Our Journey to Japan: Meeting Japanese Knife Masters | Sharp Knives Malta
For us, Japanese knives have never been just products on a shelf.
Behind every blade is a combination of steel, heat treatment, forging, grinding, sharpening, finishing and years of experience. To understand that properly, there is no substitute for going to Japan, meeting the people behind the knives and seeing the work first-hand.
Our trip to Japan gave us the opportunity to visit workshops, meet respected craftsmen, study sharpening and blade geometry, and deepen our understanding of the tradition and skill behind Japanese knife making.
Visiting Sakai – One of Japan’s Great Knife-Making Cities
Sakai has been one of the centres of Japanese blade making for centuries and remains an important home of traditional kitchen knife production.
During our visit, we spent time learning more about the different stages involved in creating a Japanese knife and meeting people whose careers have been dedicated to one specific part of the process.
Unlike many mass-produced knives, traditional Japanese knives are often the result of several specialists working together.
One craftsman may forge the blade, another may grind it, another sharpens and finishes the edge, while others work on handles, engraving and final assembly.
Seeing this process in person gives a completely different appreciation for the finished knife.
Learning From Master Sharpeners
One of the most valuable parts of the trip was spending time with experienced Japanese sharpeners.
Sharpening is far more than simply making an edge sharp.
Blade geometry, thinning, bevel consistency, pressure, stone choice and finishing all have a major effect on how a knife cuts and performs.
We had the privilege of learning from highly experienced craftsmen, including Ajioka-san, a master sharpener with decades of knowledge, and Hideki Ino, whose sharpening work reflects the precision that Japanese knives are known for.
These sessions gave us a deeper understanding of geometry and edge preparation — knowledge that we can bring back into our own sharpening and restoration work in Malta.
Meeting Yoshikazu Tanaka and the Next Generation
We also had the opportunity to meet Yoshikazu Tanaka, one of Sakai’s respected blacksmiths, together with his son Yoshi.
Meeting the people behind the knives is one of the most important parts of understanding Japanese craftsmanship.
It allows us to look beyond steel names and specifications and understand the experience, technique and decision-making that go into every blade.
Visiting Shibata-san
Another highlight of the trip was visiting Takayuki Shibata-san.
Shibata knives are well known for their thin geometry, precision and cutting performance.
Meeting him in person and seeing more of the philosophy behind his work gave us a much stronger understanding of why his knives perform the way they do.
We were also fortunate to receive a signed knife — a special reminder of the trip and the relationships we continue to build with Japanese makers.
More Than Just Knives
The trip was not only about buying products.
We visited the Sakai Knife Museum, explored knife shops and knife-making areas around Osaka, and spent time understanding the wider culture surrounding Japanese craftsmanship.
We also met other skilled craftsmen involved in sharpening, blacksmithing, engraving and handle making.
Each person represented a different part of the process, but the common theme was the same: precision, patience and respect for the craft.
Why These Trips Matter to Sharp Knives Malta
Anyone can read a steel specification.
What matters more is understanding how a knife is actually made, how the geometry affects cutting performance, how different steels behave on sharpening stones and why two knives with similar specifications can perform very differently.
Trips like this help us make better decisions about the products we bring to Malta.
We do not want to select knives simply because they look good or because a steel name sounds impressive.
We want to understand the maker, the construction, the grind, the edge and the intended use.
That knowledge also helps us give better advice to our customers.
Bringing Japanese Craftsmanship Back to Malta
Everything we learn in Japan comes back with us.
It influences how we choose knives, how we sharpen, how we repair damaged blades and how we advise customers choosing their first or next Japanese knife.
For us, Sharp Knives Malta is not simply about selling Japanese knives.
It is about building knowledge, maintaining relationships with the people behind the products and continuing to improve the service we offer.
Final Thoughts
Visiting Japan reinforced something we already believed strongly:
A great Japanese knife is not simply a piece of steel.
It represents many years of skill, tradition and specialised craftsmanship.
Being able to meet the people behind these knives, learn directly from them and see their work up close is something we value enormously.
And every time we return to Malta, our aim is to bring a little more of that knowledge and respect for the craft back with us.