All 10 Knife Shops in Seki — Japan's Blade City (2026)
Table of Contents
With over 700 years of blade-making history, Seki in Gifu Prefecture is one of the world's three great cutlery capitals — alongside Solingen, Germany and Thiers, France. From samurai swords to modern kitchen knives, Seki's legacy lives on in dozens of manufacturers and attractions. Today, the city produces an estimated half of Japan's cutlery.
Make one yourself
Seki's makers sell blades and run factory tours. The forges in the same prefecture that put a hammer in your hand are booked separately.
About 35 min by Shinkansen from Kyoto, one stop from Nagoya
Forge a knife at Asano KajiyaMost booked by our readersHashima, Gifu (near Seki) · 360 min
Six hours at the anvil rather than a workshop hour.
Seki area, Gifu · 170 min
Seki's museums and local shops with a certified swordsmith as guide, then a private visit to a working forge to watch folding-forging and try the hammering yourself.
Tomika, next to Seki · 330 min
A paper knife, not a kitchen knife: you forge, temper, polish and inscribe it over a day in the swordsmith's workshop, and take it home the same day.
Compare all nine knife-making workshops in Japan
Most of these are booked by request: you propose a date, the workshop confirms it afterwards. Only a handful confirm on the spot — the operator filters those here. Travel times as listed by the operator on 31 October 2026. Affiliate links: if you book, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. These are the operator's listings, not editorial picks. We are an independent publisher, not connected to the operator.
Knife Shops & Attractions
Blade-heritage museum — closed until 31 March 2027
Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum 関鍛冶伝承館
Closed for renovation from 7 September 2026 to 31 March 2027 (Seki City). The reopening date will be announced by the city.
Seki City's museum of the Seki smiths' craft, told through film, documents and exhibits: katana by leading Seki swordsmiths such as Kanemoto and Kanesada, sword fittings and, on the upper floor, modern scissors and kitchen knives alongside work by knife makers from Japan and abroad. The museum is closed for renovation from 7 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, but the public demonstrations of traditional sword forging (usually on the first Sunday of the month; January and October have their own dates) continue in its forge during the closure.
- Admission: ¥300
- Highlight: Public traditional sword-forging demos (usually the 1st Sunday of the month; January and October have their own dates) — the museum is closed for renovation until 31 March 2027, but the demos continue in its forge
Checked 2026-09-15 against the shop’s own sources; not confirmed: hours.
2,000+ Items Under One Roof
Seki Cutlery Center 岐阜関刃物会館
A cutlery sales hall in Seki with over 2,000 items from local manufacturers under one roof: kitchen knives, outdoor knives, scissors and sharpening tools. A practical place to compare Seki brands side by side.
- Specialty: Largest selection of Seki-made knives in one place
- Tip: Best place to compare brands and find deals
- Ships overseas ask the shop
- Online store ask the shop
- Engraving ✓
- Tax-free ask the shop
“✓” = confirmed on the shop’s own website or an official listing such as a trade association’s or the local authority’s (2026-10-30). Anything else: please ask in store.
Details checked 2026-09-15
Established 1940 — Showroom
Yamahide 山秀
Founded in 1940, Yamahide operates a welcoming knife showroom in Seki where walk-in visitors can browse and purchase directly. Their collection spans kitchen knives, outdoor knives, and specialty blades. Knowledgeable staff can help you choose the right knife for your needs.
- Established: 1940
- Specialty: Kitchen knives, outdoor knives, walk-in showroom
- Ships overseas ✓
- Online store ✓
- Engraving ask the shop
- Tax-free ask the shop
“✓” = confirmed on the shop’s own website or an official listing such as a trade association’s or the local authority’s (2026-10-30). Anything else: please ask in store.
Details checked 2026-09-15
Established 1957 — Manufacturer
Yasuda Hamono 安田刃物
This is the company’s head office (moved here on 9 May 2024). The company does not list shop sales or visits here — buy through its stockists.
A Seki knife manufacturer established in 1957. Yasuda Hamono produces its own line of kitchen knives, sold through its stockists.
- Established: 1957
- Specialty: Own-brand kitchen knives
- Ships overseas ask the shop
- Online store ✓
- Engraving ✓
- Tax-free ask the shop
“✓” = confirmed on the shop’s own website or an official listing such as a trade association’s or the local authority’s (2026-10-30). Anything else: please ask in store.
Details checked 2026-09-15
Kikumatsu 菊松
We could not find this shop in our last check (15 September 2026). Contact it before planning a visit.
