Brand Story
Not simply to make gloves — to build a globally recognized Japanese brand. Katana is the work of a small team bound by a belief in the beauty, precision, and integrity of Japanese craftsmanship.
The Team
Yosuke Sakurai
Born in 2001, Sakurai spent 11 years of his childhood in the United States, gaining firsthand exposure to baseball and developing a global mindset from an early age. At 15, he launched a baseball media platform that organically grew to over 83,000 followers.
In 2022 he co-founded Katana Japan with Riki Yamazaki — not simply to make gloves, but to build a globally recognized Japanese brand. Driven by a deep belief in the beauty and precision of Japanese craftsmanship, he scaled Katana into a six-figure brand within a year, entirely through organic growth. Today Katana is trusted by over 5,000 glove users, including a growing number of professional athletes worldwide.
Riki Yamazaki
Born in 1992 in Saitama Prefecture, Yamazaki played in Japan's legendary Koshien tournament and later attended Aomori University. After graduation he worked under Itochu Corporation, excelling in logistics before transferring to sales — within one year he was entrusted with the branch's largest client, generating $41 million in sales and earning top-sales honors.
In 2019 he joined a sports manufacturer's marketing department, helping the company grow to become the industry's No. 1 over two years. In 2022 he co-founded Katana, where he continues to give back to the baseball community through a commitment to high-quality equipment.
Ben Meyer
Born in 1997 in Los Angeles and half Japanese, Meyer has played baseball professionally in 10 countries, including representing the national teams of Curaçao and St. Martin, and currently plays in Japan's HFL professional league.
Alongside his playing career he worked four years as an engineer at Diamond Kinetics, a U.S. baseball technology company. In 2023 he met Katana's CEO, and — impressed by the craftsmanship of Katana's Japan-made gloves — joined as an investor, contributing to business expansion and brand strategy.
Taisei Miyake
Born in 2002, Miyake played for one of the top high school teams in Okayama. During his third year an injury sidelined him — but while unable to play, he began repairing gloves for his teammates and discovered a lifelong passion.
His skills quickly gained recognition, leading him to produce gloves for roughly eight brands. It began with a simple message: “I can build even better gloves for you.” From the first prototype his craftsmanship exceeded expectations, and in 2023 he officially began producing Katana gloves — becoming a central figure in our product creation.
Triston Busse
Busse played Division 1 college baseball at BYU and ACU. After graduating he worked as a private pitching instructor, as well as head coach and recruiting coordinator for Phenom Texas.
In 2023 he connected with Katana Japan's founder — and from the very first phone call, it was clear this was a brand he wanted to be part of. After two and a half years expanding Katana's international presence, he was promoted to CEO of Katana USA, driving sales and business connections within the U.S.