Asaoya Yaichi

タグ: Kochi Japan

  • Best Japanese Knife to Buy in Japan: 7 Reasons Santoku Wins

    Best Japanese Knife to Buy in Japan: 7 Reasons Santoku Wins

    Kappabashi

    If you are travelling to Japan and love cooking, bringing home a Japanese kitchen knife can be much more meaningful than buying a typical souvenir. But with Gyuto, Santoku, Nakiri, Deba, Yanagiba and many other styles in front of you, which one should you choose?

    When people ask about the best Japanese knife to buy in Japan, I think the Santoku deserves serious consideration.

    I have worked as a professional chef for more than 25 years in Japan and Australia, and there is also something interesting I learned through the knife business. A sales representative from Ishizuchi Kanamono Seisakusho, the supplier I work with in Japan, once told me that many customers choose Santoku knives.

    That is also one reason why I stock relatively more Santoku knives at Asaoya Yaichi.

    Looking for an authentic Japanese knife in Australia?
    Explore our collection of Japanese knives selected directly from Japan.

    👉 Visit our online store:
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    But why Santoku?

    The more I think about it as both a chef and a knife seller, the more the answer makes sense.

    Best Japanese Knife to Buy in Japan? Start With Versatility


    180mm Santoku VG10N 33 Layer Damascus Green Marble Handle Rainbow Spacer

    The word “Santoku” is commonly associated with three virtues or three uses: meat, fish and vegetables.

    That already explains much of its appeal.

    A traditional Yanagiba is wonderful for slicing sashimi. A Deba is designed for working with fish. A Nakiri is excellent for vegetables. These knives have strong individual identities, but their specialised nature may not suit someone who simply wants one Japanese knife for everyday cooking.

    A Santoku sits comfortably in the middle.

    You can prepare vegetables, portion meat, slice boneless fish and handle most normal kitchen preparation with the same knife.

    For someone buying only one knife in Japan, that versatility matters.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Read “Japanese Knife Names” here.

    The Size Makes Sense in a Home Kitchen


    180mm Santoku SG2 Rosewood Octagonal Handle

    Another important reason is blade length.

    Santoku knives are commonly around 165–180mm. That makes them noticeably more compact than many Gyuto knives and much shorter than traditional Yanagiba.

    For a professional chef working on a large cutting board, a 210mm or 240mm Gyuto may feel completely normal. At home, however, the extra length is not always necessary.

    A Santoku gives you enough blade for most ingredients without dominating a smaller cutting board.

    At Asaoya Yaichi, we stock a selection of 180mm Santoku knives because I believe this size offers a great balance — compact and comfortable enough for everyday home cooking, while still being practical and versatile enough for professional chefs.

    This is one reason I believe the Santoku works particularly well as the best Japanese knife to buy in Japan for someone who plans to actually use their souvenir rather than simply display it.

    Familiar Enough for Beginners


    180mm Santoku Aogami #2 Green Micarta Handle with Turquoise Spacer

    Many traditional Japanese knives are single bevel. They are fascinating tools, but they require a little more knowledge in both use and sharpening.

    Most Santoku knives are double bevel, making the transition much easier for someone accustomed to ordinary Western kitchen knives.

    That matters when buying a first Japanese knife.

    A beautiful knife is not particularly useful if the owner is afraid to use or sharpen it.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Read “Single vs Double Bevel Japanese Knives” here.

    Why I Stock More Santoku Knives

    Ishizuchi Kanamono Manufactory

    My decision to stock more Santoku knives at Asaoya Yaichi was not based purely on online trends.

    As mentioned earlier, a sales representative at Ishizuchi Kanamono Seisakusho told me that many people buying knives choose Santoku.

    That stayed in my mind.

    After more than 25 years in professional kitchens, I could understand why. It is simply a very practical shape for everyday cooking.

    So when selecting knives for Australia, I naturally included more Santoku options.

    I am not saying everyone should buy a Santoku. Someone who regularly breaks down fish may prefer a Deba. Someone slicing sashimi may want a Yanagiba. A chef comfortable with longer blades may prefer a Gyuto.

    The right knife always depends on the person using it and what they actually cook.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Read “Hand-Forged vs Machine-Made Japanese Knives” here.

