Tsukiyo no Ryū Wakizashi (月夜の龍) – Dragon of the Moonlit Night

Tsukiyo no Ryū (月夜の龍): the dragon of the moonlit night

Moonlit nights (tsukiyo) hold a singular place in the Japanese sensibility. The dragon rising through clouds beneath lunar light is a classical image of the woodblock print tradition, where mystery and power meet in perfect balance.

This wakizashi brings that scene to life: a dragon amid clouds on the tsuba, waves and clouds on the fuchi and kashira, and a habaki that reveals both faces of the moon : full and crescent.

A T10 steel blade with a genuine tōran hamon

The blade is forged from T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness. It has been clay-tempered, giving rise to a genuine tōran hamon of broad, rolling waves. Bright and sharply contrasted, it stands out against a mirror-polished light grey blade body.

The geometry follows shinogi-zukuri with a chū-kissaki point and no bo-hi. Hand-sharpening and hand-polishing bring out the full character of the steel, a level of craftsmanship that reveals itself in the quality of every surface.

Fittings adorned with a gold and silver dragon

The mokkō-gata tsuba in brown patinated copper features small lobe piercings (sukashi), a polished ground (migaki), and a dragon and clouds in relief plated in gold and silver (iroe), with a rounded rim (maru-mimi). A gilt brass seppa accompanies it.

The fuchi and kashira in brown patinated copper carry waves and clouds in relief, plated in gold and silver. The handle is wrapped in genuine white ray skin (samegawa) over a wooden core, beneath a brown tsuka-ito in hineri-maki, with gilt menuki. The ichimai habaki in patinated copper is carved with waves and pierced to reveal a full moon on one face and a crescent moon on the other.

A saya covered in ray skin

The saya is crafted from solid wood, clad in light brown lacquered ray skin (samegawa) whose visible nodules offer a texture unlike any other. The koiguchi and kojiri are in black wood. The black kurikata with gilt shitodome accommodates a brown cotton sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the wakizashi

With a blade of 51 cm and an overall length of 78 cm, Tsukiyo no Ryū carries the proportions of a wakizashi, the short 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 entirely manageable. It measures 80 cm in its saya, a format ideal for display on its own or alongside a katana.