"The activity is interesting. The staff are very friendly and give clear instructions. They are always on hand and help you if needed. Great!"
Sharpen, engrave and fit your own knife in Asakusa · 1.5 hours
Knife Making in Tokyo: Sharpen, Engrave and Take Home a Japanese Knife
BAC's Japanese knife making workshop: you pick a blade, sharpen it on whetstones with English-speaking staff, engrave your name in Japanese or sakura leaves on the handle, and fix the handle with a traditional hammer. You leave with the knife, gift-packed. The blade comes ready-made; nothing is forged.
From
$150
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.9 / 5 503 Reviews
- 1.5 hours Sharpen, Engrave, Fit the Handle
- 4.9 / 5 From 503 Reviews
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Knife Making Workshop Includes
From BAC's listing: the knife you take home, the sharpening and engraving, the snacks and tea, the packaging, and the extras you pay for on the day.
In the Operator's Own Words
- Choose the type of knife suitable for you
- Sharpen the blade and attach the handle to your knife
- Learn about the history of Japanese knives and swords
- Engrave sakura leaves or your name in Japanese on the handle
- Take home a unique souvenir of your time in Japan
What's Included
- Standard size knife (multi-tasking) to take home
- Customized knife crafting experience
- Japanese snacks and drinks
- Bilingual staff assistance
- Aesthetic packaging
- Customized key-holder with a unique design as a present
Good to know: Don't hesitate to contact the activity provider in case you have trouble finding the place · Activity duration is approximately 1.5 hours · Accessible by public transport · Suitable for beginners; no prior experience required · Please, put your knife box (package provided) into the check-in luggage or we can teach you how to ship it! · Not Included: Additional fee for bigger types of knives (usuba, deba, and petit yanagiba), Transportation to/from the activity location, Meals, Observation fee (in case relatives or friends would like to come along to watch the experience)
How the Tokyo Knife Making Workshop Works
Four steps from the haori jacket to the boxed knife, as the operator describes them.
Put On the Haori and Your Name Badge
The crew gives you a light haori, a kimono-style jacket, to keep your clothes clean, and a badge with your name written in Japanese. The exact address in Asakusa comes with your booking, and the operator asks you to get in touch if you have trouble finding it.
Tea and the History of Japanese Blades
Sit down with tea or a soft drink while a Japanese instructor explains the history behind Japanese knives and swords. Then choose your blade and its size: up to five types are on offer, and the larger usuba, deba and petit yanagiba cost extra.
Sharpen the Blade on Whetstones
You sharpen the blade yourself while English-speaking crew correct your angle and movement. The listing calls it a meditative process that takes concentration; no experience is needed.
Engrave, Hammer On the Handle, Take It Home
Engrave sakura leaves, your name in Japanese or a picture of your own on the handle, then attach it with a traditional hammer. The knife is gift-packed with a key-holder, snacks and tea. Put the box in your checked luggage, or the staff show you how to ship it.
Photo Gallery
The Workshop in the Operator's Photos
Photographs from BAC's own listing of the knife making workshop.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Three Tokyo Knife Workshops, Side by Side
BAC's 1.5-hour making workshop, Traveling Tokyo's 40-minute Asakusa session and Taimatsu's two-hour sharpening class. All three have you sharpen a ready-made blade and take the knife home; none forges one. Prices as of October 2026.