    Best Japanese Knife to Buy in Japan Can Still Feel Japanese


    180mm Kiritsuke Aogami #2 Kurouchi Walnut Octagonal Handle

    There is another side to this question: emotion.

    When someone buys a knife while travelling through Japan, they may want more than functionality. They may want something that reminds them of Japan when they return home.

    This is where finishes such as Kurouchi become interesting.

    I recently showed Kurouchi knives to a café owner here in Australia. His reaction was that this was the kind of Japanese-looking knife he wanted to display.

    That reminded me that overseas customers sometimes see Japanese knives differently from Japanese customers.

    A Santoku with a traditional Japanese handle, hand-forged character or Kurouchi finish can combine two things beautifully: everyday practicality and a distinctly Japanese appearance.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Read “Tosa Knives and Kurouchi — Why Is This Finish So Common?” here.

    The Story Behind the Knife Matters Too


    165mm Santoku A10 Damascus Black & Red Octagonal Handle

    There are famous knife-producing regions throughout Japan, including Sakai, Seki, Echizen and Tosa. Each developed its own history and relationship with blade making.

    For me, this is part of what makes buying a Japanese knife special.

    You are not simply choosing steel and blade length. You can also discover where it came from, how it was made and why that particular style developed.

    That story can turn a kitchen tool into something you keep and use for decades.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Read “Knife Regions of Japan — Do Origins Really Matter?” here.

    My Answer After 25 Years in Kitchens


    180mm Santoku Ginsan Nashiji Forged Magnolia Octagonal Handle Buffalo Horn

    So, what is the best Japanese knife to buy in Japan?

    There is no single knife that is perfect for everyone.

    But if you are looking for one Japanese knife to take home, especially for everyday household cooking, I believe a Santoku is one of the safest and most practical choices.

    It is compact without being too small, versatile without being boring, beginner-friendly while still being used by professionals, and unmistakably connected to Japanese kitchen culture.

    Perhaps that is why so many people choose one.

    Sometimes the best souvenir is not something you put on a shelf.

    It is something you use every day — and every time you pick it up, it reminds you where it came from.

    👉 Explore more:
    https://blog.asaoyayaichi.com.au

    👉 Visit our online store:
    https://asaoyayaichi.com.au

    Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you again in the next story.

  • Tosa Knives and Kurouchi — Why the Black Finish Became So Common

    Tosa Knives and Kurouchi — Why the Black Finish Became So Common

    Ishizuchi Kanamono Manufactory

    Tosa Knives are often easy to recognise. Among polished Japanese knives, Damascus patterns and mirror finishes, many traditional Tosa knives have a much rougher appearance: a dark, almost black surface left above the cutting edge.

    This finish is called Kurouchi (黒打ち).

    Today, Kurouchi has become something many people associate with traditional Japanese knives. But while researching the history of Tosa Knives, I became curious about a more specific question: why does Kurouchi seem to fit Tosa knives so naturally?

    The answer is not as simple as I first expected.

    Tosa Knives Began as Tools for Working People


    From Agricultural Tools to Kitchen Knives

    To understand Kurouchi, we first need to understand where Tosa Knives came from.

    Kochi Prefecture has one of Japan’s strongest historical connections with forestry. Surrounded by mountains and forests, the region developed a long tradition of producing tools for agriculture and forestry.

    Tosa blacksmiths were not historically making only kitchen knives. They produced sickles, hatchets, saws and many other cutting tools required by farmers and forestry workers.

    According to Kochi City, records from the Chosokabe land survey of 1590 indicate that there were 399 blacksmiths in the region. Demand for agricultural and forestry blades later increased during the Edo period as these industries developed.

    These were working tools.

    They needed to cut well, survive hard use and remain practical.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “The History of Tosa Knives”

    That practical background is important when looking at the appearance of traditional Tosa blades.

    Tosa Knives and the Tradition of Free Forging

    One of the defining characteristics of Tosa cutlery is a technique known as Jiyu Tanzo (自由鍛造), or free forging.

    Rather than simply cutting a standard shape from sheet steel, Tosa blacksmiths traditionally forged blades according to their intended purpose. Different regions, working conditions and users could require different dimensions and shapes.

    Kochi Prefecture still describes this free-forging tradition as one of the defining characteristics of Tosa cutlery.

    In other words, the blade begins with its purpose.

    Its shape follows what the user needs.

