Tadashi Enami

  • In Sakai, where 600 years of knife-making tradition meets the spirit of innovation, Tadashi Enami stands as a fifth-generation master.

    Certified as a Traditional Craftsman in 2003 and recognized as a Sakai City Meister in 2007, he forges each blade by hand, blending time-honored fire-forging techniques with modern refinements to create knives that are as beautiful as they are functional.

Sakai Traditional Craftsman Collection: Tadashi Enami

Tadashi Enami: Blending Tradition and Innovation in Sakai’s Knife-Making

  • A Fifth-Generation Master

    As the fifth-generation blacksmith in a lineage spanning over 600 years of Sakai knife-making, Tadashi Enami embodies both tradition and progress. Certified as a Traditional Craftsman in 2003 and recognized as a Sakai City Meister in 2007, he is celebrated for his exceptional skill and commitment to the art of Japanese knives.

  • Precision and Passion in Every Blade

    Enami’s knives are forged from meticulously selected materials using the ancient fire-forging technique. Each blade is crafted entirely by hand, blending historical methods with modern refinements to achieve perfect balance, beauty, and performance.

  • An Artisan Committed to the Future

    Beyond creating knives, Enami actively passes on his knowledge through workshops and hands-on programs, ensuring that Sakai’s craftsmanship thrives for generations to come. His work is a living bridge between the past and the future.

KIREAJI's Three Promises to You

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    1. Forged in the Legacy of Sakai

    From Sakai City—Japan’s renowned birthplace of professional kitchen knives—each blade is crafted by master artisans with over six centuries of tradition. Perfectly balanced, enduringly sharp, and exquisitely finished, every cut carries the soul of true craftsmanship.

  • 2. Thoughtful Care for Everyday Use

    Every knife includes a hand-fitted magnolia saya for safe storage. Upon request, we offer a complimentary Honbazuke final hand sharpening—giving you a precise, ready-to-use edge from day one.

  • 3. A Partnership for a Lifetime

    A KIREAJI knife is more than a tool—it is a lifelong companion. With our bespoke paid aftercare services, we preserve its edge and beauty, ensuring it remains as precise and dependable as the day it first met your hand.

Why Many Product Photos Show Only the Blade

At KIREAJI, every knife is made to order in Sakai, Japan. Photos show the blade before the handle is attached, allowing artisans to perfect the balance and edge for your specific order. Your knife arrives fully finished — tailored just for you.

Made-to-order Japanese knives

Global Delivery from Sakai

Across the world, discerning cooks seek authentic Japanese knives from Sakai — Japan’s legendary knife-making city with over 600 years of tradition.
At KIREAJI, we work alongside master artisans in Sakai to fulfill that desire, shipping genuine handcrafted knives directly from the workshop to kitchens worldwide.

Global Delivery from Sakai

Tadashi Enami: Preserving 600 Years of Tradition While Forging the Future

  • A Legacy of Five Generations

    As the fifth-generation master of a lineage with over six centuries of history, Tadashi Enami has spent more than 30 years perfecting his craft. In 2003, he was certified as a Traditional Craftsman by the Sakai Chamber of Commerce and Industry after passing rigorous examinations, and in 2007, he was recognized as a Sakai City Meister—a dual honor reflecting his mastery and leadership in the industry.

  • The Art of Fire-Forging

    Enami employs the ancient fire-forging technique, where heated steel is hammered into shape while “listening to the voice of the iron.” This rare skill, passed down through generations, allows him to create blades with unmatched sharpness, durability, and balance. For Enami, every knife is a “companion that reflects the soul” of its user.

  • Uncompromising Craftsmanship

    He is meticulous in selecting his materials, ensuring each meets the highest standards. Every knife is made to order, allowing him to dedicate the necessary time and care to each piece. As a result, his knives are produced in limited numbers, with market availability being rare—primarily through select specialty shops in Tsukiji or by direct commission, though occasional retail offerings may appear.

  • Tradition and Innovation in Harmony

    While preserving time-honored forging methods, Enami continually refines his techniques and develops new tools, ensuring that his knives are both steeped in history and suited to modern culinary needs. This seamless integration of tradition and innovation has made his work highly sought after by chefs worldwide.

