Takefu Knife Villages
By the 1970s, fewer young people wanted to become blacksmiths. The work meant 8-10 hours a day in a hot, dim workshop. Old hammers. Burns and blisters. And a quiet, exhausted master who taught without words. The craft no longer appealed. It felt too hard, too hidden, too far from modern life.
But in 1993, ten craftsmen came together to do something bold. Names like Anryu, Saji, Kato, Kitaoka, and Asai stood side by side with a shared belief. They knew this tradition deserved more than slow decline. Together, they founded Takefu Knife Village. It would not only be a place to make knives but a home to preserve skills, train new hands, and elevate the reputation of blades born in Echizen.
Takefu is the old name of this region. Though the city is now called Fukui, the blacksmiths still speak the name Takefu with pride. Within those two syllables lies over seven hundred years of forging history. It carries the memory of craftsmen who once left Kyoto and brought their knowledge to these quiet hills, shaping sickles and tools entirely by hand.
Today, Takefu Knife Village is a place of light, safety, and purpose. Apprentices no longer learn from just one master. They train with many, learning faster, deeper, and with greater understanding. Just nearby stands Takefu Special Steel Co., Ltd., a renowned steel manufacturer that supplies premium layered steels like VG10, VG2, and SPG2. Its presence ensures that every fire in the forge is fueled by some of the finest materials in the world.
From this village have emerged makers like Hideo Kitaoka, Yu Kurosaki, Takamura Hamono, and Ryusen. Their blades are now found not only across Japan but in the hands of some of the most respected chefs around the globe.
This village did more than preserve a craft. It gave it a future. And that future is still being forged, one blade at a time.
