Kamata Hakensha was founded in 1923, when Kappabashi’s burgeoning repository of kitchen treasures was still something of a local secret among professional chefs and gourmands in the know. From the beginning, the store set itself apart, specializing in knives—selling, sharpening, and repairing.

“We were one of the first knife specialty stores in Kappabashi,” says Seiichi Kamata, the store’s third-generation owner and master sharpener. “Places that carried knives in addition to other products didn’t have staff dedicated to sharpening or repairing like we did.”

Kamata Hakensha does not make its own knives but rather orders both handmade and factory-made products from manufacturers. This has allowed it to dedicate the last 100 years to the maintenance of knives, which the store takes very seriously.

“We check every single knife we receive,” explains Kamata. “If we find one that isn’t up to our standards, we repair or sharpen it by hand on the premises.”

Kamata Hakensha specializes in traditional whetstone sharpening but still does not dismiss Western-style grinder sharpening as unimportant—provided that water is used in the process. Otherwise, “the blade might heat up and lose its sharpness,” says Kamata.

Using a whetstone to get a proper knife edge does take some practice. To demystify the process, which could be intimidating for first-timers, the store performs whetstone-sharpening behind a storefront window, in full view of passersby.

“We also offer a sharpening class twice a month, but it’s so popular that it fills up within one minute of advertising it on our website,” explains Kamata.

Sharpening by hand with a whetstone, which can be bought at the store, requires time and concentration—the reason many customers opt to take their knives to Kamata Hakensha for maintenance or repair. Many customers abroad mail their knives to the store, knowing that they’ll be in the safe, steady hands of professionals who use sharpening techniques perfected over a century.

Any knife purchased at Kamata Hakensha can be instantly personalized with the engraved name of the customer or knife recipient. The right word in this case really is “instantly,” as Kamata explains: “We always have an engraver on site, and we don’t use any machines at all. The engraving is done entirely by hand using chisels and hammers, right in front of the customer—and it takes only three minutes.”

This dedication to excellence is even more impressive, considering there is no room for error when handwriting on high-quality, expensive kitchen knives. The engraving can be done in kanji, hiragana, katakana, or the Latin alphabet.

Among the many knives displayed on Kamata Hakensha’s walls are those with blades that most visitors have probably never seen—from Edosaki knives with angled points perfect for fileting eels to oversized cleaver-like utensils for cutting soba noodles.

Naturally, though, the most popular knife at this Kappabashi store is the most versatile one: the so-called Santoku (Japanese home-use -style knife). Its shape, which is like that of a Western kitchen knife, combined with fine Japanese craftsmanship and a razor-sharp edge, gives this knife a comforting familiarity that makes it perfect for any type of cooking.

Customers reportedly love the Damascus steel patterns on the Kamata Hakensha knives. Wavy, abstract, and sometimes floral, they elevate the Kamata knives from ordinary utensils to works of art. Knives with highly decorative patterns etched into the metal are also available.

Aside from the sharpening, taking care of a stainless-steel Japanese knife is easy. The knives can be cleaned with regular nonabrasive detergent and a sponge, then towel dried. They cannot, however, be washed in a dishwasher, since the high temperature at the end of the cycle can weaken and crack the handle.

Kamata explains, “If you cut something acidic, such as pickles, or something salty, and set the knife aside without cleaning it, the blade may become discolored. We often explain to our international customers that in such cases, it’s best to quickly clean the knife with water and wipe it off.”

Communicating with non-Japanese customers is possible thanks to the store’s English-speaking staff, who make shopping at Kamata Hakensha a breeze. (One employee also speaks French and German.)

Furthermore, the knives travel well inside luggage, and provided they are packed in a checked (not carry-on) bag, you should have no problem taking a Kamata knife back home. Aspiring chefs who cannot visit Kamata Hakensha in person can make use of their online shop.

Japanese chefs who traveled abroad to show off their skills helped to popularize Japanese kitchen knives all over the world. These knives didn’t gain their reputation from some marketing campaign but simply by word of mouth and genuine appreciation of their unparalleled quality.

Whether you’re a pro or a dedicated amateur, a Japanese knife is a fantastic addition to your kitchen arsenal, and the best place to find one that fits your needs is Kamata Hakensha, a store that has “lived” knives for over one hundred years. Go for the personalized engraving and return home with a one-of-a-kind memento of your time in Japan.