At a century-old smithy, unveil the secrets of Japanese blades

Samurai’s katanas, with their lethal beauty, have fascinated generations of foreigners. In the collective imagination, a Japanese sword is a synonym of sharpness, and the smiths who forge those blades are shrouded in mysticism and legends.
With the end of the samurai era, swords stopped being a part of Japanese life. However, the unsurpassed techniques with which their blades were forged keep living in modern blades such as kitchen knives and saws. It doesn't come as a surprise that Japanese knives are praised by top-level chefs all over the world for their performance.

Mass production may have almost taken over the world of blades, yet some stubborn blacksmiths who keep making their knives the old way still stand. In Chino, at the base of the Northern Yatsugatake mountains, you can meet one of them.
Join us at Sadamasa, a local smithy that has been in business for about 100 years, and under the smith's guide, forge your own Japanese knife.
In just six hours (distributed over the course of two days), the secret techniques of Japanese blacksmiths can be yours.

First, you will learn more about these acclaimed knives' features and what makes them so special. Then, it's time to step into the arcane world of blade-making and get to work. You will experience hammering the incandescent metal at the forge, cutting it into shape, tempering, and putting an edge to the blade.
An English-speaking guide will be present at all times so that you can ask the artisan any question you have in mind.

After undergoing heat treatment, your knife will need a few hours to rest. That is why, albeit reluctantly, you will have to temporarily leave the forge and resume your work the next day.

By the end of this activity, you will have a one-of-a-kind souvenir to take home.