Japan's Knife Museum in the City of Knives: a 600-Year Old Tradition

If you are cooking nerds like us, then we guarantee that you are also a knife nerd, and have heard of (or use already) one of those beautifully handcrafted Japanese knives in the kitchen. 

Japan is one of the world's centres of knife crafting and there is one city that has earned the nickname of “the City of Knives” that any knife nerd needs to head over when in the land of the rising sun: Sakai city. 

When in Sakai, make your first stop the Sakai Knife Museum. Here, hundreds of knives are on display that tell the story of the country’s unique knife crafting tradition.

The museum holds interactive tours that show you the painstaking process that Sakai craftsmen go through to create knives used in professional kitchens around the globe. There are also lessons on how to properly sharpen a knife, with knife masters who have over 50 years experience in the craft. 

In case you didn't know, Sakai city is the most preeminent among the few handmade knife-making centres left in Japan, known to produce around 90% of the country’s knives for both the restaurant industry and home cooks. In this small port town south of Osaka, knife smiths have been crafting knives for generations, keeping the tradition meticulously alive for over 600 years. 

For more info check out the official Sakai city's knife industry website: Sakai Knife

Details:

Sakai Knife Museum

1-1-30 Zaimokuchonishi, 590-0941, Osaka