Directions to Sakai Yusuke knife shop

After many requests for directions to Sakai Yusuke knife shop, I've decided to post some maps so all you knife enthusiasts can go find the blade of your dreams.

1) Make your way to Osaka, Japan.

2) Proceed to Nanba train station and catch a train towards the knife making town of Sakai.

3) Get off at Shichido station and walk to Ayanocho tram station (about a 15 min walk / approx 800m)

4) 50 meters down the Kishu Hwy, you will find the Sakai Yusuke knife shop on the eastern side of the  Kishu Hwy (it's the one with purple sign in the window).

Happy knife shopping!

Images are obviously courtesy of Google Maps.

Knife Shops in Japan - Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Sakai

This one is for all the knife enthusiasts out there! If you're planning a visit to Japan, then this will give you a sneak peek at some of the major high-end knife shops.

Click on the links of each maker to access more photos of the knife shop.

My fascination with Japanese cooking knives had been sparked a few years ago and ever since, Knife Forums (KF) has been an invaluable source of information. I had lusted after many of the blades discussed and photographed in countless posts. Most importantly, it exposed me to many brands which you would never find in major (and specialist) kitchen shops. It is also a great source of information on the different types of blades and the qualities of various metals.

I would begin my trip in Tokyo, moving to Kyoto and finish

up in Osaka/Sakai (I would have also liked to travel to Seki and seek out other less accessible manufacturers across the land, but both time and money were a factor). I had printed maps, addresses and direction for all the knife shops and was ready to fit my holiday around my knife shopping trip.

Japanese Knives and Sakai (The City of Knives!)

Of all the kitchen tools we have at our disposal, perhaps the most essential would be the humble knife. It is one of the most primal and simple tool that humans have devised. Ever since we crawled out of caves to fashioned an edge from stone, the knife has never left our sides. For the chef or foodie, the knife is the sexiest, most elegant piece of equipment in the kitchen. The perfect embodiment of form and function. It is the tool that we foodies/chefs are most protective of and most attached to. In the age of useless and overcomplicated kitchen gadgets, the knife remains one of the cornerstones of food preparation.