FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

We accept VISA, Mastercard, American Express, and JCB cards.

We also accept payment via Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Shop Pay.

You can also use our Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide gift cards on our webstore.

Please message us via our contact page. We are always happy to arrange alternative solutions.

Even if your card is valid, your card’s security functions may block payments made to companies based overseas. If the purchase is blocked, contact your credit card company. Tell them you will make a purchase in Japan, and ask them to allow this payment.

For security purposes, we do not accept split payments of any kind except for applying gift card credit to an order.

We accept most currencies. The currency you pay depends on the final shipping destination.

When you enter your shipping destination on the checkout page, the currency will automatically adjust to match.

For example, if you are shipping an item to the United States, the final purchase will be charged in United States Dollars (USD).

In order to pay in Japanese Yen, you need to place the order via our Japanese website.

Please contact us if you need assistance finding the right products there.

Yes! We sell gift cards of multiple different amounts. You can find them here.

Gift cards have no expiry date. All other conditions can be found on the gift card product page.

Signing up to our newsletter via the "Get Discount" tab on the side (left on desktop, right on mobile) of our website is the only promotional code we offer, which is a one-time-use code for new customers only. This code is once per person, household, or email address, whichever first.

We also offer a VIP Program for customers who spend a total of 300,000 JPY with us in a single calendar year, entitling them to a 10% discount on all future purchases for the remainder of that year. You can find more details here.

Outside of the above, we generally do not offer discount codes or have sales on our web store. We prefer to keep our knives at the best prices we can at all times.

Please enter your discount code on the checkout page to apply it to your order.

Please check to make sure you have entered your discount code correctly, as there may be spelling mistakes or accidental spaces.

Some codes cannot be combined with other discounts, and only one code can be used per order.

Contact us if your code is not working, and we will check its validity. If you are eligible for the discount code, we can apply it on our side and email you the invoice for payment directly.

If a discount code did not come from us directly, it is likely invalid as we do not work with any partners regarding promotional sales or discounts.

Please make a record of or copy down any discount code you receive from us, as we are unable to reissue or resend them.

Almost all of our discount codes are one-time-use per email address, person or household, whichever first.

Our VIP Program discount can be used multiple times in a single calendar year.

Orders with ineligible discount codes attached will be canceled and refunded.

We cannot apply discount codes to an order after purchase. We appreciate your understanding.

As sales in our physical store include consultation with our expert staff, we cannot accept discount codes on in-store purchases. Our codes are only valid for purchases on our online store.

We do not offer bulk discounts, but we do have a VIP Program which you can read about here. 

An order confirmation email will be automatically sent to your email address after purchase. If you do not see it, please check your spam or junk folder, and make sure there are no spelling mistakes in your email address.

If you still cannot find it, please use our contact form and we can reissue you this email.

This depends on your situation, but we have two separate guides you can read on this subject!

Our first guide is an easy-to-understand, simple explanation focused on helping find the right knife for you. You can see that guide here.

Our second guide is an advanced four-part series, focusing on helping you find the precise specifics of a knife that you want. You can see the first part of that guide here.

Most traditional Japanese-style knives like deba, usuba, and yanagiba knives are single-edged; the "back" side of the blade is mostly flat with a slightly concave surface, and the cutting edge lies solely on the front side. In contrast, a double-edged knife's back has almost the same angle as its front to form a cutting edge on both sides. Single-edged knives apply less pressure to food during cutting due to its inwards-curving back, which helps prevent the breakdown of the ingredients' cellular structure.

You can see our article complete with diagrams on single-edged knife design here to learn more about the differences.

You can also visit this article here where we go more into specific differences between the two styles of kitchen knife.

Such knives do not exist. However, ours will cut very well, provided they are being used correctly and for the right purpose.

Japanese kitchen knives have different shapes, styles, and thicknesses, making them suitable for different tasks and smoothly cutting through different ingredients.

Multi-purpose knives do exist, such as santoku, gyuto, and petty knives. While they will cut most things, they won't cut everything.

A knife may chip or become damaged in other ways if it is used on something it isn’t designed for. For example, cutting bones or frozen foods with the knife types above will likely damage them.

If you need a knife for a specific cutting task, please contact us and we can help you find the perfect knife for you.

We also have a guide you can read to help you choose your first Japanese kitchen knife, which you can read here.

It is difficult to find knives that stay sharp forever without them having other downsides. These downsides might be extreme brittleness, or a decrease in overall cutting ability. Knives do need to be sharpened eventually, and this cannot be avoided. A blunt knife is not safe to use.

Japanese kitchen knives are famous worldwide for not only their cutting ability, but their ability to stay sharp for very long periods of time relevant to their cost. In a sense, Japanese kitchen knives excel in extremely good cost performance, including staying sharp for long periods of time.

So while there are not knives that stay sharp forever, there are knives that cut well and stay sharp for a long time. And these are Japanese kitchen knives.

Sharpness is important for kitchen knives, but we feel that the cutting ability or “kireaji” (切れ味 lit. flavor of cutting) of the knife is even more crucial.

While translation software will translate kireaji as “sharpness”, that is not quite accurate. A sharp knife may not necessarily be a knife that cuts well.

Sharpness is needed for a knife to cut at all, but kireaji is needed for a knife to cut in a way that feels good to use, and Japanese kitchen knives excel at having the best kireaji, as they have always been designed with chefs in mind.

Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide’s knives focus most on kireaji and cost performance, providing the best knife that we can for a price that stays affordable both in Japan and around the world.

We also sell cutting boards, whetstones, knife storage rolls and cases, moribashi plating chopsticks, rust erasers, and protective sheathes or saya for knives.

Please note that while we also sell both Japanese-style and Western-style knives, these are all made in Japan and are Japanese kitchen knives as a result.

We do not sell second-hand items of any kind on our web store. All of our online stock is brand new stock.

