Visit a Japanese knife factory

There are regions that are more marked than others by craftsmanship. Echizen in Fukui Prefecture is a perfect example. In addition to being the birthplace of Washi paper , the province also specializes in knife manufacturing, as evidenced by the cutlery village of Takefu .

It all started in 1337 , when Kuniyasu Chiyozuru, master blacksmith in Kyoto, started making swords , but also sickles for farmers. Some locals then sought to learn manufacturing techniques to start making axes and other bladed agricultural tools themselves.

Recognized know-how

The site of Takefu then specialized in this craft, to the point of becoming, in the middle of the 19th century, the city which sold the most sickles in all of Japan . Gradually, the range of products made in Takefu expanded, in order to meet the common needs of the Japanese, particularly in terms of kitchen knives or garden tools . This is how Takefu's works were recognized as traditional crafts in 1979 , a first for bladed tools in Japan.

This Takefu cutlery village therefore allows visitors to learn more about the history of knives and other bladed tools in the region. The museum, very well documented, alternates between presentation texts, videos and exhibits . It is possible to discover all the various ranges of kitchen knives and the least we can say is that it is impressive!

See also: 10 Japanese kitchen utensils

See artisans at work

The visit then continues with the observation of the blacksmiths at work , thanks to a balustrade located above their workstation. It can be seen that the forged blades of Echizen are worked by hand, beating the heated steel with a hammer. True to the traditional Mawashi Kozuke forging process , artisans roll and hammer ferrite and steel into a diamond-shaped blank.

If you are lucky enough to discover Takefu at the beginning of the year, do not miss the traditional New Year's Day ceremony . Every January 1 , blacksmiths dressed in white clothes and black headdresses perform a first forging , an ancestral rite that is supposed to bring security to the site for the entire year.

Make your own knife

Finally, it is also possible to try your hand at making your own kitchen knife, letter opener or even key ring . For the most passionate, there is a two-day course, ie 12 hours of work, where you forge the steel yourself before transforming it into a knife. Enough to bring back beautiful memories once the trip is over!