Make Your Own Samurai Knife with a Certified Swordsmith in Gifu
Overview
This activity offers you the opportunity to make a Japanese knife in the atelier of a genuine Japanese swordsmith. Based in Gifu Prefecture, Asano Taro — certified by the Japanese government — is one of the few artisans still practicing authentic Japanese sword forging today. Book by March 1 to lock in the current price!
Highlights
- Easily accessible at just about 30 minutes by bullet train from Kyoto
- Learn 'kajiya,' the ancient art of the samurai blacksmith, with a certified artisan
- Bring your own materials for a more personalized experience
- Book online with us to secure one of the limited available dates and times for this experience
- Still available at the closed-border price, only until Feb 28!
Key Information
Important Information
• We accept only a limited number of people each month, so we recommend making your reservations early reservation • Please arrive at Gifu-Hashima Station via Tokaido Shinkansen before 08:50 • You will be greeted at the North Exit by someone holding a sign reading "Make Your Own Samurai Knife" • If you cannot arrive before 8:50, please tell us. Please arrive before 10:00 at the latest. After that time, it will be automatically canceled • There is always a risk of getting burnt, so please be very careful. We cannot assume responsibility in case of an injury
Description
Learning to make a knife usually takes about 10 years of practiced apprenticeship — making a katana or samurai sword takes even longer. But on this Japanese knife-making experience you'll get a crash course in the basics in just a single day! Learn and experience the traditional craft of Japanese bladesmithing for yourself; then, when you're done, you can take your newly forged knife home with you. You will use the same tools used for Japanese sword making to forge a knife in the morning. Take a lunch break at the smithy, then complete the activity by shaping the knife in the afternoon. Below is a sample itinerary for this experience: 08:50 — Pick-up at Gifu-Hashima Station 09:00–12:00 — Forge the knife at the atelier 12:00–13:00 — Lunch 13:00–14:00 — Shape the knife at the atelier 14:00–15:00 — Complete the knife 15:00–15:30 — Experience ends; drop-off at Gifu-Hashima Station Your host will prepare a lunch for you. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions. If you would like to eat something special, you can bring it with you. The number of lunch options purchased should be equal to or lower than the total number of participants as lunch is included in the price of the knife-making activity. Please book the lunch-only option for those who will not participate in the knife-making activity. Also, this activity can be conducted in French on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays. Transportation Take the Shinkansen bullet train to Gifu-Hashima Station. A free pick-up service is available from Gifu-Hashima Station to transport you to the experience location. See approximate times from major cities: Kyoto: 30 minutes Tokyo: 110 minutes Nagoya: 10 minutes Osaka: 50 minutes If you're coming by car, exit highway at Meishin Highway Gifu-Hashima IC and drive for 3 minutes to the station.