History of the Japanese Knife

History of the Japanese Knife

Kitchen Knives Deeply Rooted in Japanese Culture

The know-how of manufacturing Japanese swords plays a very important role in the manufacture of Japanese knives. If you didn't know, the difference between Japanese swords and foreign swords is also true in the world of kitchen knives.

The swords and sabers have been at the origin of various dramas in history, but they are very interesting tools that clearly show the national Japanese character coming from various elements such as religion.

Samurai Sword and Viking Sword

The characteristics of Japanese swords are their sharpness and hardness. By comparison, overseas swords are characterised by their toughness and flexibility. There is also research analyzing cultural differences in cutlery based on physical differences among populations.

It is said that the Japanese demand sharp blades due to their relatively small size. On the other hand, overseas people, who generally have stronger physique and greater strength, tend to seek heavier but more malleable materials. They also look for very rust-resistant tools so they can use them for a long time.

Also, difference in dietary habits seems to be the basis for the creation of a unique cutlery culture in Japan. Since ancient times, the Japanese eat mainly fish and vegetables. Fish bones are softer than meat bones, but the blade must be sharp. The harder the blade, the less risk there is of it being chipped.

Japanese cuisine and the expertise in the manufacturing of the different sharp tools indispensable in the kitchen are now recognised worldwide. Professionals are working hard to continue transmitting the excellent techniques and ideas of their predecessors to future generations and across the world.

The Knife was the Sword of Mr. Hotei

The word "Knife" is originally written as "Cultellus". The "庖" of this 庖 子 refers to a cook. Ding is the name of a craftsman who served King Hui of Wei during the Warring States Period in British Columbia. "Knife" appeared in the ancient Chinese book "Zhuang Zhou" and is said to be a legendary cook who existed over 2,000 years ago.

The description of the sword indicates that it was very sharp and that thousands of cows were handled without the need for sharpening. It is said that the favorite sword "OKnife" was omitted and it evolved into "Knife".

Japanaese Kitchen Knife developed originally

Initially, people began to use certain types of tools that evolved over time into the knives we all know. Initially, stone tools had the same use as current knives, but were much more difficult to use.

The oldest form of kitchen knife still in existence is found in Nara Shosoin.

The oldest knives in Japan that still exist are those from the Nara period, which are preserved in Shosoin in Nara. The kitchen knife itself was a consumable that was re-sharpened and used, of which few existed. Legends say that kitchen knives existed even before the Nara period. The form of this oldest kitchen knife resembles a Japanese sword and the handle is very long.

Knives of this shape were used until the middle of the Edo period, and it is said that knives of the same shape as the current Japanese Deba, Yanagi, and Nakiri knives came around in the middle of the latter half of the Edo period. It could be said that during the Edo period, the world was stable and culture was well developed. Along with this, various culinary cultures were spread and kitchen tools evolved accordingly.

In the Meiji era, "Western" knives developed in Japan due to different culinary techniques. For example, in Japan, there was no custom of eating cows. As a result, the necessary tools were not present in Japan. That's why "Western" knives arrived, which are commonly called "chef's knives".

In the Showa era, cultural knives were developed. One example is the Nakiri knives dropping a straight point, and then the Santoku knife with a more rounded tip. They became home essentials.

Nowadays, this form of kitchen knife is considered a traditional Japanese form. It is called "Santoku" abroad and is widely used. In addition, with the export of sushi culture, Japanese knives have been exported abroad, and Yanagi-sashimi knives are called "Yanagi-Sashimi" and "Sashimi", and Nakiri knives are called "Nakiri". The unique kitchen knives are spreading abroad with the same name.

Since the 21st century, the performance of Japanese-made knives is recognized worldwide. Many world-renowned chefs opt for professional knives designed by Japanese manufacturers.

As Japanese cuisine becomes globally known for its quality in terms of good food, it is also the time when the traditional technique of "kitchen knives" cultivated in Japan is recognized.

Home Town of Kitchen Knives

Japan is a country with a very developed cutlery culture, represented by the Japanese swords, and it is said that the first mark of Japanese craft was the sword.

The sword technique transmitted from the Chinese continent and the Korean peninsula became a unique form of Japan, and from the beginning of the Heian period, Japanese swords as they are today were manufactured. In the Momoyama era, they were mainly produced in five regions (Bizen = Okayama, Sagami = Kanagawa, Yamashiro = Kyoto, Yamato = Nara, Mino = Gifu) called Gokaden Forging Law. For the production of Japanese swords, the manufacturing method of "tamahagane", which involves heating iron sand at high temperature with charcoal and transforming iron into steel, is important, and this technique has been handed down by blacksmiths.

After the Meiji era, only military swords were temporarily made due to the abolition of swords. However, due to the enactment of the cultural property protection law after the war, they are now mainly made as art and craft items that enthusiasts buy on order. Basically, Japanese swords can only be made by skilled blacksmiths.

The cutting tool is a manufacturing method in which steel or soft iron is heated to a high temperature in a kettle, then beaten with a hammer to shape it, and the technology for making Japanese swords is used.

The typical blade production areas are Echigo blades (Niigata Prefecture), Echizen blades (Fukui Prefecture), Sakai blades (Osaka Prefecture), Banshu Miki blades (Hyogo Prefecture), Tosa blades (Kochi Prefecture), etc.

In the second half of the Showa era, the technique for making stainless steel was established, and the refining technology for "useful tools" comparable to "tamahagane" was born. (Nukihamono) has now become an established manufacturing method. Cheap, rust-resistant, easy-to-handle kitchen knives are now on the market. Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture, was originally a famous town for the production of Western-style tableware, and this Western-style tableware manufacturing technology was used in blade production.

The integrated all-stainless steel kitchen knife, which has become popular in recent years, was originally a technique of a swallow craftsman, born through trial and error by incorporating the technology of making Western-style tableware such as table knives into kitchen knives.