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Genuine Japanese Knives with 600 Years of History
Osaka-Kinki
Area
Trading City Where Emperors Were Interred
Sakai, a port city facing Osaka Bay, once flourished as a bustling trading city where a lot of people, goods and culture from all over the globe came together.
With this background, during the medieval Japan, Sakai developed into a self-governing city full of liberty, in which a variety of traditional industries were established.
Sakai is also known for its ancient tombs, typically keyhole-shaped and dedicated to emperors, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. The largest of them, Nintoku-Tenno-Ryo Tumulus, is believed to have been built in the 5th century, and is one of the tourist highlights in Sakai.
Sakai is now the second largest city in Osaka prefecture.
History
100 Years of Business Backed by 600 Years of History
Takahashikusu was established as a knife manufacturer and wholesaler in 1917 in Sakai, a city with more than 600 years of knifemaking history.
Sakai’s knife industry was expanded particularly in the 16th century. As tobacco was introduced from Portugal, sharp knives to cut up tobacco leaves were produced in Sakai and soon became a monopoly of the Edo Shogunate because of its top-notch quality.
Traditional skills to create high-quality knives have been passed down for generations, and here at Takahashikusu, we have been providing exquisite Japanese knives crafted by skillful craftspeople for over 100 years.
We also provide Western knives in partnership with manufacturers in regions famous for Western knives, such as Seki (Gifu), Takefu (Fukui) and Tsubame-Sanjo (Niigata).
Yusuke Takahashi became our fourth-generation president in 2020, which marked the beginning of a new era for Takahashikusu.
Characteristic
Single-Edged and Forged Knives
There are two main features of Sakai knives – “single-edged” and “forged.”
Single-edged knives have an acute edge on one side of their blades unlike the Western knives which are double-edged.
Since single-edged knives are extremely sharp, you can cut ingredients beautifully and smoothly without damaging its taste or flavor. Also, the cut ingredients will rarely stick onto the blades, making it possible to cut much easier and quicker than Western knives.
Forging, which refers to the tempering of metal, is a technique to beat the blade metal, which is a combination of carbon steel and iron, multiple times with tools such as hammers. There are more than ten steps in this process and each step requires a significant amount of time.
Through this forging process, the blade metal is heated, beaten and cooled repeatedly to increase its density, enhancing its hardness and tenacity. This is why the forged knives are tough, durable and rarely chip.
For these reasons, Sakai knives are used by more than 90% of domestic professional chefs.
For Customers
User-Friendly Japanese Knives With Attention to Details
Since our establishment in 1917, we have distributed numerous high-quality Japanese knives to the world of Japanese cuisine.
The process of making Sakai knives is divided into three main stages, and each stage is performed by a different craftsperson who excels in that area. Our mission is to connect the skills of each craftsperson, while paying our utmost attention when producing every single knife.
We hope that an increasing number of customers around the world will use our products. At the same time, we aim to transform Sakai’s knife industry into a sustainable business.
In order to make these possible, we continue to strive to create user-friendly Japanese knives.
