[2025 Asakusa: A knife specialty store with English-speaking staff "JapanKnifeToku Knives" | Popular for its selection of craftsmen

Hello. I am Okudaira, the owner of JapanKnifeToku Knives.
Our store carries a selection of knives made by craftsmen from all over Japan, mainly in Osaka and Sakai, and offers sales, sharpening services, and training in Asakusa.

When tourists or foreign visitors to Asakusa want to buy a knife, they can shop with peace of mind if English is spoken, right?
Our store has craftsmen who can help you choose a knife and give knife sharpening training in both Japanese and English, so you can use the store with peace of mind.

How do I choose a knife?

Knives are something we all have in our daily lives, but what kind of one should you choose?
There are differences in how to choose between home and professional use, but I will talk about common cases that people who come to the store use.

If you are looking for a home knife

The standard knife for household use is called the Santoku knife.
This knife was designed in Japan and can be used to cut any type of food, including meat, fish, and vegetables.
The most common blade length is 165mm to 180mm .
The key to choosing the right blade length is to match it to the ingredients you usually cut.
If you use a whole cabbage as a standard, you would choose 180mm , and if you use a potato or carrot as a standard, you would choose 165mm .
It is also important that the handle fits comfortably in your hand when you hold it.
Recently, handles have been produced in shapes that fit easily in the hand, such as octagonal, decagonal, and chestnut shapes, so it is important to choose one that feels comfortable in your hand.
Another thing is the weight of the knife.
We recommend lighter knives for women, but if they are somewhat heavy, you can use the weight of the knife to help you cut.
Click here for a list of Santoku knives

For those who prepare fish

There are some fishermen out there who are looking for a deba knife.
Some people who have come to see the Sakai Deba knife find it heavy when they actually hold it. For those people, we recommend a thinner single-edged knife such as an Ajikiri knife or a Funayuki knife.
It depends on the size of the fish you are filleting, but if it is a fish that you can buy at the supermarket, a single-edged knife of about 150 mm will be sufficient, even if it is not a thick deba knife.
Single-edged knives are predominantly used by right-handed people.
If you are left-handed and would like a deba knife, we can offer left-handed deba knives or double-edged deba knives.
It may be difficult to find these items on your own online.
Click here for a list of Sakai cutlery

Maintenance of knives after purchase is also important

The sharpness of a knife gradually decreases with use.
In order to keep using your knives for a long time, you need to resharpen them whenever you feel that they have lost their sharpness. You can resharpen them yourself, or you can ask a store like ours that offers this service to do it for you.
When we resharpen knives at our shop, we are not just trying to restore them to like-new condition, but rather we are conscious of resharpening them to suit the user. When a knife is brought in, we ask how the customer normally uses the knife and try to resharpen it in a way that suits that usage.
If you have any concerns about the sharpness of your knives, please feel free to contact us.

English available

Because of its location in Asakusa, we also have many customers from overseas.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about knife sales, and we also provide English textbooks and explanations in English for our knife sharpening classes and experiences.
The other day we held a two-hour one-on-one sharpening session for a customer visiting from America.
We also provided a sharpening course in English for a family of four.

Store information and access

JapanKnifeToku Knife Shop Asakusa is a knife specialty store that opened in April 2025 .
It is easily accessible, just a one- minute walk from Asakusa Station.

•          Tobu Asakusa Station North Exit ( 1 minute walk)
•          Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Asakusa Station ( 4 minutes walk)
•          6th floor, NW Building, 1-11-4 Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Please take the elevator to the 6th floor.
You may feel intimidated, but we welcome you to come just to have a look and listen!
Access to the store → Google Map

Information is also being posted on various SNS

On YouTube and Instagram , we post easy-to-understand videos explaining how to choose a knife and tips for sharpening it.

•          ▶ ︎ YouTube channel here
•          ▶ ︎ Official Instagram here