We do not sell any B-grade stock on our webstore, and all items undergo inspection before package and shipment.

Occasionally we will have knives where an engraving goes incorrectly. These are not sold online, but are made available in our physical store during festivals like the Doguyasuji Tool Festival in October, and the New Year's Tool Fair in January.

A majority of our knives are fully hand-made, especially our single-edged knives. However, some of our knives are instead mostly handmade, such as our stamped ranges like our G-LINE and SWORD-FV10. You can see how we make such knives here!

We do have left-handed knives available for sale.

We have single-edged knives for left-handed use, as well as double-edged knives that lean to the left.

You can see our range of left-handed knives here.

Left-handed knives are made in smaller batches, and are more difficult for blacksmiths to produce as they have to inverse their techniques. Additionally, some blacksmiths do not make left-handed knives, so the range of available artisans is smaller.

For hundreds of years single-edged knives especially were made for right-handed use, so left-handed knives are much newer to the sector.

These reasons lead to higher production costs per unit, which is reflected in the knife’s price.

Generally, Japanese wood is untreated. However, we do lacquer some of our handles which adds a protective coating. We apply the urushi lacquering method to our higher end products, like many of our Kirameki series.

Please feel free to contact us if you are unsure about a particular knife’s handle and want more information.

We do not allow this unless it is for an already existing Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide knife in your collection.

Ordering a saya afterwards comes with the risk of it not fitting your knife correctly. We highly recommend ordering a saya at the same time as a knife to ensure a perfect fit.

Read our saya policy page for more information regarding saya orders, or contact us directly if you wish to order a saya for an existing Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide knife in your possession.

Yes! Our knives are sharpened in a way that balances strong cutting performance while retaining good edge retention. We can increase this sharpness further, but it does come with risks. See our information on honbazuke for further information.

Each knife order comes with some or all of the following:

- The knife itself, complete with protective cardboard packaging to ensure safe transport
- An individual box for the knife
- A serial number, which is also your free sharpening coupon
- An English how to use guide for single-edged or double-edged knives, depending on the knife
- Our souvenir shop card
- An English “6 quick tips” information sheet on knife care and usage
- Other English warnings where appropriate, such as if the knife is carbon steel.

Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide does not mass produce any of its knives, and almost all of its knives are mostly hand-made at minimum.

An overwhelming majority of our single-edged knives are fully hand-made from the region of Sakai, Osaka.

Our double-edged knives are available in fully hand-made and mostly hand-made conditions from various regions of Japan. Our fully hand-made ones mostly come from Sakai, but may also come from other regions. We can happily answer information on such knives where requested.

Yes! We wrap all of our knives free of charge in wrapping paper.

We can also attach a ribbon if the item is a gift, or add special mizuhiki wrapping during select times of the year.

To order gift wrapping online, please check the gift wrapping option on the product page. Please be mindful that this is set to "No" by default.

At our Osaka store, please inform the staff that you want gift wrapping, or that your knife is a gift for someone.

Yes! In Japan, it is seen as culturally favorable to give someone a kitchen knife as a gift. Read our article on recommended wedding etiquette around knife gift giving here.

In Japan, giving a kitchen knife as a gift is seen as giving someone a lifelong tool that they can use to cut away the bad luck around them, paving for a bright future ahead.

So no, it is seen as a lovely present and you can give one comfortably!

If you want to know more about this etiquette, please read our article covering this subject.

We sell gift cards to our web store starting at ¥10,000. You can find those here.

This is possible, however please keep in mind if the recipient is in a different country to you, the final price will be charged in the currency the recipient lives in.

Please be mindful that laws, customs duties, and import charges differ based on country, so you may recieve different customs charges than what you normally see from the courier before delivery is complete. These may be more or less than you expect, so please confirm local import laws for the country you are shipping the knife to if it is different to yours.

Yes, you can find our shipping policy page here.

Please use our contact form and let us know immediately. We can change the shipping destination provided the item has not left our warehouse. Please keep in mind in some instances we will ship the order out the very same day.

When your order leaves our store, you will be sent an email with a tracking code. Please use that code to find out the current status of your order.

We ship to many countries all around the globe through our courier partners.

We ship to many countries, but some destinations are unavailable due to logistical or legal restrictions.

For example, we cannot ship knives with a blade length over 8 inches (approximately 20 cm) to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Only knives with blade lengths under 20 cm can be shipped there.

You can check whether we ship to your country by selecting your destination at checkout. If your country appears in the list, we are able to ship there.

If your country does not appear, we may not be able to ship there. Please contact us to learn more.

Please contact us if your country does not appear in our shipping list.

While some countries we cannot ship to for legal reasons, for others it may be a logistical or technical problem, and we may be able to ship there.

We send our products overseas via EMS (Japan Post), DHL, or FedEx. Which courier we choose depends on what is best for the destination country and product contents.

All orders 40,000JPY or under incur a flat 3,800JPY shipping charge.

Orders over 40,000JPY quality for free international shipping!

Please note, these rates do not include customs duties, taxes, and levies.

We currently do not offer this service, and advise instead to purchase through our web store as you may qualify for free international shipping.

On average, orders are shipped two to three business days after completion. Depending on time of the day and current congestion in shipping, some orders will go out slower or faster. Please contact us about your order as soon as possible if you have questions regarding it.

Orders with a honbazuke blade sharpening service will need an additional week.

Once the item leaves our store, you will automatically receive a tracking number sent to the email address you used to place the order.

Generally, orders leave Japan within one to two business days after they leave our store.

You will receive a tracking number once the shipping process has started. You will need to contact the courier directly for all shipment inquiries.

Please note, tracking numbers can sometimes update slowly, especially when packages are moving between countries.

All orders from us come with a tracking number, so please check the tracking number in your order confirmation email first.

If this does not help, we advise checking with next door neighbours in the area, or contacting your local courier office or post office.

If you suspect the item was stolen, please contact your local police station.

