Japanese tableware and kitchenware trading company, Imoto Sangyo Ltd.「news」page

Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, is a knife-producing region located about an hour’s drive north of Nagoya. It accounts for 50% of the domestic knife production in Japan, and knives made in and around Seki City have been certified as a regional brand by the Japan Patent Office as “Seki knives.” They are widely exported overseas, and together with Solingen in Germany and Sheffield in the UK, Seki is known as one of the three major knife-producing regions in the world. In this column, we will introduce the historical background of Seki’s prosperity as a knife-producing region.

Table of Contents
1.　Perfect Place for Knife Making, which Fascinated Swordsmiths
2.　Heyday of Japanese Sword Making in Seki
3.　Beginning of the Production of Household Knives
4.　Revival of Seki knives through a shift to modern manufacturing methods
5.　Becoming a Global Producer of Household Cutlery
6.　Conclusion

Perfect Place for Knife Making, which Fascinated Swordsmiths

The reason why the knife industry flourished in Seki is that it has all three important conditions for knife making: ① water, ② wood, and ③ soil. Seki is the perfect place for knife making, as it has the Nagara River and Tsubo River, which can supply the high-purity water needed for cooling, ② pine charcoal needed as fuel to melt steel can be obtained from the Hida mountains, and ③ red soil can be obtained for the knives used in the heat treatment of steel. Then, about 780 years ago, in the middle of the Kamakura period, a swordsmith named “Motoshige” moved to this area (then Mino Province), and this marked the beginning of knife making in Seki.

Heyday of Japanese Sword Making in Seki

After that, many swordsmiths moved here from all over, and during the Nanboku-cho period, the “Mino tradition” was established by “Shizu Saburo Kaneuji” and “Kaneshige/Kinju”. The Mino tradition is one of the “Five Traditions” of Japanese sword making, and is characterized by its strength, sharpness, and high practicality. Japanese sword making in Seki, which was highly evaluated for its quality, reached its heyday during the Muromachi period. Currently, there are about 10 swordsmiths in Gifu Prefecture, but at that time, Seki flourished as a major production area with more than 300 swordsmiths. Seki’s Japanese swords, which are “unbreakable, unbendable, and sharp,” saw an increase in exports due to the Kango trade (licensed trade between Japan and Ming dynasty China during the Muromachi period), and by the time of the Sengoku period, they were favored by many warlords and began to be mass-produced.

Beginning of the Production of Household Knives

However, as the Edo period came and the fighting ceased, the demand for Japanese swords dropped. As a result, an increasing number of swordsmiths who had been making Japanese swords switched to field blacksmithing, making household knives such as kitchen knives, small knives, scissors, and razors, using their skills. This led to the wide range of household knives being made in Seki, which continues to this day.
After the decree banning the wearing of swords was promulgated in the Meiji period, this trend accelerated even further, and most swordsmiths switched to producing household knives. In addition, the production of pocketknives introduced from Europe and the United States began, and household knives were exported, and the area continued to develop as a production center for modern knives. On the other hand, sword making did not completely disappear, and the production of military swords and ornamental swords for export continued.

Revival of Seki Knives Through a Shift to Modern Manufacturing Methods

Around the start of World War I, the demand for swords, including military swords, increased, and swords once again became an export industry. As a result, the Seki Cutlery Association was approved by the prefecture, and the industry established itself as a local industry. However, this was short-lived, because the Seki cutlery industry was hit hard by the Great Depression of 1929 and weakened. The manufacturers that survived the recession focused on manufacturing daily necessities such as kitchen knives, pocketknives, small knives, Western tableware, flower arranging tools, and agricultural tools, and shifted from Make-to-Order Manufacturing to Make-to-Stock Manufacturing. In addition, a system of division of labor for each manufacturing process, such as die cutting and assembly, was established, and the industry transitioned to a modern manufacturing form. Furthermore, the establishment of a prefectural metal testing laboratory further improved the quality of products, expanding exports and escaping the effects of the Great Depression. In the early Showa period, Seki’s cutlery industry was responsible for the majority of domestic cutlery production, and in World War II, it was responsible for mass production of military swords designated by the Imperial Japanese Army, and the industry entered a period of revival.

Becoming a Global Producer of Household Cutlery

After the defeat in the war, the market value of military swords was completely lost. Having lost their main products, the knife manufacturers once again focused on household knives such as kitchen knives and pocket knives, and revived through exports. After that, riding the wave of the rapid economic growth period, products diversified, including Japan’s first safety razor blades, bottle openers, and can openers. In the 1960s, Seki became known around the world as a world-class knife production center on par with Solingen in Germany.
Currently, there are about 400 companies involved in the knife industry in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, and the city accounts for 50% of the domestic knife production share. In addition, facilities such as the Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum, the Gifu Prefecture Seki Cutlery Industry Association, and the Seki Terrace have been established to deepen knowledge of Seki’s knives, and a cutlery festival is held every October, making the city a lively town of knives.

Conclusion

Seki was once highly praised for its Japanese swords, which are “unbreakable, unbendable, and sharp.” Even today, Seki knives are recognized around the world for their high quality, with their sharp cutting edge, strong core, and resistance to chipping, and the traditions that date back to the days when Japanese swords were made are carried on. As times have changed, Seki knives, which have outlived their role as weapons, have been transformed into daily necessities and continue to support people’s lives today.

Imoto Sangyo handles a wide variety of knives as well as Seki knives.
In addition to knives, we also handle a wide variety of ceramics, kitchen utensils, and daily goods. For more information, please see the “Goods & Cases” pages.
If you would like to check the details of the product, please contact us from the “Contact” page.

（Products of Seki　Goods & Cases）
SAMURAI SWORD SHAPE SCISSORS
NAIL CLIPPER
TS MADAM　SANTOKU KNIFE
TS MADAM　GYUTO KNIFE
ICHIGEN DAMASCUS KITCHEN KNIFE
SEKIRYU KITCHEN KNIFE
KIDENIJI NAIL CLIPPER
NAIL CUT NIPPER KIDENJI

（Reference）
Gifu Industrial Economic Promotion Center
Gifu Prefectural General Education Center
Seki Knife Festivel
Touken World