Private Tour
Knife Making Experience in Samurai Sword Town
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Craft your own professional Damascus kitchen knife in the legendary sword town of Seki, Gifu!
Guided by a master bladesmith who have experience over 50years, you’ll sharpen, polish, and engrave your own knife — then test its sharpness on fresh vegetables.
As a limited-time bonus, you’ll receive a handcrafted mini knife souvenir, a signed certificate, and enjoy a delicious Japanese lunch.
・Personalized Damascus knife-making experience
・Hands-on polishing, sharpening, engraving and assembly
・Test the sharpness of your finished blade
・Free mini knife souvenir (limited availability)
・Signed certificate of completion
Delve into the rich history of Japanese Samurai swords and Seki City. Gain a deeper appreciation for the value of traditions.
Whether you’re a knife enthusiast, a samurai fan, or simply looking for a unique cultural activity in Japan, this experience offers an unforgettable journey into traditional craftsmanship — and you’ll take home a blade that’s truly one of a kind.
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
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
You can easily join for a day trip, roughly 1.5~2 hours by train from Kyoto
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
English speaking guide and support
Name engraving on your knife
Certificate of completion
Entry fee (Museum)
Knife-making workshop with Damascus Kitchen Knife set
Japanese traditional cuisine with local fresh vegetables
Professional supervision by a master craftsman for knife
Mini-knife souvenir (limited-time gift)
What To Expect
Knife Museum
Make Your Own Samurai Knife at the Knife Museum in Seki city, Gifu pref. You can see several kind of rare and unique knives all over the world. You can have experience for making your own knife with craftsman as your treasure of Japanese memory. G.SAKAI is a leadingJapanese knife producer with trade partners all over the world. The variety of their products and their high-quality knives have been acknowledged by many customers around the globe, in fact they exhibited at the Milan trade fair "Salone del Mobile Milano"in 2017-the global benchmark event for the furnishing and design sector. G.SAKAI's knives are now used in various professional fields, such as cookery, hunting, outdoor sports, and even military training. In this activity, you will visit the Knife Museum just next to G.SAKAI's factory. There you will see interesting rare items and exhibits from all over the world. You will construct your own knife in the atelier by assembly, polishing, sharpening, and writing your name.
Visit at Swordsmith Museum, you can learn deeply Samurai and Japanese swords history in Japan. Seki City in Gifu Prefecture developed as a major center for Sword making as early as the 13th century thanks to rich deposits of iron sand in the local Nagara River. During the Edo period, there were several hundred blacksmiths producing a large number of Samurai Swords and Knives.
Options
Knife Making Experience in Samurai Sword Town
Pickup included
Reviews
27 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
That it is with a very...
Frank v,
Sep 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00That it is with a very small group so you get all the attention you need. Furthermore that the 2 brothers Sakai are very passionate about the process of making knives.
Wonderful and one of a kind
Pioneer495423,
Jul 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was easily one of the best things we did in Japan. Everything was super well organized, but at the same time it felt easygoing and personal. Our guides and hosts were so warm and welcoming from the start. They didn’t just show us how to make a samurai knife—they really shared a piece of Seki with us. They made the whole process fun and meaningful without ever feeling intimidating. What really made it stand out was how much effort they put into making the day feel special. It felt more like spending the day with new friends. They showed us things we never would’ve found on our own, way beyond the typical tourist stuff. That made it all the more memorable. If you’re looking for something truly unique, personal, and full of heart, this is the experience to go for. We’re so glad we did!
A great day to make his knife.
Yan G,
Apr 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Welcomed by a guide and friendly instructors, we choose his set for his knife. We follow different steps such as polishing the blade and handle, writing his name on the blade, sharpening, all with the kindness of the instructors to succeed his knife. A great experience for those who love knives. I had a very good day.