Please keep in mind we generally cannot assist with tracking related inquiries, and the courier company is your best point of contact.

Please use our contact form if the courier company cannot provide you any further information, and we will do our best to help.

Please order from our domestic website for orders in Japan. You can find that here.

Alternatively, contact us and we can make you a custom invoice.

While this rarely happens, it is out of our control. You must contact your local customs office to find out why.

If this does occur, the knife will be sent back to us. We will refund your order, minus any shipping fees incurred during this process, including any levies or customs duties. We will also withhold a 5% restocking fee to cover administrative duties and labor hours associated with processing your return.

Please note, if the knife has engraving services, sharpening services, or is custom-made, refunds are not possible.

We can ship the knife to a new destination, but you will be responsible for all further shipping costs associated, which will no longer be at subsidised rates.

We always advise checking the rules of the destination country to ensure safe passage of your order.

We package our knives in cardboard boxes with bubblewrap and other safe packaging materials to ensure a safe journey for your order.

Please immediately take photos of the packaging and knife, and contact us within seven days of receiving the order. Do not use the knife in any way, and we will provide further instructions.

If the knife is eligible for a replacement or refund, we will pay for those charges, or refund you incurred expenses afterwards.

Japanese kitchen knives under 200mm are generally safe for importing. Knives larger than that blade length may be rejected by customs, or sent back to us.

To prevent customer dissatisfaction, we do not ship knives over 200mm to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

These items are made invisible on our website. However, if a model exists that is both under and over 200mm, the entire product is made invisible. Please contact us if you want to buy such products.

You can also change the region of our website via the language tool to see our entire range, but please note that orders containing knives over 200mm being sent to the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland will be automatically cancelled and refunded.

No. At checkout, you will only be charged for the order price, and shipping costs if the order total is under 40,000 JPY.

All other import duties, taxes, and customs fees are not included and will be charged separately by the courier, depending on the destination country and region.

Tariffs change wildly throughout the world, with the United States being no exception.

Please see DHL’s current listing for tariffs.

Steel-based products not from the UK can incur very high surcharges (50% in some cases), so we advise factoring that into your purchasing decision.

Contact your local customs office or embassy for more information.

You can also read our article on shipping to the United States here.

This depends on the country and region or province the item is being imported to, as this varies from place to place.

Some countries also have de minimis exemptions, meaning there will be no tax payable on items under a certain amount of value.

Almost all countries have to pay VAT, GST, or Sales Tax.

Some countries will charge more or less depending on the item itself, or what materials it is made of.

While some web stores choose to collect import taxes at time of payment, these aren't always accurate and may require further billing later.

Just as many web stores take the same approach as us, not taking any fees and having the courier handle this part of the process.

Handling these charges internally is a very labor-intensive, time-consuming experience. We would have to hire staff to handle this, which would result in higher prices on top of the tariffs, so we feel it best to leave it to our courier partners who are experts in this subject.

Some customers also ask us to switch delivery countries before shipment, and excluding import charges allows us to do this.

If you are ever unsure, we highly advise you to contact whatever web store you are purchasing from to confirm if the price includes tariffs or not. They may also appear in your invoice under "Taxes" or another similar term.

The courier prepays those charges, then bills you the amount. You pay the courier directly, and we are not involved in that process. Once you have paid the courier, they will release the item and deliver it to you.

We do not take payment of taxes, tariffs, or levies at the time of purchase.

Duties and taxes are owed on orders from us, even if you reject the order.

Unfortunately, as the courier charges these fees instead of us, they must always be paid.

Under each product on our website, as well as on your cart page before checkout, we disclose "Prices do not include import taxes or customs fees."

We also mention this in our Shipping Policy and our final checkout screen under the Help (?) and Shipping subsections.

The order would be returned to us, but as the charge has already been paid by the courier company, we must then pay it in your place.

Any refund given would be minus the unsubsidised cost of the shipping of the item, and all import charges. We'll also withhold a 5% restocking fee to cover administrative duties and labor hours associated with processing your return.

This can sometimes leave you with very little, or even no money remaining to refund.

Please keep in mind items that have been modified, such as with name engraving or extra sharpening services, are ineligible for refund.

If you want to cancel your order, please contact us immediately as our knives can sometimes be sent out on the same business day they are ordered.

If the order is cancelled before we ship the item, we will issue you a full refund.

Knife orders in the following conditions cannot be cancelled or refunded:

Knives with name engraving services
Knives that are custom or made-to-order
Knives with sharpening adjustments, including honbazuke sharpening

If the order is cancelled after shipment, we will contact the courier and organise a return. We will refund you the price of your order minus any shipping fees incurred in this process, including any levies or customs duties. We will also withhold a 5% restocking fee to cover administrative duties and labor hours associated with processing your return. We hope for your kind understading.

As a general rule, we do not accept customer requests for change of mind returns or exchanges.

We only offer returns for warranty related reasons, or if the item is different from what was originally ordered.

Please contact us within one week of your order arriving, so we can exchange the product for the right one.

Please keep in mind, this does not cover the handle being a different color. As many woods come in different shades, as long as the material is the same this does not qualify as an incorrect order. This is especially important when it comes to ebony wood handles, as they have many different shades of brown and black.

Sometimes situations may arise where a knife return is justified (such as a rejection from customs), but unless we made a mistake with your order, non-warranty refunds are not allowed on the following items:

Knives that have been engraved on
Knives that are used
Knives that are custom or made-to-order
Knives that have been sharpened, including via our honbazuke sharpening

Reasonably, if a knife cannot be resold in an as new condition, we will not accept a return on it unless it is a warranty-related failure, or from us shipping the wrong item.

Yes, you can read it here.

Your kitchen knife order also comes included with a guarantee and warranty flier. Please read that for further information.

Yes! Please contact us for further information or to start this process.

This process must start with an initial consultation with us. Orders without this consultation will be ignored.

