Authentic Knife Making Experience at a Blacksmith in Kyoto
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Your teacher, Mao, is a knife professional who has been sharpening knives for over 10 years. He 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. The hot iron is struck 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.
Additional Info
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
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
A set of tools used to make knives
Uniform
English Guide
Snacks
Private transportation
What To Expect
Through this experience, you will learn about “forging” in depth. You will learn how to use the tools and make a knife using the same traditional process as Japanese kitchen knives. It will be an experience you will never forget. This experience includes 1. dressing up in traditional costumes 2. learn how to use the tools 3. forging 4. sharpening a knife 5. polishing the knives. - Change into a traditional goldsmith outfit for an authentic experience! - Learn how to make a knife using the traditional process of making Japanese kitchen knives - Process of "forging" is the key in this experience so no worries even if you've never tried making knives! The size of the knife is approximately 13 to 15 centimeters. (Because it is handmade, it may vary depending on the person.) Bigger knives cost more time and money. For example, for a regular cooking knife, it usually takes more than 5 hours and costs more than $400. At studio NIN, we want as many people as possible to experience forging, so we offer a two and a half hour experience. Also, there are no wooden handles. This knife is made using a traditional and simple method, and the handle is also made of iron.
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Authentic Knife Making Experience at a Blacksmith in Kyoto
Reviews
38 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fantastic experience
Tangye K,
Sep 28, 2025
- Viator
5.00My daughter (13) participated and loved this activity. She got great guidance and despite the tight space she had a great time forging her knife. And yes, it's a proper and really sharp knife! 😅
Fantastic experience
Karen E,
Sep 19, 2025
- Viator
4.00Fantastic staff who are knowledgeable and engaging. You spend approx an hour forging initial metal strip and they then cut knife shape youve requested. Its then upto an hour to sharpen it, etc on a sanding belt. Finished article is wrapped up and presented in a gift bag. Hold luggae only if travelling back to uk. Had no phone signal from train station so have a plan B for dire tions as its hidden away within a residential area. Only gripe is could have done with more guidance with the sanding belts and safety shoes rather than bare feet would have been good the number of times i dropped my knife. You also get a small photo as a momentum at no additional cost. Toilets and water onsite. Overall a great experience that i’d highly recommend
Real knife making
Kevyn A,
Sep 10, 2025
- Viator
5.00This was awesome. This is you hammering out the metal for an hour . Then grinding out an edge. Much more than I expected, highly recommended. This is not a sit back and learn experience, this really is you making a knife. End product is fully functional once you glue handle into blade.
Overall good.
Scott S,
Sep 7, 2025
- Viator
3.00Overall was good experience but end left a bad taste in my mouth when one of the instructor laughed at my knife (admittedly it was not the best). But it kind of sucked some of the joy out of the experience. I think they could have done a better job at explaining the grinding/finishing and the angle at which it to grind the blade. This is where I messed mine up I think. Overall was good. I’d recommend to other people while staying in Kyoto interested in knives or blacksmithing.
Very fun time!
Jordan U,
Sep 7, 2025
- Viator
5.00This was a really fun experience that I would totally reccomend! It was great to see how life making gets done and a really fun way to spend some time in Japan! The staff was great and very smart!
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