tsuka-ito braid with black menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilded copper is carved with waves in relief.

A black saya with iridescent shimmer

The saya is crafted from solid wood, coated in a brilliant black kawari-nuri lacquer with iridescent flashes of green, blue and gold that shift with the light. The koiguchi and kojiri are black. The domed black-lacquered kurikata with a gilt 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, Niji no Ryū carries the proportions of a wakizashi, the short companion to the katana. Its 23 cm handle offers a comfortable one-handed grip, with room for the second hand in support. At 1 kg, it remains nimble to handle. In its saya the piece measures 80 cm, an ideal format for displaying its iridescent reflections to full effect.