Please note that while we cannot make all requests at all times, we will do our best to find the appropriate way to make your custom knife to the highest standard.

If we cannot make your order at a certain time, we encourage you to reapply again later.

We will provide you a form to fill out, and the ability to send us pictures or photos. After this form is completed, we will send you a quotation that is valid for one week. Once payment is processed, work will begin.

These quotations take some time to acquire. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this part of the process.

We do not accept blueprints. As we work with Sakai-based artisans to make our custom knives, we prefer to stick to geometries and shapes that fit their specialities.

However, if you have specific blade height or thickness requests, we may be able to help you. We will discuss this during your initial consultation.

No. Sakai-based artisans are best in class at making the knives they already make, and to respect their time and quality, we strictly stick to already known and common Japanese knife shapes and forms.

This includes putting a hole in the middle of the knife, and oddly curved spines or tips. We do not do such modifications.

We can however handle modifications such as Kiritsuke and Sakimaru modifications in many cases (such as requesting a petty knife with a kiritsuke tip, for example.)

This depends on the knife, but anywhere between six months to one and a half years should be expected. The average time is approximately ten months to one year.

Knives may take longer or shorter times than the above, and delays can happen. You can contact us to request status updates at anytime.

Knives are made in small batches, but you only need to buy one. We do this to keep production costs down, which in turn means you pay less for your made-to-order knife.

On average, for made-to-order knives we will make batches of around six. One is for your order (or more if you want to buy more, and this often happens) and the rest are sold in-store.

One. We will make more than one in the order, but you only need to order and pay for one knife. The rest we will keep for other purposes, such as sales, demonstrations, or other business activities.

No, as this would be unfair on the artisans who are interrupting their other production cycles to make a custom knife. In order to continue offering made-to-order knives, supporting them is paramount.

While you only need to buy one knife in a custom order, others will always be made. Please keep in mind that you only need to buy one, you do not need to buy the entire order out.

Quotations are valid for one week from issuance.

All quotations are provided in Japanese Yen, but you will pay in your local currency. These quotations do not include any import or landing charges. Shipping is free on custom orders over 40,000 Japanese Yen.

We source the highest end Sakai artisans available at any particular time for a made-to-order knife. For our custom orders, as we know that are extremely special, we will always seek out the most suitable artisans for an individual knife that can complete the request in a reasonable timeframe.

This means that we do not allow selection of artisans, blacksmiths, or sharpeners for our knives, nor do we reveal them. We ask that you place your trust in our over 70-year-old history and that we will endeavor to make the best knife possible for you.

You can choose the type of knife, the steel material, the handle shape and material, the blade length and alignment, tip modification if appropriate, and any special finishes such as Damascus finishes.

Yes! Our most popular custom orders are ones using a Suminagashi-Damascus steel finish; a specialty finish from Sakai compatible with high-carbon steel knives.

Yes! Please see the knife below.

This knife is a forge-welded 150mm Kiritsuke Wa-Petty using VG-10 stainless steel, an octagonal ebony wood handle, and Suminagashi-Damascus finish. This knife was produced in 2025.

Prices vary, but please expect made-to-order knives to cost significantly more than buying from our existing range. As making small-batch knives like this interrupts many different artisans' production cycles and incurs significantly higher administrative costs, it costs more to do.

Despite how long made-to-order knives take, it is similar to charging a “rush fee” for the artisans as they are often booked up for many, many years.

Custom or made-to-order knives are produced according to the wishes and specifications of the client who ordered it.

However, as each knife is handmade using natural materials, the color or patterning may vary from expectations. This does create truly one-of-a-kind pieces that we hope you will enjoy.

Returns or exchanges cannot be accepted for preference-related reasons, and all custom or made-to-order purchases are final.

If we got something wrong, such as using the wrong handle material, steel, or blade length, you can return the knife to us for a refund, or cancel the order. Contact us if you see any issues with your knife within seven days of delivery completion.

We will send you a photo of the knife for inspection before we send it out. Please keep in mind that colors may appear slightly different in photos compared to in person.

If the knife meets the originally accepted material specifications, it cannot be returned for non-warranty related reasons. Please be mindful that ebonizing your handle will void your knife's warranty.

Some woods are only available in certain colors at certain times. This is particularly the case with ebony wood, which can come in a range of brown to black hues.

While we will try our best to match the request of the color you want, we cannot guarantee this, and it is not eligible for a refund request.

For woods with this issue, we will confirm this with you in writing before the production starts.

If you are worried about this, we recommend using woods that have less color variance. Please contact us if you want to know more about this, or want suggestions.

We recommend sticking to our existing range because you can get significantly better value with your purchase.

However, we understand some people want to make a dream knife for their career, special occasion, or just because they want something truly special.

For these reasons, we offer this service.

Yes, we can make black knives. Depending on the situation, we may offer kurouchi or kurosome / kuroshime knives.

Kurouchi knives have a flat and spine that is black from blasting powder being left on the knife.

Kurosome or kuroshime knives are fully black from a "black rust" procedure, and are highly sought after.

Such knives can take a very long time to order, and be subject to higher costs. We recommend if you are just looking for the design to go with our existing lineup, such as the Yoi, Jō, or Karasu series when they are in stock.

However, if you are after a custom design that is black, we may be able to help. Please feel free to contact us.

Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide is a knifemaker and seller based in Doguyasuji, a kitchenware shopping street located in the Namba area of Osaka, Japan.

Tanaka Hisaka opened this business in August 1952, and the business is still run by the Tanaka family today.

Tanaka Ryō (田中 諒) is the third-generation president of this family business.

We have one store, which has never moved locations and is still in Doguyasuji today. However, what was once a 50 meter square store has since grown into a multi-floor main branch, with over 2,000 varieties of kitchen knife on display.

A majority of our knives are fully made in Sakai City, Osaka. However, we do also manufacture and source knives from other regions of Japan.