Samurai Soul
antofdz,
Apr 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Incredible experience! It all starts with the excellent energy and good vibes of Sumi, Yoshi, and Hiro. Then, the knife-making process step by step, it feels like the effort is magical. We are very grateful and hope many people will be encouraged to learn about this legacy of Japanese Craftmens with Samurai Soul. Greetings from Chile.
Knife making in Seki.
Roam320912,
Feb 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I am from the US, and took the train from Nagoya, where I am visiting my mother-in-law. Hiro picked me up at the very remote train platform, and brought me to the workshop, where I joined another couple from Australia, and two instructors. First we made match tea, and drank it with mochi. Then we got to work. We chose our knife model, polished the blade, assembled the handle, then chamfered it to blend with the knife shank. We then removed the handle, and painted our name on the blade with kanji characters. Next we etched the blade, sharpened it, and tested the sharpness. We went to lunch of sushi, tempura, soup, and rice, at a cute little restaurant. When we returned our creations had been beautifully packaged for us, along with some gifts Hiro added. All in all, a very nice experience and now I have a very useful souvenir. Throughout Hiro was very attentive to ensuring we were having a good time.
absolutely Wonderful
D547SGsandrag,
Feb 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Hiro is a fabulous guide, he is available, kind and very knowledgeable! We did not have a great level in English but he knows how to make himself understood! it was a great activity with lots of little surprises here and there! the activity may seem expensive, but clearly I tell you go for it! Also we ate in a restaurant where the sushi was amazing! Thank you Hiro for sharing, this amazing experience! believe me despite the price I will do again without hesitation if I have the opportunity to return to Japan!
Wonderful experience for our family in knife making
Barbara P,
Feb 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Thanks for Hiro San arranged such a great knife making class and took us to have delicious meal as well. G. Sakai San, master of the museum, professional teacher 👍, very detailed in teaching us step by step in knife making. My family had a fantastic time, highly recommend to anyone who is interested.
Amazing day, great instructors, sharp knife to keep!
Adepew07,
Jan 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ypu start out with high quality Damascus steel and then get taught how to polish, sharpen, and etch your name into the blade, as well as choose and shape your handle. It was a great experience, and my blade is sharp as all get out! The instructors were all super nice and knowledge, the lunch was delicious, and the sword museum was also very cool. Definitely worth a trip. Plus I had time, so I went to the nearby Inuyama Castle which is an original castle from the 1600’s. And I got super lucky with the timing and no one else being there. 10/10. Worth the trip.
Could not recommend this enough! Thank you Hiro, Sumi and Yoshi!!
F3569YTjoannaw,
Nov 10, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Could not recommend this experience enough! Thank you so much to Hiro, Sumi and Yoshi for an incredible day. I was treated like royalty, learned a lot, and am so happy to have such a unique, personalized souvenir. Hiro was waiting at the train station for me and had reached out on WhatsApp beforehand so I could contact him if any issues (there were none). First, you will be able to choose a handle from various wood types. You will learn to polish and prepare the blade (i.e., do it yourself), as well as create your own inscription on the blade. In addition to taking home your knife, you will also receive a lovely hand-written certificate. Lunch was included at a nearby restaurant and was a nice touch (we went for sashimi and tempura). Hiro, Sumi and Yoshi are fantastic instructors and are fun, lovely people. They will also take many videos and photos for you! Note: I was traveling solo, am English speaking, and had zero issues. In my group there were participants from all over the world - made some new friends.... bonus! If you are interested in cooking or knife-making, this experience is worth every penny and then some. When I return to Japan I will likely do it again just to see Hiro, Sumi and Yoshi - and to share the joy with friends.
One of the best experiences In our trip.
r sturh2024,
Oct 24, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a great experience and well worth the trip, our guides were amazing and very helpfull went above and beond our expectations.
Related Experiences
![Departing from Takayama [Regular sightseeing bus] World Heritage Sites Shirakawago and Gokayama Ainokura](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/attractions-splice-spp-720x480/11/22/87/00.jpg)
Operated by MOST JAPAN