| Feature | OUR PICK Knife Making Workshop, 1.5 h | Asakusa Workshop, 40 min | Sharpening Class, 2 h |
|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From about $150 on the platform; bigger blades cost extra | From about $91 on the platform; engraving is an upgrade | From about $177 on the platform |
| Length | About 1.5 hours | 40 minutes | 2 hours |
| Where | Asakusa; exact address with the booking | Asakusa | 1-9-8 Nishiasakusa, the Kappabashi side of Asakusa |
| What You Do | Choose a blade, sharpen it, engrave the handle, hammer it on | Shape and refine a knife on whetstones | Steel types, several grits of stone, a demo, then sharpen and test your own knife |
| What You Take Home | Your engraved knife, gift-packed, plus a key-holder | The knife you refined, with its handle | Your freshly sharpened knife |
| Also Included | Haori jacket, name badge in Japanese, snacks and drinks | Workshop tools, bilingual staff | Whetstone, stand, apron and towel |
| Good to Know | Friends who only watch pay an observation fee on site | Cashless only; over 15 minutes late may mean rescheduling | Up to 8 people; not for children under 10 or wheelchair users |
| Who Runs It | BAC | Traveling Tokyo | Taimatsu |
| Reviews | 4.9 / 5 from 503 verified reviews | 4.9 / 5 from 419 verified reviews | 5.0 / 5 from 1 verified review |
| Best For | First-timers who want a personal souvenir and the full process | A tight schedule or a quick add-on in Asakusa | Cooks who want to keep sharpening at home |
| Check Availability | See This Workshop | See This Class |
Other Knife Making Classes in and from Tokyo
More Knife Making in and from Tokyo
Sharpening workshops and a two-hour class in Tokyo, a knife-skills sushi class, a Narita session for your last day, guided Kappabashi knife shopping, and the day trips where you finish or forge a blade. The titles are the operators'. Prices, ratings and review counts are the platform's own.
40 MINUTES, ASAKUSAJapanese Knife Craft & Sharpening Workshop in Asakusa
Traveling Tokyo's 40-minute session in Asakusa: shape and refine a Japanese knife on traditional whetstones with bilingual instructors, then take the knife and its handle home.
2-HOUR SHARPENING CLASSTraditional Japanese Knife Sharpening Class in Tokyo
Taimatsu's two-hour class from 1-9-8 Nishiasakusa: steel types, whetstones of several grits and a demonstration, then you sharpen and test your own knife and take it home.
KNIFE SKILLS + SUSHI LUNCHJapanese Knife Skills & Tuna Don/Sushi Workshop in Tokyo
A two-hour Tokyo class by the Japan Kappo-do Association: a sashimi demo, your own slicing, a whetstone lesson, then tuna zuke-don or sushi with miso soup. You take home the skills and a certificate.
1 HOUR, MAX 10Tokyo: Japanese Knife Craft Workshop (Sharpening)
Traveling Tokyo's one-hour sharpening workshop in a Tokyo studio, capped at 10: learn the materials and tools, sharpen and refine a blade, and leave with the knife.
NARITA, BEFORE YOUR FLIGHTNarita: Sharpen Your Own Japanese Knife and Take It Home
About an hour at Miyabi, a short walk from Narita Station: sharpen Japanese kitchen knives on a whetstone, test them on cucumber, and take them home in a free case.
FORGE A BLADE IN KYOTOAuthentic knife making experience at a blacksmith in Kyoto
Kendo Experience's three-hour session at a studio in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto: heat raw iron in a furnace, hammer it into a blade, then sharpen and polish a 13-15 cm knife to take home.
SANJO FORGE DAY FROM TOKYOFrom Tokyo: Tsubame-Sanjo Copper & Knife Workshop Day
PAK LAND's private 13-hour day from your Tokyo hotel to Tsubame-Sanjo: hammer a copper cup at Gyokusendo and heat and sharpen a small blade at Sanjo Kajidojo. You take both home.
ETCH A DAMASCUS BLADESeki: Create Your Own Hand-Designed Damascus Japanese Knife
MOST JAPAN's workshop from Sekitomioka Station at the G. Sakai Knife Museum: polish, hand-draw, etch and sharpen a Damascus blade, then take the full-size knife home the same day.
KAPPABASHI WALK + LUNCHTokyo: Asakusa to Kappabashi Japanese Knife Tour
NipponGo's three-hour walk from Kaminarimon past Senso-ji and Nakamise, with lunch, to 3-4 Kappabashi knife stores and help choosing a knife. Any knife you take home is bought separately.
PRIVATE, PER GROUP OF 6Tokyo: Kappabashi Kitchen Town & Buy a Real Japanese Knife
Yamaguchi Motors' private four-hour Kappabashi tour from your central Tokyo hotel: steel, bevels, free-sharpening shops and packing. You take home only what you choose to buy.
TSUKIJI THEN KAPPABASHIKappabashi Knife & Kitchen Town Tour with Licensed Guide
Japan Guide Agency's private four-hour tour with a licensed guide, starting in central Tokyo: Tsukiji market, then Kappabashi's knife and kitchen shops. Purchases are your own.
