Nakiri vs Santoku: In Japan, One of Them Replaced the Other
The santoku was made from the nakiri, then replaced it in Japanese homes. What Japanese makers say each knife does, why a nakiri is not an usuba, and which to buy.
Is TokyoTreat Worth It? I Looked Up Its September Box in Japanese Shops
I looked up the September 2026 TokyoTreat box in Japanese shops and added up what a US reader really pays per box, with shipping and duty. Is it worth it?
Are Japanese Knives Cheaper in Japan? I Priced the Same Knives in Yen and Dollars
The same Japanese knives priced in yen and in dollars: one was a third cheaper in Japan, one cost the same. Plus the new tax refund rule for knives at the airport.
My Japanese Knife Chipped. What Japanese Makers Say Causes It, and How to Fix It
A chipped Japanese knife can be fixed. What Japanese makers say causes chips, why a pull-through sharpener adds to them, and how to grind a small chip out at home.
How to Choose a Japanese Knife: A Buying Guide Written in Japan
Sixteen articles on Japanese kitchen knives, put in buying sequence: shape, steel, how it was made, handle, shop and care, each checked against Japanese sources.
Is It Bad Luck to Give a Japanese Knife as a Gift? The Coin Custom English Guides Call Japanese Is Hard to Find in Japanese.
English guides say Japan puts a coin in every knife gift. A Sakai knife house says, in Japanese, the curse is barely recorded, and the coin runs the other way.
Is a Honyaki Knife Worth It? First Check That It Is One. The Same Word Is on a $118 Knife and a $998 Knife.
The word honyaki is on a 118 dollar stainless knife and a 998 dollar one. How a Sakai shop and a Japanese maker define it, and whether the real one is worth it.
VG10 vs SG2: The Same Knife in Both Steels Costs $116 to $242 More in SG2. Here Is What the Extra Money Buys.
One Echizen smith makes the same knife in VG10 and in SG2. The SG2 version costs $116 to $242 more. What the steel maker and two Sakai shops say it buys.
Genki vs Minna no Nihongo: Japanese Schools Pick One 338 to 2, and That Is Not a Reason to Buy It
Japanese language schools choose Minna no Nihongo over Genki by 338 to 2. That is a fact about classrooms, and it is the reason to buy the other one.
What Grit Whetstone for a Japanese Knife? The Second Stone Is Where the Advice Splits
Every guide agrees your first stone is 1000 grit. On the second stone the English answer and the Japanese answer split, and Japan says flatten first.