Major examples include Seki City in Gifu, Tsubame City and Sanjo City in Niigata, and Tosa City in Kochi. This list is not exhaustive, and we source knives from other regions in Japan as well.

Yes. All of our kitchen knives are made in Japan.

No. Our knives fall under two categories.

A majority of our knives are fully handmade, and you can see a Japanese video about our processes here.

Some of our other knives are produced in higher volume mostly by hand. The steel is prelaminated, but the rest of the procedure is handmade by artisans. You can see an English video about this process here.

None of our knives are mass produced by machines in factories.

Almost all of our knives come with a sharpening voucher, which will have a number written on it. Feel free to contact us and quote that number to confirm the validity of the knife. These vouchers have different designs based on the year of the knife, and you can see some examples on our about page.

Please keep in mind, these numbers are generated by transaction instead of by product, so multiple knives in a single sale will have the same number.

堺一文字光秀

Our brand name is made of three components.

堺 is Sakai, and refers to Sakai City, Osaka.

一文字 is Ichimonji, and refers to the showpiece sword in the front of our store, the Ichimonji Narimune (一文字成宗).

光秀 is Mitsuhide, and is related to the Tanaka family who runs the business.

No. Our company is strictly Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide, and other variations are different companies to us. Please keep this difference in mind when you are considering your next kitchen knife.

The safest way to know you are getting a Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide knife is to buy it directly from us, or contact us directly.

Kirameki (煌) is the trademarked name of Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide’s premium line of kitchen knives.

The kanji 煌 means glitter, gleam, or twinkle, and represents the extra efforts made by our artisans in creating this range.

While all of our knives are professional-grade, our Kirameki line is truly best in class, with the best master artisans behind their creation. They offer more polishing around the spine and chin, a lighter weight and feel, different bevels, and premium handles.

For our global audience, we are only sold through this website (https://global.ichimonji.co.jp/) or our suppliers. Please see here for our supplier list. This website is the only way to buy directly from us.

For our Japanese audience, we are available on our Japanese website (https://ichimonji.co.jp), as well as via Amazon Japan, Yahoo! Japan, and Rakuten.

Many famous chefs in restaurants throughout Japan use Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide, and have for decades. You can see a very small selection of the chefs we work with in our Meet the Chefs blog series, which includes many Michelin Star-level and award winning restaurants.

We are also used by chefs all around the world. While we cannot say precisely which chefs are using us at which time and want to respect their private decisions, customers of ours include owners and owner-chefs at multiple Michelin star-level restaurants, including 3-star ones.

Publicly, our knives are also seen in some television shows, such as Onmivore hosted by René Redzipi of Noma fame.

We do not pay for such appearances, and chefs using us do so for the love of the craft. We thank them for using our knives and for placing their faith in us.

We work with a variety of both master and apprentice artisans throughout Japan, with a focus on Sakai-based artisans. We have had relations with these knifemakers for decades, and work with the very best.

We especially work closely with Nakagawa Satoshi, who is Sakai’s youngest Traditional Craftsman, and one of the few artisans left in the world who can forge knives using the mizu-honyaki method. Some knives of his in our store will bear the 中川作 mark, translating as “Made by Nakagawa.”

While we work with many other artisans, for various reasons we do not disclose who they are. However, due to our long company history and strong brand reputation and trust in Japan, we kindly ask you to trust us when we say that we work with many high-end Sakai-based artisans. The results and quality of our knives speak for themselves.

We also work with up-and-coming apprentices, in order to help them earn a living wage and continue to preserve and promote the traditional craft of Japanese knifemaking.

This is for a variety of reasons, but this mostly comes down to supporting apprentice artisans, NDAs, providing better prices, and brand reputation.

One major advantage of not revealing our makers is it allows apprentices and younger artisans to compete on the same stage as the masters. While the prices of apprentice knives are much cheaper, this gives apprentices a way to make a living wage faster, and encourages people to join the sector as artisans.

Many artisans, especially ones we work with, are regarded as celebrities in the field due to their expertise and knowledge. Selling their knives “unsigned” allows them to be sold at a price that is suitable for Japanese restaurants, chefs, and owners.

Some blacksmiths do not want to be revealed for their own personal reasons, and to support and protect those artisans we apply this rule as a mostly-blanket rule across our range.

Finally, our Japanese customer base with a 70-year-history knows Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide as a very powerful and trustworthy brand. For many of them, Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide knives are intrinsically linked with good craftsmanship, and they seek brand over maker. We are a brand focused on culinary professionals in a street dedicated to culinary professionals, so our philosophies match that.

Our VIP Program is available to any customer who purchases a combined amount of 300,000JPY of product from us in one calendar year, entitling them to a 10% discount on all further purchases for the rest of that calendar year. You can find more details here.

Yes! You can subscribe at the bottom of the page, or sign up via the “Get Discount” tab on the side of our website (left on desktop, right on mobile). You’ll have a chance to receive a 5–10% discount code for your first purchase in our online store.

Newsletters are delivered roughly once every one to two weeks, showcasing new products, educational content, and previews of new items.

Thank you in advance for subscribing to our newsletter, and supporting Sakai knifemaking culture.

Yes! Name engraving is completely free on our kitchen knives. The engraving position and font style are selected by our staff based on what they feel will look best (also known as omakase style).

Since all engraving is done by hand, it may not be as precise as machine engraving. We hope you enjoy the warmth and charm of hand-engraving, knowing your knife will be truly one of a kind.

Engraving by hand is free of charge on all of our knives!

We can engrave words, numbers, and names in English, Japanese, and Chinese.

Specifically, we can engrave using the Latin alphabet (English, Spanish, etc.), Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.), Japanese hiragana, katakana, and kanji, and Chinese characters (hanzi).

Other languages may also be available upon request. Please contact us if you have a different need.