SEKI DAY FROM NAGOYAFrom Nagoya: Seki Damascus Knife Making Day Tour
MOST JAPAN's private day from Nagoya Station to Seki: finish, sharpen and engrave a prepared Damascus blade with a master craftsman, with lunch, and take the knife home that day.
SEKI FACTORY TOUR, 40 MINSeki, Gifu : Mitsuboshi Cutlery Kitchen Knife Factory Tour
Mitsuboshi Cutlery's 40-minute tour at its Seki factory, reached by public transport or car: a lecture, the factory floor and the showroom. Nothing is made; knives can be bought on site.
TOJIRO FRUIT KNIFE, NIIGATATsubame Sanjo Fruit Knife Making Tour with Licensed Guide
Japan Guide Agency's six-hour private tour starting in Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata: a factory tour and fruit-knife session at Tojiro, where you polish and assemble the knife you take home.
An Independent Guide to Knife Making in Tokyo
What a Tokyo Knife Workshop Really Is, and Which One to Book
The workshops compared by price, length and what you take home, who each one suits, where you can actually forge a blade, and how to get the knife home.
The knife workshop this site recommends in Tokyo is BAC’s Japanese Knife Making Workshop: 1.5 hours, rated 4.9 from 503 reviews, from about $150 on the booking platform in October 2026. You sharpen a blade, engrave the handle and fix it on with a hammer, then take the knife home gift-packed. It is the fullest of the Tokyo sessions without running to half a day.
What “knife making” in Tokyo actually means
No knife workshop in Tokyo on the platform forges a blade. The blade arrives finished. What you do is the last, most personal part of the job: you sharpen it on whetstones, choose and fit the handle, and engrave it, and then the knife is yours. It sounds like less than “making”, but it is the part that decides how the knife cuts, and guests leave with a real working kitchen knife after 40 to 90 minutes.
If you want to heat steel and hammer it yourself, that happens outside Tokyo: at a studio in Kyoto, or at the Sanjo Kajidojo forge on a private day trip to Tsubame-Sanjo. In Seki you finish a Damascus blade with a craftsman. Where to make a knife in Japan lays out all four.
The Tokyo options compared
| Tour | From | Rating (reviews) | Length | Where | What you take home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAC Knife Making Workshop (Sharpening, Engraving) | $150 | 4.9 (503) | 1.5 hours | Asakusa | A knife you sharpened and engraved, gift-packed, plus a key-holder |
| Knife Craft & Sharpening Workshop in Asakusa | $91 | 4.9 (419) | 40 minutes | Asakusa | The knife you sharpened and refined, with its handle |
| Japanese Knife Craft Workshop (Sharpening) | $88 | 5.0 (4) | 1 hour | Tokyo | A knife you sharpened, small group up to 10 |
| Traditional Japanese Knife Sharpening Class | $177 | 5.0 (1) | 2 hours | Nishiasakusa | Your freshly sharpened knife, and a real sharpening lesson |
| Japanese Knife Skills & Tuna Don/Sushi Workshop | $125 | 5.0 (5) | 2 hours | Tokyo | Knife skills, lunch you made, a certificate |
| Narita: Sharpen Your Own Japanese Knife | $63 | 5.0 (3) | About 1 hour | Narita | The knives you sharpened, in a free case |
Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators change prices, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
All six are the platform “from” price per person and all have free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The two Asakusa workshops have hundreds of reviews each; the other four are newer on the platform, with one to five reviews. What each Tokyo class costs adds the upgrades and the shopping tours.
Who each one suits
Pick by how much time you have and what you want to leave with:
The full workshop
Knife Making Workshop, 1.5 Hours
History, sharpening, engraving and the hammered-on handle, then gift packaging.
Check dates →Short on time
Asakusa Workshop, 40 Minutes
Whetstone sharpening and a finished knife in under an hour. Card only.
See this workshop →Learn to sharpen
Sharpening Class, 2 Hours
Steel types, several grits of stone, and time to get the technique right. Max 8.
See this class →BAC’s workshop suits most first-timers and anyone who wants a souvenir with their name on it. You wear a haori jacket, hear the history of Japanese knives and swords, choose from up to five blade types (the larger usuba, deba and petit yanagiba cost extra), and engrave sakura leaves or your name in Japanese. Friends who only watch pay an observation fee on the day.
