Authentic Knife Making Experience at a Blacksmith in Kyoto
Description
Our professional instructors will help you make your knives in an easy-to-understand way, even if you are a beginner. Some dangerous work is involved, but don't worry. The main event of the experience is “forging''. You will heat the iron hot and red, and shape it repeatedly with a hammer. We will carefully teach you how to use the hammer correctly. Video and photography are also available. If you have any questions about the experience, please feel free to contact us. Children under 15 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(104)
Well worth the heat! Fantastic experience and explanations were great. Love my knife and I’ll use in the kitchen a lot.
Great Experience, everything was very well explained in english, very attentive guides. Great souvenir to take home
I felt this was a different travel experience than the typical guided tour. I truly enjoyed making my own kitchen knife and understanding the expertise required to make a world-class knife. Highly recommended!
Excellent experience for the whole family! Definitely a must on a visit to Kyoto.
Went with my son. What a great experience!!! Love, Love, Love!
Awesome experience; you work hard in each step in the process, but get direction the whole time.
This was probably the favorite activity for my two sons (15 and 17) and I! We were expertly guided through the process of taking a steel blank and turning it into a knife that we could take home as a souvenir! The staff provided robes to wear OVER our own clothing (IMPORTANT because it is HOT... wear light clothing when you visit) and explained the different knives that we could chose to create. We then spent an hour hammering the metal into the appropriate shape while it was repeatedly inspected and reheated by our instructors who then provided guidance on where to work the metal next. When this was finished, we were taken to a belt sander and instructed on how to shape/sharpen the blades. Once completed, the instructors gave the blades a final sharpening before providing us with decorative cloth bags for transport. The entire experience was both exciting and educational... even for teen boys. It was a lot of work, so come prepared! You will leave sweaty and exhausted, but it is so worth it!
Our family of 2 adults and 2 teens enjoyed this experience a lot. The two hosts spoke English very well. Despite the potential danger of working with very hot metal, the steps were very orderly and created a safe environment. As others have said, it is hard work, but the guides helped when needed. Our whole family really enjoyed this experience.
This was truly one of the most interactive experiences I've done anywhere in the world. You start with a small price of metal then forge it at over 1500 degrees. The forge area was obviously hot but not too uncomfortable so. The work was somewhat hard but very manageable and the staff will help as much or as little as you need. The sharpening and polishing part also so cool to see your knife really take form. The staff all spoke great english and was very good at their jobs. Beautiful location on the river and also great swords on sale for a reasonable price. Thank you
Lots of manual labor, but worth it. Not easy to access, but organizers were very gracious and patient.