However, please note that when engraving is done by hammer and chisel, curved characters may not appear perfectly curved. We hope for your kind understanding.

Yes, and we do this often! Japanese uses three types of characters:

• Hiragana: Used for native Japanese words and grammar.
• Katakana: Used for foreign words, names, and sound effects.

Kanji: Chinese characters used to represent meanings and core words (such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives).

Most Japanese names are written in kanji, while foreign names are usually written in katakana. By default we engrave foreign names in katakana, but we can engrave in phonetic-based kanji upon request.

Here is an example of Katakana and Kanji for the name “Adam”:

- Katakana : アダム (pronounced a-da-mu)

- Kanji : 阿陀夢 (also pronounced a-da-mu)

Please consider your preferred character type and follow the instructions on the product page to request engraving.

If you request Kanji engraving, we will email you with several Kanji options for your name. Please check your email the day after your purchase to see our suggested options.

We also allow engraving of phrases, some idioms or proverbs, and special dates. However, we do not offer translation as they often do not translate well.

We also recommend considering the available space on the blade. Long phrases on short blades may look cluttered, so please review this before placing your order.

Almost all kitchen knives on our website are eligible for free name engraving. A very small amount of our knives are too small to fit an engraving on.

If this is the case, we will contact you before shipment to discuss further options.

Yes. Each type of knife has different rules. We do not engrave on the knife's handle and only engrave on the blade. This way, you can replace the handle later and keep your engraved name on the knife for its lifespan. Please see specific rules for each style of knife below.

For single-edged knives, we can only engrave on the front side of the blade, as engraving on the back decreases cutting performance.

For mono-steel, full-steel, or zenkou knives with a Japanese-style handle, we cannot engrave with a chisel and will use a rotary tool instead to prevent performance loss or damage to the knife.

For knife with a Western-style handle, we will engrave on the bolster with a chisel if possible, and on the blade with a rotary tool if not.

Character limits also apply, so please review each knife's engraving conditions before purchase. If you are unsure, contact us and we can help.

You can also view our engraving page for more information.

By default, we will engrave names or words into our knives using a chisel and hammer. In some circumstances, we will engrave using a rotary tool or via finely honed laser engraving. This is all done by our highly trained in-house engraving team.

We also now offer laser engraving, but you must contact us immediately after purchase to request this option. Please note, laser engravings take longer and add another business day to shipment time.

By default we engrave our knives by hand with our in-house engraving team. Other options are also available, such as laser engraving.

You must contact us immediately after purchase to organise laser engraving.

We do offer laser engraving! However, this comes with restrictions, such as font and language choice.

Please contact us for further information on laser engraving.

Engraving a picture or logo incurs a 5,000 Japanese Yen fee plus a per unit engraving fee, depending on the amount of knives you want engraved.

Please keep in mind that we will not engrave pictures or logos that you do not own the copyright to, or have legal permission to use. However, if you do have such permissions we find this is a great alternative or addition to corporate gifts!

Please contact us before purchase to organise custom picture or logo engraving.

It depends on the knife. With single-edged knives, we engrave the front side of the blade. We cannot engrave on the back side by hand. With double-edged knives, it is normally done on the back side, or the bolster if space permits.

See our engraving page for more details.

Japanese and Chinese engravings are normally written vertically (top to bottom). English engravings are normally written horizontally (left to right).

If you have a specific direction request, contact us immediately after purchase. Our engraving process on knives starts very quickly at our store, and requests cannot be made after the engraving has started.

The engraving font changes depending on which craftsperson engraves it, and the method used. As different staff work on different days, this cannot be specified.

As we do engrave in store, most shipments are unaffected. On occasion, some orders might require one extra business day. We appreciate your understanding.

If we have questions about your engraving, we will contact you and pause the order shipment until we can get answers.

Engraved knives are not eligible for return or exchange for non-warranty reasons, including refused or rejected deliveries.

If the engraving is incorrect, please contact us immediately, as the item may be eligible for an exchange.

All engraving is done based on the details you provide. We cannot take responsibility for errors caused by customer input (such as typos), so please carefully review your engraving request before placing your order.

Yes! We sharpen all brands of knives. Please contact us ahead of time with pictures so we can assist you best.

All non-serrated Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide knives come with a free sharpening voucher, which has no expiry date. These can be used at any time.

This voucher entitles you to one free sharpening service from us, provided you send the knives back to us or drop them off to our store in Osaka. Please keep in mind that this free service does not include shipping costs, or any other import duties.

Using the ticket comes with the following conditions.

–This ticket must be used on a Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide branded knife
–One ticket covers the sharpening fees for one knife
–Honyaki knives will still incur charges, but the price is reduced
–Knives that need repair will still incur charges, but the price is reduced
–Shipping and customs fees are not included, and must be paid by you
–Serrated knives such as bread knives do not come with a ticket, as they require specialised tools for sharpening

Contact us if you would like to redeem your ticket, and we can assist you.

You can also redeem your ticket by bringing your knife and ticket into our store in Osaka directly. Sharpening will take five to ten business days, depending on complexity and current workload.

We can provide an additional sharpening service before shipping on request. This service is called honbazuke (本刃付け).

As is, our knives have a sharp cutting edge that balances good edge retention. Our honbazuke service changes this balance, prioritising sharpness and cutting ability over everything else.

This service creates a thin, acutely angled edge that improves sharpness, but also increases brittleness. Honbazuke can also cause cosmetic damage, such as sharpening scratches and marks left on the blade. We only recommend requesting honbazuke if you know you need it. Requesting honbazuke will use your free sharpening ticket as the service fee, and adds approximately one week to the delivery time, as only certain staff can perform this service.

To request honbazuke, please contact us either before or immediately after purchase. Knives can sometimes leave our store the day of order, so please make sure to contact us quickly.

Knives with honbazuke applied become ineligible for non-warranty related refunds.

Yes! We can perform knife maintenance on almost all brands and types of knife.

