Knife Factory Tour: Handmade Cooking Knives Experience

Experience a fascinating tour of Sakai’s historic knife factory, where you can witness the craftsmanship behind handmade cooking knives and even order your own customizable knife.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 八百源来弘堂本店 - Learn about the 400 years old origin story of the Traditional Japanese cinnamon mochi and receive one as a present. Chance to buy more if you want to.
  • 山輝刀物製作所 - This is probably the reason why you will join our Walking Tour in Sakai. Visit a traditional Japanese Knife Factory with over 100 years of family history. Go inside the…
What's Included
  • Visit of the Knife Factory
  • Knife Sharpening lesson
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Snacks
  • Bilingual Guide
What's Not Included
  • Extra Food
  • Shopping and souvenirs
Additional Information

Get the privilege to enter a real knife factory, with over 100 years of history, where the raw blades arrive directly from the Blacksmith. Visit the Sharpening Station and the main office. Observe the blades being turned into proper handmade cooking knives. Learn and practice the traditional Sharpening techniques with a professional and get the chance…

Location
3-chōme-22 Ebisujimachō
The meeting point is located at the Nankai Sakai Station, East Exit, in front of the Gates. Please make sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before departure time, so your guide has time to check the guest list and give you the basic info needed before the tour starts. Thank you.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(39 Ratings)
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Laura_d
Jul 31, 2025
Scott was a terrific... - Scott was a terrific guide and we really enjoyed seeing how the beautiful knives we crafted. It was a fun day!
Review provided by Viator
Oliveroli83
Jul 13, 2025
VIP behind-the-scenes experience! - My girlfriend motivated me to join the Sakai knife factory walking tour, and to be honest, I’m not really into knives and not a big fan of walking either...BUT it was actually super interesting and felt really authentic, plus, there wasn’t too much walking! It’s totally way off the usual tourist track, and among other things we did during that tour, walking into the knife workshop really felt like a special VIP behind-the-scenes experience :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gladys_s
Jul 9, 2025
Awesome day! - Fantastic and informative tour. Jean-yves was knowledgeable and kind. Toured us around Sakai and knife factory. We enjoyed our day out. Thank you! Wonderful recommendation for lunch and mochi!
Review provided by Viator
Aleksandra
Jun 29, 2025
Great! - Great experience, very informative. Would recommend! If you want to know more about knives and be sure of your choice, do the tour. I would have bought the wrong knife not suitable for my needs were it not for the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nell_r
Apr 21, 2025
We learnt a lot about the... - We learnt a lot about the whole knife making process and about Sakai as well, thanks to our friendly and knowledgeable guide Rémi.
Review provided by Viator
Giac
Feb 19, 2025
Unique Insight into Sakai’s Knife-Making Tradition - We had an absolutely fantastic experience on this tour! Our guide, Remy, was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about Sakai’s history, particularly its knife-making tradition. Watching skilled artisans turn raw material into handmade knives was a rare privilege, and the opportunity to learn sharpening techniques firsthand was a highlight. We purchased a beautifully crafted knife, and we now truly appreciate the craftsmanship behind these high-quality tools. We highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a unique and immersive cultural experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
288maxwells
Jan 7, 2025
Phenomenal Tour and Guide! - What a cool and unique tour! I don't think my wife and I did anything else like it during our trip to Japan! Our guide, Remi, was absolutely incredible! He was very knowledgable, funny, and just plain cool! My wife and I were lucky to be in a group that was just us, so we were able to have his full attention and get all of his tips about Japan, especially how to get around and places to eat (he recommended a restaurant that ended up having the best sushi I've ever had). The knife factory was fascinating and provided a great glimpse of master craftsmen at work. After an in-depth sharpening lesson from Remi, I was able purchase a customized chef's knife from the factory and even got to watch one of the senior artisans engrave it to the specifications of my wife and I. As an enthusiastic home cook, the knife is now my most prized possession in my kitchen. As a nice bonus, we were also lucky enough to stop by a centuries-old mochi shop and taste the absolute best mochi I've ever had. Overall, this was a fantastic tour, and I can't overstate how much my wife and I enjoyed it! 10/10, 5 Stars!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diana
Dec 5, 2024
You can't miss it - Essential. A while ago watching documentaries we found one that we loved, it was about the artisan process of forging in Sakai. When we saw this excursion we were very excited, we could not miss it. It is not available in Spanish, but Remi, our guide, was very friendly and patient so I could translate the whole tour. We enjoyed it a lot and had a nice memory. It is a privilege to be able to see firsthand the whole process of Japanese craftsmanship. Then we were recommended several places to go to eat and each better!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarahpd1742kr
Nov 22, 2024
Once in a lifetime opportunity - My friend and I had an incredible time on our tour. It was just the two of us, so we ended up getting a private tour. We got to meet people that we never would have had the chance to meet otherwise. The knife workshop is so cool!!!!! What a rare look at a master craftsmen's workspace. Everyone was so welcoming to us; you can tell the tour company has a great relationship with the local businesses it coordinates with for these experiences. Also I had the softest, freshest, most delicious mochi that I have ever had (and likely ever will have) on this tour. Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. If you are even slightly considering booking this tour-- do it. You will not be disappointed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robdo5287bg
Jul 5, 2025
Authentic and informative. - Really interesting look around a small knife making company with a demonstration of knife-sharpening technique. Of course you can buy knives and we found them much better priced than in Tokyo. There's also a visit to a local knife museum and a random but interesting diversion to an authentic old shop selling the local sweet delicacies. The tour guide was knowledgeable and fun. One reservation: if you buy a knife you will need to go and grab some lunch and wait around for a couple of hours before it is finished off and engraved for you, so plan for the whole morning and half the afternoon. We had another place to be so had to return the next day to collect.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $68
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).