The Japanese Knife Workbook — Learn, Then Speak It Forward

  • In the first three books, the journey was clear:

    1. Know it — The Japanese Knife Handbook
    2. Use it — The Japanese Knife Manual
    3. Live it — The Japanese Knife Mindset

  • This fourth book adds the missing step: talk about it.
    Because a culture truly spreads when people begin to tell its story in their own words.

  • From Learning to Speaking

    This book was created with one purpose: to help you talk about Japanese knives.
    Not just to memorize facts, but to understand them so well that you can explain them to friends, fellow chefs, or students.

    To make that possible, every chapter follows a simple flow:

    • a short introduction,
    • multiple-choice quizzes about Japanese knives,
    • clear answer + explanation,
    • and, most importantly, a video explanation for every single question.

    You can read it, watch it, listen to it — and then speak it.

  • When you discover something new about Japanese knives, we want you to pass it on.
    When you feel the beauty of Sakai craftsmanship, we want you to share that feeling.
    This workbook exists to make you a messenger of Japanese knives.

  • The Cycle We Want to Spread

    The whole series was built on this cycle:

    Know Japanese knives → Use Japanese knives → Talk about Japanese knives

  • This workbook is the tool for the third step.
    If you share what you’ve learned, the person listening will “know” Japanese knives.
    And you, by teaching, will become part of the culture itself.

    That is the dream behind this book:
    to help this “know → use → talk” cycle spread to more people, in more kitchens, across the world.

  • A Living Bridge

    Handmade Japanese knives carry devotion, precision, and quiet beauty.
    But for that spirit to survive, it must be spoken about — not only by artisans in Sakai, but by people like you who admire, use, and respect their work.

    If this book helps even one reader become that bridge, it has done its job.

  • About the Author

    Toru I is a former sushi instructor who trained over 500 students in Tokyo.
    After moving to Toronto, he began sharpening knives for local chefs and later founded KIREAJI,
    an online store dedicated to bringing authentic Sakai craftsmanship to the world.

  • Through his books and teaching, he continues to share the spirit of Japanese knife-making—
    not merely to sell knives, but to pass on the mindset, respect, and devotion that define true mastery.

    With The Japanese Knife Workbook, he invites readers to take the next step—
    to learn, to practice, and to speak the spirit forward.

  • Sharpen your knife. Steady your hand. And let your mindset shape your craft.
The Japanese Knife Workbook

The Japanese Knife Handbook — Understanding Knives, Connecting Cultures

The first book in the series that started it all.
The Japanese Knife Handbook explores the history, craftsmanship, and cultural meaning behind Japanese knives—why they are loved by chefs worldwide and what makes them truly unique.
Learn the “why” behind the blade and gain the knowledge to speak confidently about Japanese knives, their steel, and their soul.

The Japanese Knife Handbook

The Japanese Knife Manual — Live with Your Knife, Transform Your Cooking

The second book takes you from knowledge to practice.
The Japanese Knife Manual teaches how to use, care for, and live with your knife—turning it from a simple tool into a trusted partner in your kitchen.
Step by step, it shows how mindful habits can transform not only your cooking but your connection to the craft itself.

The Japanese Knife Manual

The Japanese Knife Mindset — The Philosophy Behind the Blade

After exploring knowledge in The Japanese Knife Handbook and practice in The Japanese Knife Manual,
the journey now turns inward — to the mindset behind every great chef.
The Japanese Knife Mindset delves into the philosophy, discipline, and daily habits that shape true culinary mastery.
A book for those who seek not only to sharpen their knives, but also their spirit.

The Japanese Knife Mindset

The Soul of Craftsmanship

  • The Voice of the Blade — A Living Tradition Forged in Hands and Words

    Forging a knife is a dialogue.
    Between fire and steel, between hammer and heart.
    Every strike carries the craftsman’s breath, and every finished blade holds his silent wish—
    that it may find its way into hands that understand not only sharpness, but spirit.

  • In my workshop, each day begins with that same intention.
    To create something that will speak, even without words.
    Because a true Japanese knife is not only meant to cut—it is meant to connect.
    It connects the maker to the user, the present to the past, and the art of the hand to the language of the heart.

  • When I learned that this new book, The Japanese Knife Workbook, was being written,
    I felt something beyond pride—hope.
    Hope that more people will not only learn about Japanese knives,
    but will also share their story with others.
    Because tradition survives not only through craftsmanship, but through voices.
    When someone speaks of the beauty of a blade,
    when someone explains what makes it special,
    they become a bridge that keeps this culture alive.

  • For centuries, Japanese knives have carried the devotion of their makers.
    Now, through your words and your hands, that devotion can travel even farther.
    From Sakai to the world—from silence to speech.

  • And to all who will one day hold one of our knives and tell its story,
    please know this:
    Every word you share becomes part of our legacy.

Our Story

  • Tradition of Sakai, in Your Hands

    "Where can I find a truly great knife?"
    We started KIREAJI to answer that question. While the number of skilled craftsmen is declining in Japan, many people overseas are seeking authentic blades. With that in mind, we carefully deliver each knife—bridging tradition and kitchens around the world.
Our Story