Contact us and send us the brand name, knife type, and blade material if you know them. We will reply and ask to see some photos, so please attach those to the reply email. We will then send you a quotation (valid for one week) and shipping instructions.

Some types of knife material and shape cannot be maintained. We will tell you if this is the case, and suggest other options. Our sharpening service is targeted towards professional chefs who value high cutting ability, so this service may cause cosmetic damage such as scratches. Please note that we will not be held responsible for such cosmetic damage during our sharpening.

No. Our knives must never be washed in a dishwasher. This is the case with most professional-grade knives made in Japan. Doing so even once can destroy the knife, so please be very careful. Below are some reasons why this is not advised.

Water pressure from a dishwasher might force other items in the dishwasher onto the knife's cutting edge, chipping it.

If the knife has a wooden handle (including plywood seen on Western-style knives), this wood may swell or crack when it dries.

Finally, the abrasive chemicals used in dishwashing liquid will likely cause the knife to rust heavily and quickly.

Wash all Japanese kitchen knives with warm soapy water using the soft side of a kitchen sponge, and thoroughly dry them with a dry hand towel before storage.

We’ve written an article about cleaning kitchen knives with more information, which you can read here.

Do not wash knives with boiling water, as this will cause the blade to warp.

Do not wash your knives with bleach, chlorine, or any detergents with an acidic or fruit base. These can cause small rust spots to appear that are difficult to remove.

Do not wash your knives with the rough side of your sponge (unless you are removing rust), as this could cause scratches to appear.

This likely means you are using a high-carbon steel knife, which has started to show signs of red rust. Leaving a carbon steel knife wet will cause it to rust. If you leave rust on your knife, it will eventually pit inwards and create holes in your knife.

We recommend using a rust remover called Miracle Clean, a rust remover that is mixed with abrasives designed to polish your knife and remove rust at the same time. You can buy Miracle Clean here.

When owning a Japanese kitchen knife, it is important to get into the habit of thoroughly washing and drying it. Wash your knife and carefully wipe it dry with a dry cloth. Washing with warm soapy water is appropriate as this accelerates the drying procedure. Do not wash your knife with boiling water as this can warp or bend the knife.

If the blade begins to rust, it is important to remove the rust quickly. You can do this by scrubbing the knife with the abrasive side of a sponge. This will also remove knife stains and clean the knife's surface, but be careful as this may also scratch the knife. When scrubbing the knife, avoid touching the edge directly to prevent both dulling the blade and injuring yourself.

It is easy for red rust to form on knives that are brand new, but as a knife is used and sharpened it will gain some natural resistance.

Stainless steel knives will not have problems with red rust, but black or white specks can appear on the knife if it is neglected. This rust is immediately corrosive, and opens small holes in your knife, plus any rust on the cutting edge will cause the knife to chip more easily. Please clean, dry, and store your knives as if they were made of carbon steel to ensure the longest lifespan.

You can read our article on preventing rust here to learn more, or contact us if you have questions.

In most high-carbon steel cases, yes we can! Please send us a message with your request, then we will then request photos and provide you with a quotation.

When using a new knife, it may chip easily at first. This happens because of how high-carbon steel knives are processed.

Artisans forge carbon steel blades by hand and shape them on whetstones. The blade is fully tempered throughout, increasing the knife's overall lifespan, and allowing you to use the knife for a longer time. However, this process further hardens the knife around the surface, making it easy to chip when brand new. Please handle your knife with care during the initial period.

If a knife were tempered only on the surface, it would lose cutting performance after repeated sharpening. As you sharpen, a small amount of steel is removed, gradually exposing the tougher, more chip-resistant inner layers. After two to three sharpening sessions, expect to see better resistance to chipping.

You can read our maintenance articles to learn more about this.

We suggest learning the basics before trying to sharpen your high-end kitchen knives.

You can read our sharpening guides here.

Alternatively, you can watch our English YouTube videos on knife sharpening from the link below. We have a video on double-edged knives, as well as a video on single-edged knives, which require different techniques.

You can see an English video about sharpening double-edged knives here.

You can see an English video about sharpening single-edged knives here.

You should sharpen your knife in a way and to an edge or angle that reflects how you use the knife.

Sharpening your knife to a thin, acute edge makes it sharper, but decreases edge retention. Sharpening to a thicker angle increases durability, but decreases performance.

We recommend sticking between 10 to 15 degrees per cutting edge side.

This depends on the ingredients you cut with the kitchen knife, how frequently you use the knife, and most importantly what material your cutting board is made of.

We recommend you sharpen your knife when you notice the cutting ability weaken, even if it is slightly. A good way to test this is by slicing a tomato, and seeing if the knife catches or has any resistance.

If you are still unsure, we recommend sharpening your knife at least once every three months, but more frequently than that if you are using it in a professional setting.

Using a blunt knife is very unsafe, and we strongly recommend against it. As more force is needed to cut properly, using a blunt knife increases the risk of personal injury, plus increases the likelihood of damaging or chipping the knife.

Additionally, a blunt knife won’t cut food well, and will break down the cellular structure of the food much more, removing nutrients and making the ingredients' mouthfeel become worse.

If you have a kitchen knife that is not sharp, please do not use it until it has been sharpened.

In the kitchen, a sharp knife (if used properly) is a safe knife.

You will need to replace your handle. A swollen handle gives water a way to get into your handle and rust the tang, eventually breaking the tang and making the knife unusable.

Western-style knives can swell too. If rust appears, the tang and wood will swell, causing a gap to appear between them. Cleaning inside that gap is very difficult, and if left for too long the rivets holding the handle together could break.

We can repair handles in such conditions by replacing the handle material, or you can do this yourself at home if you have the specialised tools.

Learn how to by reading our guide here.

We can replace Japanese-style handles on most knives. Please contact us with your request, and we will then request photos and provide you with a quotation.