    That philosophy helps explain why the sometimes rugged appearance of traditional Tosa Knives does not feel out of place. These blades developed from a culture where function mattered enormously.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “What Makes Tosa Knives Different from Other Japanese Knives”

    What Is Kurouchi on Tosa Knives?


    165mm Kiritsuke Thick Deba Aogami #2 Kurouchi Walnut Octagonal Handle

    Kurouchi literally refers to the dark finish left on part of a forged blade.

    During forging and heat treatment, a dark oxide scale forms on the steel. Instead of polishing the entire surface until it becomes bright and uniform, part of that dark surface is left visible while the cutting area is ground and sharpened.

    The result is the familiar contrast between the dark upper blade and the exposed steel closer to the edge.

    It looks rustic because, in a sense, it is.

    Kurouchi is not Damascus decoration painted onto a blade. The dark appearance comes from the blade-making process itself.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “Kurouchi Japanese Knives — What I Learned After Removing It”

    Why Did Kurouchi Become So Common on Tosa Knives?

    This is where I think we need to be careful.

    I could not find a reliable historical source that simply states: “Kurouchi became common in Tosa because of this one reason.”

    So I do not want to invent a history just because it makes a good story.

    What we can establish is that Tosa cutlery developed strongly alongside agriculture and forestry, that practical working blades were extremely important to the region, and that free forging became a defining part of its manufacturing culture.

    From that background, leaving part of the forged surface unpolished makes practical sense. It avoids the need to polish every part of a working blade purely for appearance while retaining the unmistakable character of forging.

    That does not prove that Kurouchi originated in Tosa.

    It almost certainly should not be described that way.

    But it does help explain why Kurouchi and Tosa Knives feel so naturally connected.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “Handmade Japanese Knives — Why No Two Are Exactly the Same”

    From Practical Finish to Japanese Character


    240mm Thick Deba Aogami #2 Kurouchi Walnut Handle

    Something interesting happened to me today here in Australia.

    I visited a café to show the owner some of our knives. When he saw one of the Kurouchi knives, he told me:

    “I want to have this kind of Japanese-looking knife.”

    That comment stayed with me.

    A finish that historically makes perfect sense on a practical forged tool now communicates something completely different on the other side of the world.

    It communicates Japan.

    The uneven black surface, the visible contrast with the sharpened steel and the slightly rugged appearance tell a story before anyone even uses the knife.

    For me, that is part of what makes Tosa Knives fascinating.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: 壮大 Sōdai | The Knife That Stops People Before They Even Pick It Up

    Tosa Knives: Kurouchi Feels at Home in Tosa


    180mm Kiritsuke Aogami #2 Kurouchi Walnut Octagonal Handle

    I cannot say that Kurouchi was invented in Tosa, nor can I point to a single historical event that explains exactly why it became so strongly associated with Tosa blades.

    But perhaps that is not the most important point.

    Tosa cutlery grew from forests, farms, blacksmiths and people who needed reliable tools. Its tradition of free forging placed purpose before perfect uniformity.

    Kurouchi fits that philosophy remarkably well.

    What was once simply a practical way to finish a forged blade has also become part of the visual character that people around the world now recognise as distinctly Japanese.

    And today, standing in a café in Australia and hearing someone say, “This is the kind of Japanese knife I want,” I was reminded that the old character of Tosa still has the power to speak for itself.

    👉 Explore more:
    https://blog.asaoyayaichi.com.au

    👉 Visit our online store:
    https://asaoyayaichi.com.au

    Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you again in the next story.

  • 流通 | Tosa Knife History: 5 Surprising Ways Tosa Blades Spread Across Japan

    流通 | Tosa Knife History: 5 Surprising Ways Tosa Blades Spread Across Japan

    Ishizuchi Kanamono Manufactory

    When I started looking deeper into Tosa knife history, I became curious about something I had never really thought about before.

    We often talk about how Tosa blades were forged, the blacksmiths who made them, and the traditions that survived for hundreds of years. But after researching the history of Tosa knives recently, another simple question came to mind:

    How did these blades actually get from the blacksmiths of Tosa into the hands of people elsewhere in Japan?

    I sell Tosa knives in Australia today, yet I honestly did not know much about how Tosa blades were distributed in the past. So, as with many of the subjects on this blog, I decided to look it up.

