All-Stainless Cutlery Pioneer
GLOBAL (Yoshida Metal Industry / YOSHIKIN)
Introduced in 1983 and designed by visionary industrial designer Komin Yamada, GLOBAL pioneered the world's first seamless all-stainless kitchen knives in Tsubame-Sanjo. Eliminating bacteria accumulation around wooden handles, its hollow, sand-weighted dotted handle and proprietary high-carbon CROMOVA 18 steel became an enduring icon in modern culinary history.
🔪 Specialty Blades:
Santoku Knife (G-46)Chef's Gyuto (G-2)Petty Knife (GS-3)Bread Knife (G-9)
🏷️ Price Range:
¥9,000–¥25,000 (Core range: ¥11,000–¥16,000)
Comprehensive Cutlery Maker & Open Factory
TOJIRO (Tojiro Co., Ltd.)
Established in 1953, Tojiro is Tsubame-Sanjo's largest cutlery manufacturer, masterfully combining precision die-stamping, clad-forging, and computerized vacuum heat-treatment. Operating the 'Tojiro Open Factory' for public tours, its DP Cobalt Alloy steel series represents one of the most widely recommended professional workhorse knives in the global restaurant industry.
🔪 Specialty Blades:
DP Cobalt Clad Chef Knives (Gyuto, Santoku)Hand-Forged Traditional Blades (Shirogami/Aogami)Damascus Multi-layer Series
🏷️ Price Range:
¥7,000–¥60,000 (Core range: ¥10,000–¥22,000 / Pro DP Series: ¥12,000–¥20,000)
Cutlery Atelier & Manufacturer
Hocho Kobo Tadafusa
Founded in 1948 in Sanjo, Tadafusa redefined everyday kitchen cutlery through its collaboration with industrial designer Fumie Shibata. Its signature 'Essential 3' set (All-Purpose Santoku 170mm, Bread Slicer, and Petty) features patented antimicrobial charred chestnut wood handles and rust-resistant SLD tool-steel cladded cores that hold a razor edge with minimal fuss.
🔪 Specialty Blades:
'Essential 3' Collection (Santoku, Bread Knife, Petty)Charred Wood Antimicrobial KnivesHand-Forged Professional Single Bevels
🏷️ Price Range:
¥12,000–¥35,000 (Core range: ¥14,000–¥20,000)
