From Osaka: Sakai Knife-Making Workshop Tour with Sharpening Lesson

Go behind the scenes of Sakai’s cooking knives on a guided backstage tour with hands-on sharpening and a visit to the Sakai Knife & Craft Museum.

Getting started

Meet your expert bilingual guide at the designated meeting point at least 10 minutes before departure. After you introduce yourself and confirm the number of guests, the guide checks you in and outlines the route for your chosen option. From there, you set off together toward Sakai to begin your backstage look at Japanese knife making.

What to expect

Knife factory and Sakai Knife & Craft Museum

Start at a working knife factory and then continue to the Sakai Knife & Craft Museum to understand why Sakai is known as the capital of cooking knives in Japan.

Features

• In the knife factory, you see how blades are produced on an industrial scale, which sets the stage for understanding traditional craftsmanship in the rest of the tour.
• At the Sakai Knife & Craft Museum, you explore displays that trace the history of knife making in Sakai, learning how this city became the capital of cooking knives in Japan.
• Entry to both the knife factory and the Sakai Knife & Craft Museum is included, along with all fees and taxes, so you can focus fully on the experience with no on-the-spot payments.
• Throughout these visits, your expert bilingual guide, with French available on request, helps interpret the process, tools, and exhibits so you can ask detailed questions and follow each step clearly.

Knife sharpening lesson with professional

Next, you move to a dedicated space for a practical session focused on maintaining and sharpening Japanese cooking knives.

Features

• A professional sharpener teaches traditional knife sharpening techniques, showing you how the angle, pressure, and motion affect the blade’s edge.
• You then learn and practice these knife sharpening techniques yourself under supervision, gaining hands-on experience you can apply at home.
• This knife sharpening lesson with a professional is fully included, so there is no extra fee for the instruction or use of equipment.
• During a short break in this part of the tour, one sweet per guest is provided, giving you a quick refresh before you continue.

Knife Maker Visit Guided Tour (knife maker option)

If you select the Knife Maker Visit Guided Tour, your route includes a historic workshop where blades are turned into finished cooking knives.

Features

• You visit a knife maker with over 100 years of history, watching artisans transform raw blades into handmade cooking knives through grinding, polishing, and handle fitting.
• The visit to this historic knife maker is part of the tour for this option, with your bilingual guide explaining each stage of the finishing process.
• During this stop, there is an opportunity to purchase customizable knives directly from the maker, choosing details like shape or finish according to what is available on the day.
• Customizable knives are available for purchase as an optional extra, so you can decide on the spot whether to invest in a personalized piece without any obligation.

Blacksmith Visit Guided Tour (blacksmith option)

If you choose the Blacksmith Visit Guided Tour, you step inside an active forge to see how blades are born from heated steel.

Features

• You visit a Sakai blacksmith workshop, entering a real workspace where traditional forging techniques are still used to create knife blades.
• Inside the workshop, you interact with a working blacksmith craftsman, observing the blade crafting process up close and hearing explanations about hammering, heating, and shaping.
• This visit to the Sakai blacksmith workshop, including the direct interaction with the blacksmith, is included in the guided tour price for this option.
• Your bilingual guide facilitates questions and translates the blacksmith’s explanations, helping you understand each phase of the blade’s journey from steel to finished form.