Japanese Swords and Knives

In 2016 at a knife equipment store in New York, our company president, Ryo Tanaka heard the following statement:

“Ten years ago, almost all the knives in this showcase were German, and there were only two to three types of Japanese knives. Now, half of them are Japanese. In another ten years, most of them will probably be Japanese.”

Now of course, there may have been an element of lip service - our president is Japanese, and the staff who mentioned it was in a kitchen equipment store and aware of our president’s profession, so a grain of salt needs to be taken. However, there's a tangible sense that the appreciation for Japanese knives overseas is much higher than the impression in Japan itself.

There's also a theory that the recognition of Japanese blades increased thanks to the depiction of Japanese swords in modern media, starting with Quentin Tarantino's movie KILL BILL.

Also, for Japanese chefs working abroad or who have trained overseas, such experiences seem to be common:

• Attracting a lot of attention when opening their knife case or roll in front of colleagues for the first time.

• Being asked to sharpen their knives.

• Being requested to bring back Japanese knives when returning to Japan.

• Fearing that Japanese knives will be stolen if not taken home every day.

Japanese chefs are often thought to use very sharp knives, and everyone is believed to have highly skilled sharpening abilities. While there are exceptions, there is a chef said the following: “Chefs who are conscious of wanting to learn cuisine in its home country probably don't neglect knife sharpening,” and we find this perspective pretty convincing.

For chefs considering a career overseas (including of course, coming to Japan), honing your sharpening skills from now onwards could be a stepping stone to career advancement. Even a famous German knife manufacturer from Solingen has a factory in Seki, Japan - exporting their products the world over.

Now, why has cutlery developed so much in Japan? This is because knives and their blades have a deep connection to Japan's history.

Some of you may be familiar with a sword known as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. While the change of eras from Heisei to Reiwa is still recent and fresh in our minds, it's worth noting that one of the three imperial regalia, always passed down during the change of emperors, is the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. This sacred sword holds significant importance as a symbol of the emperor's authority.

Several monarchies, including those in England, France, and Thailand, have a tradition of passing down swords and daggers through their generations. These regalia symbolize the reigning monarch's authority.

Much like how the history of humanity is connected with the chipped stone tools of old, the establishment of nations is also very closely linked with the symbolism of swords.

Swords being cherished as symbols of authority isn’t unusual, but the situation in Japan is different from other countries. It’s not the decoration of the handle or sheathe, but rather the iron or steel that makes up the blade that is treasured. In other words, the artistic value was found in the blade itself.

Below we see a masterpiece from the late Heian period, a renowned sword known as "Dōjikiri." The shine of this sword makes it is hard to believe that it was crafted nearly one thousand years ago!

Since ancient times, blacksmiths have existed in all kinds of regions, and the quality of available iron and the techniques employed have varied across locations and the eras themselves. Even scientific analysis by breaking down precious swords provides only a limited perspective. The study of Japanese swords, dating back to ancient times, still leaves many unanswered questions, so we’ll not give specialized explanations in this regard.

However, the idea in Japanese kitchen knives of "forging soft iron and blade metal together" bears a resemblance to the combination of the “core steel” and “skin steel” in Japanese swords, aiming to achieve a balance of high toughness and sharpness.

There are historical roots indicating that swordsmiths began making kitchen knives, and the influence from sword-making is likely to have played a role in steering knife-making development, especially in places like Sakai.

There are many regions in Japan where knives are produced that have their roots in making swords. Below is some more information about what roots some of the famous knifemaking regions in Japan have and what they specialise in now. You can read even more about those regions in our Knife Making Regions of Japan blog here!