Traveling Tokyo’s 40-minute Asakusa workshop suits a tight schedule. You shape and refine a knife on traditional stones and leave with it. Guests mention a choice of handles and an engraving upgrade. It is cashless only, and arriving more than 15 minutes late can mean rescheduling.
Taimatsu’s two-hour class suits cooks who want the skill more than the souvenir: steel types, several whetstone grits, a demonstration, then your own knife to sharpen and test. It is not for children under 10 or wheelchair users. Knife sharpening classes in Tokyo compares it with the shorter sessions.
The knife-skills and sushi class suits food lovers: a sashimi-slicing demonstration, a whetstone lesson, then tuna zuke-don or a 10-piece sushi set with miso soup and a sake tasting. You do not keep a knife. The knife skills sushi class has the detail.
Narita suits your last day: a session about 5 minutes’ walk from JR and Keisei Narita stations, near Naritasan Shinshoji, and the knives go home with you in a free case.
Further afield
A Tokyo workshop is the easy answer, but Japan’s blade towns are within a day. A private day from Tokyo to Tsubame-Sanjo (13 hours, from about $757 for a group of up to six) has you hammer a copper cup at Gyokusendo and heat and sharpen a small blade at the Sanjo Kajidojo forge. Seki, about an hour from Nagoya, has a Damascus finishing workshop rated 5.0 from 78 reviews. Knife making day trips from Tokyo compares them, and Japan’s knife towns explains why Sakai, Seki, Tsubame-Sanjo, Echizen and Tosa each claim the craft.
Practical: getting there, paying, flying home
Getting there. BAC’s workshop is in Asakusa; the exact address comes with the booking, and the listing says it is reachable by public transport. Taimatsu’s class starts at 1-9-8 Nishiasakusa, on the Kappabashi side of Asakusa. Kappabashi, the kitchen-tools street between Ueno and Asakusa, is the place to shop for knives afterwards; most shops there open around 10:00 to 17:00 and many close on Sundays, and asakusaknifemakingworkshop.com covers the street shop by shop.
Paying. The 40-minute Asakusa workshop takes cards only. If you shop on Kappabashi, carry cash too; the guided knife tours tell you to.
Carrying the knife home. Japanese law bans carrying a blade over 6 cm without a legitimate reason; taking a newly bought knife home counts, but keep it boxed and wrapped and go straight to your hotel. On trains, knives must be wrapped and in a bag. On the plane, knives go in checked luggage only. Taking the knife home has the details, and BAC’s staff will show you how to ship the knife if you would rather not pack it.
Knife Making Tokyo is an independent visitor guide. It is not affiliated with BAC, Traveling Tokyo, Taimatsu or any operator named here, or with GetYourGuide. Tours are sold by GetYourGuide.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
4.9/5
from 503 reviews
"This class was fantastic! We learned about knife making and sharpening but also why Japanese knives are made the way they are, and how this traces back to the the Samurai era! The teachers were great and very helpful. And we got great kitchen tools in the bargain."
"Really great experience and very helpful and knowledgeable staff"
"The team is lovely and knows how to make you feel at ease. The activity is really fun and very well run. I recommend it – it's a wonderful souvenir to take home from Japan!"
"Wonderful experience! The staff were amazing and very knowledgeable of their craft!! I highly recommend.."
"We were warmly welcomed and given instructions about the various knives. There was an option to choose a different, better knife for a surcharge. After sharpening, we were also able to engrave the knife, with the help of the guides even in Japanese. :-) The excursion was really great, and we have fantastic knives as souvenirs. :-)"
"Great welcome. The team is very friendly and adapts to everyone's level of English: there's no need to be fluent in the language to learn how to sharpen a blade ;) We highly recommend this activity. It's nice to leave with a personalized souvenir from Japan!!"
"Great fun, great souvenir. Staff were helpful and friendly. Would recommend."
Read all 503 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Knife Making Workshop
BAC's 1.5-hour workshop: choose a blade, sharpen it on whetstones, engrave the handle and hammer it on, then take the knife home gift-packed. Rated 4.9/5 from 503 reviews, from about $150 on the platform in October 2026, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Starting from $150 per person.