A Seki knife specialty shop carrying a range of Japanese-made blades. Kikumatsu focuses on quality kitchen knives produced in Seki, offering both traditional Japanese-style and Western-style designs from local craftsmen.
- Specialty: Seki-made kitchen knives, Japanese-made blades
Not yet checked against the shop’s own sources — confirm before you go.
Toginon トギノン
A Seki-based manufacturer and retailer specializing in both knives and sharpening tools. Toginon is known for their professional-grade sharpening products alongside their kitchen knife lineup. A great destination for buyers interested in knife maintenance equipment as well as blades.
- Specialty: Kitchen knives, sharpening tools, knife maintenance
- Ships overseas no
- Online store ✓
- Engraving ask the shop
- Tax-free ask the shop
“✓” = confirmed on the shop’s own website or an official listing such as a trade association’s or the local authority’s (2026-10-30). Anything else: please ask in store.
Not yet checked against the shop’s own sources — confirm before you go.
Feather Museum フェザーミュージアム
A free museum run by Feather Safety Razor Co. that follows “cutting” from the Stone Age to the future, with hands-on exhibits for all ages.
- Admission: Free
- Highlight: Interactive exhibits, blade history, free admission
- Retail: Knives, razors, and grooming tools
Details checked 2026-09-15
Kai Corporation 貝印
One of Japan's largest knife makers, founded in Seki in 1908 and still making its knives there (the head office is now in Tokyo). Kai produces the world-famous Shun line and the classic Seki Magoroku series. Its knives are widely available at the Seki Cutlery Center and throughout the city.
- Brands: Shun, Seki Magoroku, Kai
- Highlight: World-renowned Japanese knife brand born in Seki
- Ships overseas ask the shop
- Online store ✓
- Engraving ✓
- Tax-free ask the shop
“✓” = confirmed on the shop’s own website or an official listing such as a trade association’s or the local authority’s (2026-10-30). Anything else: please ask in store.
Not yet checked against the shop’s own sources — confirm before you go.
9. Sekiteras / Seki Terrace せきてらす
Seki's tourist hub: a modern complex that brings the city's cutlery hall, shops and event space under one roof. Designed as a gateway to Seki's blade culture, with a selection from local makers.
Details checked 2026-09-15
Why visit: Sekiteras is Seki's visitor hub, with the city's cutlery hall, shops and event space in one complex. It is a good starting point for a Seki knife trip — get oriented and shop from a selection of local makers in one place.
10. Magoroku Cutlery 孫六刃物製作所
Named after the legendary Seki swordsmith Magoroku Kanemoto, whose blades were prized by samurai warriors. This retail shop carries a range of kitchen knives, outdoor knives, and traditional blades that honor the Magoroku legacy. Located near the Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum.
- Ships overseas ask the shop
- Online store ✓
- Engraving ask the shop
- Tax-free ask the shop
“✓” = confirmed on the shop’s own website or an official listing such as a trade association’s or the local authority’s (2026-10-30). Anything else: please ask in store.
Details checked 2026-09-15
Why visit: The name Magoroku Kanemoto is legendary in Seki — one of the greatest swordsmiths in Japanese history. This shop carries that heritage into kitchen knives, offering blades that connect directly to Seki's samurai sword-making past. Located near the museum, it pairs perfectly with a visit to the Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum, though the museum is closed for renovation until 31 March 2027.
About Seki
Seki's blade-making tradition began in the 13th century when swordsmiths were drawn to the region by its ideal resources: high-quality clay for tempering, charcoal from the surrounding mountains, and pure water from the Seki River. By the Muromachi period (1336-1573), Seki was producing some of Japan's finest katana.
After the samurai era ended, Seki's smiths transitioned to knives, scissors, razors, and surgical instruments. Today, an estimated half of Japan's cutlery production comes from Seki, making it the country's largest blade-producing region.
Every October, the Seki Cutlery Festival (関の刃物まつり) draws tens of thousands of visitors with factory sales at significant discounts, live forging demonstrations, sharpening services, and special limited-edition knives.
Getting There
- From Nagoya: Direct highway bus to Seki — approx. 1 hour 20 minutes
- From Gifu: Gifu Bus, Gifu–Seki line — approx. 50 minutes
- From Mino-Ota: Nagaragawa Railway to Seki — approx. 20 minutes
- By car: Approx. 1 hour from Nagoya via Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway
- Local transport: City bus available, but a car or taxi is recommended for visiting all sites
Rail and bus times are the figures on Seki City's access page (checked 30 October 2026).
Tip: The annual Seki Cutlery Festival (October) offers the best deals and live demonstrations. Plan your trip around it if possible.