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Visited Sakai!!

by Yuko Seno

Hello there! This is Tomo.
I’ve just returned from a trip to Japan, and I’m excited to share what I experienced!

My hometown is close to Sakai, a city renowned as one of Japan’s most famous centres for traditional knife making. During my stay, I had the opportunity to visit two incredible knife-related workshops in Sakai — including blacksmiths, sharpeners, and wholesalers — all by special appointment.

Today, I’d like to introduce one of them: HADO.

Behind the Scenes at HADO – The Sharpening Workshop

The first place they showed me was their sharpening workshop. There were many blades lined up, all waiting to be honed and perfected.

The process of turning a forged blade into a finished knife involves several detailed steps:

  1. Hizumi-tori (Straightening the Blade)

  2. Sharpening

  3. Engraving the Maker’s Mark

  4. Polishing

  5. Creating the Edge (Hatsuke)

  6. Handle Fitting (Etsuke)

HADO pays special attention to two finishing details:

  • A smooth, mountain-shaped chin (the transition area between blade and handle)

  • A beautifully rounded spine

We also shared these features in a recent Instagram post — the smoothness and attention to detail really come through when you use their knives ✨

Skilled Hands, Limited Production

When I visited, only five craftsmen were working in the workshop. Despite the small team, they produce between 10 to 50 finished knives per day, depending on how well the blade and handle "match".

Some handles are made from particularly hard types of wood, which makes fitting them more challenging. The difficulty varies with each combination — a subtle skill that only experienced hands can manage.

Meeting the Masters – Tanaka Uchihamono

I was also fortunate to be introduced to Tanaka Uchihamono, one of the top blacksmith studios in Japan.

There, I met two incredible craftsmen:
Mr Yoshikazu Tanaka and Mr Yoshihisa Tanaka, both recognised as masters of traditional Japanese cutlery.

Their blades are forged using age-old techniques and natural materials such as “Matsu-bai” (pine ash) and “Wara-bai” (rice straw ash). These methods are deeply rooted in Japan’s natural climate and culture, making Japanese forged knives truly unique and inimitable.

Despite the strength and hardness of their blades, both craftsmen were incredibly warm and humble — true artisans with gentle hearts.

A Truly Inspiring Visit

It was an unforgettable experience, and I’m deeply grateful to both HADO and Tanaka Uchihamono for their hospitality and for sharing their passion and craft with me.

Thank you so much for having me.

 

Stay tuned for my next blog, where I’ll introduce the second company I visited in Sakai!
See you soon 🤗

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