This is a mystery. As we know, Hattori Hanzo lives on Okinawa, so it is unlikely that he planted trees on Hokkaido. Then again, the making of a katana involves the lamination of different forms of steel, soft, medium and hard steel. The types of lamination and the number of layers varies between sword makers. So it is possible that Yamaha could have convinced Hattori to come out of retirement to consult on wood lamination design for these speakers. Knowing Hattori, he probably made Yamaha sign a NDA. If Yamaha violates the NDA, their corporate leadership would be deemed “Rats”, and we know how that would end. Yes, it’s a mystery.
Unbelievable
Yamaha really made this statement:
Glossy black piano finish provides improved signal-to-noise performance
https://europe.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/speaker_systems/ns-5000/index.html
I thought I would seek opportunity to hear these speakers, but now I do not think so