    Tosa Knife History Started With More Than Kitchen Knives


    Japanese nata (traditional Japanese forestry blade)

    One thing that becomes clear when researching Tosa knife history is that we should not imagine Tosa as simply a historical kitchen-knife production area.

    Kochi Prefecture, historically known as Tosa Province, has long been closely connected with forestry. Its warm, rainy climate supported extensive forests, and timber became an important resource.

    Working in those forests required cutting tools.

    Axes, hatchets, sickles and saws were essential working tools, and the demand for agricultural and forestry blades helped Tosa’s blacksmithing industry develop. During the early Edo period, policies encouraging forestry and the development of new farmland increased this demand significantly.

    In other words, these blades were not originally objects made to sit beautifully in a display case. They were tools made to work.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “Tosa Knife History — From Samurai Era to Modern Tosa Knives”

    The Forests Helped Tosa Blades Travel

    This was the part I found particularly interesting.

    Tosa’s blade industry developed alongside its timber industry. One example is the Tosa saw. Historical information from the Tosa Cutlery Distribution Center explains that Tosa saw production developed around Kataji, an area along the Monobe River that served as a gathering point for timber.

    So there was a natural relationship between the forests, the workers, the movement of timber and the tools required to work with it.

    As Tosa’s forestry culture developed, its blades gained a reputation as practical working tools.

    Some accounts also describe forestry workers carrying Tosa-made tools when travelling to work in other regions. Other workers saw and used these blades, helping their reputation spread beyond Kochi.

    That is very different from modern marketing.

    There was no Instagram, online advertising or SEO. A tool could build its reputation simply because someone used it every day and trusted it.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “Kurouchi Japanese Knives — The Traditional Black Finish”

    Tosa Knife History and the Growth of Distribution


    A Traditional Tosa Blade Merchant

    By the Meiji period, the distribution story becomes clearer.

    Historical accounts of the Tosa blade industry indicate that around 1887, sales routes had expanded beyond the local area. They later spread throughout Shikoku and into the Chugoku region of western Honshu.

    As this happened, wholesalers dealing in forged blades began to develop, creating a more organised distribution system.

    I found this fascinating because it shows a transition.

    A blade could begin in a small workshop, pass through merchants and wholesalers, and eventually reach users far beyond the place where it had been forged.

    The blacksmith did not necessarily need to travel across Japan himself. A distribution network was beginning to connect regional craftsmanship with a much larger market.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “Handmade Japanese Knives — Why No Two Are Exactly the Same”

    Tosa Knife History Was Built Around Practical Tools

    The more I read about Tosa knife history, the more I feel that practicality is one of the keys to understanding Tosa blades.

    Their reputation was not created only by beautiful craftsmanship.

    These were blades expected to cut wood, clear land, harvest crops and perform demanding everyday work. Kitchen knives later became an important part of the tradition, but they belong to a much broader culture of forged working tools.

    Perhaps that is one reason I personally find Tosa knives so appealing.

    They can be beautiful, but they were never supposed to be beautiful only.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “Japanese Knife Finishes — What I Learned After 25 Years as a Chef”

    From Tosa to Australia


    A real koala spotted by Asaoya Yaichi 🐨

    And this is where researching the past made me think about what I am doing today.

    Hundreds of years ago, Tosa blacksmiths made blades for people working in the forests, farms and kitchens of Japan. Over time, those blades travelled farther through workers, merchants and developing distribution networks.

    Today, the distance is much greater.

    I work directly with Ishizuchi Kanamono Seisakusho and bring handcrafted Tosa knives from Japan to Australia.

    Of course, modern shipping and online stores make distribution completely different. But when I look at the bigger picture, perhaps the basic idea has not changed as much as I expected.

    A blacksmith makes a tool.

    Someone believes in that tool.

    And then someone carries it to the next person who will use it.

    I did not know much about this side of Tosa knife history before researching it. Now, every time I unpack a shipment of Tosa knives here in Australia, I think I may be participating in a very small continuation of a journey that began long before me.

    👉 INTERNAL LINK: Link here to “The True Value of Japanese Knives — Why a Good Knife Can Last for Decades”

    👉 Explore more:
    https://blog.asaoyayaichi.com.au

    👉 Visit our online store:
    https://asaoyayaichi.com.au

    Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you again in the next story.