Please note, we do not offer Western-style handle replacement services, due to the need of specialised tools and higher fees.

A saya's interior can get humid in certain conditions, which will cause rust.

We advise to instead oil your knife, and wrap it in dry newspaper.

Knives stored long-term should be oiled to prevent rust caused by moisture found in the air.

After cleaning and thoroughly drying your knife, apply a small amount of knife or blade oil to your kitchen knife's blade. Your knife's cutting edge has a higher risk of rusting, so make sure it is properly oiled. We recommend only using a few drops at most.

After oiling, wrap your knife in dry newspaper and put it away for long-term storage. If you still have the original box your knife came in, it is best to store your covered knife in that.

You can see a quick video we made about wrapping a knife in newspaper on our YouTube channel here.

Hamono abura, otherwise known as blade or knife oil is preferred, but as long as your oil meets certain conditions it can be used.

Your oil must be neutral in taste and odor, food-safe, and be made of ingredients that do not change property or go rancid.

Popular substitute oils for blade oil are camellia/tsubaki oil, and mineral oil.

If you need to oil your knife urgently and you do not have the oils above, you can use extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil briefly, but these oils cannot be on the knife long-term and should be replaced with blade oil as soon as possible.

Most cooking or salad oils, such as vegetable oils, canola/rapeseed oils, and sunflower oils, are not suitable for oiling your knife.

Some of these oils may be neutral in taste and odor, but over time they can go rancid or become sticky, causing the knife to start rusting. Others will absorb into the knife, making every ingredient that knife cuts taste like that oil.

We highly advise avoiding using these oils on your knife, and using blade oil or camellia oil instead.

Yes! We host groups of up to twenty chefs from culinary schools and restaurants teaching them about Sakai knifemaking history, sharpening and cutting techniques, and why to look into and consider Japanese single-edged knives.

We do this on a bespoke basis, so please contact us to help us create your dream project!

In the interest of supporting chefs and restaurants, we keep costs affordable across all levels.

Yes! Please contact us and we can create a program especially for you. We have hosted events at exhibitions such as EXPO2025, and in hotels in the Osaka area.

We can do these events worldwide. Please see our ICHITOI Page for a small example of what we can do, keeping in mind we have done much larger projects.

Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide has always been a brand focused on supporting and serving chefs of Japanese cuisine, growing into a brand that supports chefs worldwide.

Our knives are suitable for use in restaurants, and designed specifically with that in mind!

Yes. Please see this example when we worked with famous ramen chain Kinryu Ramen and refitted their restaurants with our knives.

Logo engraving incurs extra charges. Please contact us if you want this for your restaurant.

Yes. Please contact us with your request. Be mindful that larger amounts of knives will take longer to do.

We are open to sponsorships or coverage of our knives. Please see this example of a review-based video we did with YouTuber ChefPanko.

Feel free to message us with your channel information or media kit, as well as any plans you have in mind for using our knives in your content. These plans do not need to be complete.

We review all requests on a case-by-case basis, and will reply with further information.

We also welcome inquiries from talent and influencer agencies.

Please note, we require all content made through influencer sponsorships to be compliant with sponsorship disclosure laws with Japan, the United States, and your country of residence. We also require all content using our knives to be as objective as possible.

Please message us with your request, and any media credentials you may have.

We highly value independent reviews, and while we do decide on these on a case-by-case basis, we will do our best to support media outlets and welcome all approaches.

Statements from and interviews with our executive or media teams are available upon request.

We do allow filming and photography, but we can accommodate your request much better if you message us ahead of time. We have many experiences on offer that can be catered to what you need. Please contact us first if possible, but on the day appointments are also welcome.

Please understand that not all staff members will want to be filmed, and respect the privacy of other customers when filming content in our store.

We highly welcome any content being filmed about our ICHITOI event space. Please contact us if you wish to do this, and we will help you create the best content that we can. We do have cameras and lighting equipment on site, if required.

Please contact us with your event information and request. While we highly prefer to be connected with culinary-related events, we review all inquiries and welcome them freely.

Yes! We can safely accommodate tour groups up to 20 people in size. Walk-in groups are okay, but we advise you to contact us first. This allows us to provide a better experience for your group.

Please keep in mind for large groups that name engraving services take some time. Factor in extra time for your group if you believe they will be purchasing.

We also offer special paid experiences for tour groups from one to twenty people in size, ranging from lectures on knifemaking history to sharpening demonstrations and even paper-cutting knifemaking! You can read more about these experiences on our ICHITOI event space page.

We offer a variety of experiences in our store, and can create unique experiences catered to your tour needs. Please contact us and let us know.

We are always happy to create bespoke experiences for your groups or company.

With warning, we can bring these experiences to your office or location anywhere in the world. Please contact us to start these arrangements, being mindful that they will take time to execute.

As a blanket rule, all events hosted in ICHITOI must relate to the ethos of promoting and preserving food and tool culture.

We welcome all inquiries regarding hosting events in ICHITOI that meet this requirement. Prices will depend on consultation on a case-by-case basis.

Our knives are only available in Japan directly through us. Please visit our store if you are interested in buying our knives.

Below is the list of approved vendors of Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide internationally, listed alphabetically based on country.

The Netherlands
Ichimonji Messen / Tohg

We have no other authorized sellers outside of this list.

Thank you for wanting to work with us at Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide. To maintain our high-quality after-sales support, services, and knife inventory, we retain an incredibly strict barrier of entry for wholesaling support, especially for those seeking country or region exclusivity. All vendors working with us must be able to match our level of after-sales service, including sharpening ability.

While we accept all inquiries from vendors and businesses who have highly qualified sharpeners on site who are experienced with sharpening Japanese knives on water-based whetstones, please understand that our acceptance rate is incredibly low.

We will respectfully decline wholesaling and vending applications from businesses that do not offer in-house Japanese kitchen knife sharpening services.