Check Availability & BookCan't Make These Dates?
Browse More Available Options
More tours nearby from the booking platform. Check each one's cancellation terms before you book.
Knife Making in Tokyo: FAQ
What people ask before booking a knife workshop in Tokyo, answered in the first sentence. Prices are the booking platform's "from" prices, checked in October 2026.
You finish it rather than forge it: the blade arrives ready-made, and you sharpen it, fit or hammer on the handle and engrave it. No Tokyo workshop on the platform forges a blade. Forging from hot steel happens in Kyoto and at the Sanjo Kajidojo forge in Tsubame-Sanjo. Where to make a knife in Japan
In Tokyo for sharpening and engraving, in Kyoto or Tsubame-Sanjo for forging, and in Seki for finishing a Damascus blade. The Tokyo workshops are in Asakusa and run 40 minutes to 2 hours. Kyoto's blacksmith session takes 3 hours and Seki's workshops are a day trip via Nagoya. The four places compared
For most people, BAC's 1.5-hour Japanese Knife Making Workshop: rated 4.9 from 503 reviews, from about $150. You sharpen a blade, engrave the handle with your name in Japanese or sakura leaves, and hammer the handle on. For less time, Traveling Tokyo's 40-minute Asakusa workshop is rated 4.9 from 419 reviews, from about $91. Every Tokyo option by price
From about $63 to $177 a person on the platform in October 2026. The Narita session is the cheapest, the 40-minute Asakusa workshop about $91, BAC's workshop about $150 and Taimatsu's two-hour sharpening class about $177. Bigger blades and engraving can cost extra. What each price includes
Seki in Gifu and Sakai near Osaka are the two most famous, with Tsubame-Sanjo, Echizen and Tosa close behind. A JETRO page says more kitchen knives are made in Seki than anywhere else in Japan, while Sakai is known for traditional single-bevel chef knives. Japan's knife towns
There is no official one, but Seki has the strongest claim on volume. Seki moved from swords to household knives after the Meiji-era ban on wearing swords and is often counted with Sheffield and Solingen among the world's cutlery centres. Sakai claims the professional single-bevel knife. The five towns compared
Yes: PAK LAND's private 13-hour day to Tsubame-Sanjo has you heat and sharpen a small blade at a forge, from about $757 for a group of up to six. It leaves your hotel at 06:00 and does not run on Sundays. For something shorter, Narita has a one-hour sharpening session near the station. Knife making day trips from Tokyo
Yes: Taimatsu's two-hour Traditional Japanese Knife Sharpening Class in Nishiasakusa, from about $177, for up to 8 people. You learn steel types and work across whetstones of several grits, then take your sharpened knife home. The shorter Asakusa workshops also teach the basics. Knife sharpening classes in Tokyo
Only traditional ones are: a single bevel lets the maker grind a thinner, sharper edge for clean cuts, such as slicing sashimi. Knives like the yanagiba, deba and usuba are single-bevel and made for one hand. Everyday gyuto, santoku and nakiri knives are usually double-bevel. The knife skills and sushi class
For a home cook, a full whetstone sharpening every few months, roughly every 4 to 6 months if you cook a few times a week. Knife sellers' guides suggest light honing or stropping in between, and dry carbon-steel blades straight after washing to stop rust. Learning to sharpen in Tokyo
From entry-level stainless to tens of thousands of yen for hand-forged knives. Kappabashi shop listings on LIVE JAPAN show, for example, a carbon-steel nakiri at ¥25,800, a stainless santoku at ¥33,000 and a 240 mm gyuto at ¥49,800, tax included. Under the rules in force from 1 November 2026, tax-free purchases are refunded when you leave Japan rather than deducted in the shop. Workshop or shop knife
Yes, and only there: knives are not allowed in cabin baggage. In Japan, carrying a blade over 6 cm needs a legitimate reason; taking a new knife home is one, so keep it boxed and wrapped, and on trains wrapped inside a bag. Your home country's import rules are yours to check. Taking the knife home
Yes: every product on this site has free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The 40-minute Asakusa workshop warns that arriving more than 15 minutes late may mean rescheduling, and it takes cards only. Compare the workshops
Still have questions? Email us at info@knifemakingtokyo.com