  • Passing the Torch

    Beyond the forge, Enami is dedicated to teaching the next generation through workshops and hands-on programs, giving participants the chance to experience Sakai’s craftsmanship firsthand. He believes that “understanding the beauty of the craft is the first step to preserving it.”

  • A Lasting Impact

    Tadashi Enami’s work enriches the culinary world, inspiring chefs to create with renewed passion. His knives are more than tools—they are vessels of tradition, innovation, and the enduring spirit of Sakai’s blacksmithing heritage.

The Master Craftsmen of Sakai Uchihamono

In Sakai, centuries-old techniques are carried forward by government-certified Traditional Craftsmen. Each knife is not just a tool but a living symbol of tradition, precision, and spirit—kept alive through their hands.

Sakai’s Traditional Craftsmen

Why Do 98% of Japan’s Chefs Trust Sakai Knives?

For over 600 years, Sakai has perfected a unique craft where each stage—forge, sharpen, finish—is mastered by specialists. This tradition makes Sakai the birthplace of Japan’s most trusted knives.

Why Do 98% of Japan’s Chefs Trust Sakai Knives?

The 98% Statistic: More Than a Number

According to the Sakai Tourism Bureau, “98% of Japanese chefs use Sakai knives.” This figure isn’t just a claim—it reflects the deep trust chefs place in Sakai’s centuries-old craftsmanship.

Sakai City Official English Site

Sakai’s Dwindling Masters: A Legacy at Risk

Once the heart of Japan’s finest cutlery, Sakai now has only a handful of blacksmiths left. With rising competition and fading interest among the young, new markets and fresh apprentices are vital to survival. Supporting these craftsmen means safeguarding a 600-year cultural legacy.

Sakai's Declining Japanese Knife Craftsmen

The Soul of Craftsmanship

  • The Spirit and Craft of Sakai Blades

    For over 600 years, the people of Sakai have forged blades that embody not only strength, but also soul. This craft, passed down through countless generations, is a heritage I feel deeply responsible to preserve. A knife may look like just a tool, but when it is forged by human hands, it carries within it the dedication, skill, and spirit of its maker—qualities that no machine can ever replicate.

  • What makes a Sakai blade unique is not simply its sharpness. It is the feeling it gives when you hold it—the way the handle rests naturally in the palm, the effortless glide of the edge, the comfort that grows the more you use it. These qualities reveal themselves slowly, like a relationship built on trust, and they can only be experienced with a blade crafted by true artisans.

  • Each knife is born through the collaboration of many hands: blacksmiths who shape the steel, sharpeners who bring the edge to life, and craftsmen who ensure balance and harmony. Every step reflects pride, precision, and respect for tradition. This process is not about mass production, but about honoring the craft—one blade at a time

  • When you pick up a Sakai blade, you are holding more than steel. You are holding a story, a culture, and a piece of human spirit. My hope is that every cut you make with it deepens your connection to the generations of craftsmen who poured their hearts into keeping this tradition alive.

  • For me, forging is not just work—it is a vow. A vow to preserve the past, meet the needs of the present, and inspire the future. And it is my wish that, through each blade, you will feel the warmth of that vow in your own hands.
Sakai Traditional Craftsmen Collection

How Japanese Knives Are Made: The Sakai Tradition

VIDEO PROVIDED: JAPAN TRADITIONAL CRAFTS AOYAMA SQUARE (YOUTUBE)

  • Sakai Forged Blades — Six Centuries of Unrivaled Craftsmanship

    Loved by chefs around the world and trusted by 98% of Japan’s top culinary professionals, Sakai knives are more than tools—they are the living legacy of over 600 years of master craftsmanship.

  • At KIREAJI, we work directly with the Shiroyama Knife Workshop in Sakai, Japan, ensuring every blade is hand-forged, finished to perfection, and shipped straight from the workshop to kitchens across the globe. No middlemen. No mass production. Only authentic, artisan-made knives, crafted to elevate your cooking for a lifetime.