Sakai Ichimonji is a Japanese knife brand with a rich history dating back to 1952 when it was first established as a physical store in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. Today, the brand is known by locals, chefs, and tourists around the world and has an international webshop that was launched in 2020. The Japanese website was established in 1997.
Are all the Sakai Ichimonji knives made in Sakai City?
While Sakai Ichimonji is located in Sakai city, in the Osaka prefecture. Not all their knives are made in Sakai, Osaka. The knives they sell are all made in Japan but not only bound to Sakai city as they use multiple manufacturers and vendors across Japan. Sakai Ichimonji does have its own in-house craftsman Yasuo Marumachi, which oversees the various stages of Sakai Ichimonji’s knives’ lifecycle, including production, finishing, and maintenance.
Sakai Ichimonji in-house artisans
In addition to its own craftsmen, Sakai Ichimonji also has in-house artisans who can provide hand-chiseled engraving services. The brand offers the same exceptional customer service online as it does in-store, including a complimentary sharpening ticket with each order, which you can learn more about in the Q&A section below.
My Experience with Sakai Ichimonji
I was impressed with the quality of the Sakai Ichimonji online store and its attention to detail. The information provided was comprehensive and the protection and packaging were excellent. Overall, it was a great experience and I was amazed by the level of attention to detail displayed by Sakai Ichimonji.
Note: If you want to know how the knives from the Sakai Ichimonji brands perform, I have tried and tested their Santoku Shigure knife. You can read my review by clicking here (opens in a new tab).
Q&A with Sakai Ichimonji
When and why did Sakai Ichimonji decide to start its webshop?
”Japanese site launched in 1997, and eventually, we built an English site in 2020. The site has gone through a few revisions since then and we do our best to provide the right information and guidance for purchasing Japanese knives.”
– Sakai Ichimonji
Gift Wrapping & Hand Chizeled Kanji Service
Currently, gift wrapping and chiseled Kanji engraving are complimentary options. As I have requested the Gift-Wrapping option and Chiseled Kanji Engraving I have to say that I’m truly impressed with the standard gift wrapping and engraving work.
Will this stay complimentary or will it eventually change to a paid optional service?
”Both engraving and wrapping will remain free for the foreseeable future. Engraving is dependent on the blade steel however, some blades have such hard steel that we cannot engrave them.”
– Sakai Ichimonji
My experience in the Sakai Ichimonji Store in Osaka, Japan
When I last visited Sakai Ichimonji physical store in Osaka, Japan. I recall being offered a complimentary sharpening service for the knife I purchased at the store. The service could be performed immediately or scheduled for a later time if the store was busy. This added sharpening would provide extra sharpness and improved cutting performance for those who desired a sharper edge than the factory angle. Note that for particularly busy times or special knives, the process could take several days or more.
Is this option still available at the store?
”Customers can request additional sharpening before purchase and we confirm with the craftsmen beforehand. Then we give an estimate for how long and if there is a cost or not.”
– Sakai Ichimonji
Can the same service be provided in the online store?
I know that there might be some limitations on what kind of service you can bring to a webshop. If I remember correctly there were a lot of options available at the Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide store in Osaka, Japan. It is already very cool to have a free sharpening ticket included with every online order.
Will the extra sharpening options eventually be available on the online store?
(excluding some knives that need more attention like Honyaki etc.)
”Generally, we will accept immediate use of the sharpening ticket for this additional service. Major modifications, finish changes, etc have additional costs.”
– Sakai Ichimonji
Multiple Language support
The last time I visited which has been years back, I remember that the staff at the store could speak multiple languages depending on who was working. The ones I heard back then, besides Japanese were Korean, Chinese, and English.
Are there any other languages that I missed that some of the Sakai Ichimonji Staff can speak?
”Currently, we offer English, Korean, Chinese, and Thai as spoken languages in-store. Queries in any of those languages via the website will be forwarded to each relevant staff member.”
– Sakai Ichimonji
If you plan to visit Osaka, Japan, you may want to take a look at Sakai Ichimonji’s physical store.
SHOP:
Address:
14-8 Nanbasennichimae, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0075, Japan
If you have any questions leave them behind in the comment section below. If you have any questions for Sakai Ichimonji or want more in-depth answers, visit their website by clicking here.
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This article was supposed to be uploaded with the Santoku knife review from Sakai Ichimonji but due to the website migration, this article was lost.
But I finally managed to get the backup working.