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Free CancellationCancel for free up to 2 days before your experience
Food for HappinessFor every guest in your booking, we donate 10 meals to children around the world
Why book with byFood?
Japan's #1 food travel platform
Trusted by 50,000+ travelers worldwideCurated by food lovers, for food loversFeatured in CNN, Forbes & NYT
Highlights
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Good to Know
FAQ
Try cinnamon mochi at Yaogen Raikodo, a local specialty
Explore the Sakai Traditional Knife and Crafts Museum
Tour Yamawaki Knife Company, watch professionals at work, and learn knife-sharpening techniques
Order a custom-made knife at Yamawaki Knife Company (optional)
The period from March 6 to April 6, 2026 will only be for the blacksmith, including Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the knife maker rate, which is a nice discount. Thank you for your understanding.
Step into the world of high-quality, professional Japanese knives with this walking tour in Sakai City, Osaka.
Sakai ranks among Japan's three prominent regions known for the craftsmanship of high-quality knives and bladed tools. While the city is most recognized for its steel-forward craftsmanship, there are plenty of other sights worthy of a visit!
During this guided tour, you’ll visit a 200+ year old shop selling cinnamon mochi (a regional specialty), explore the Sakai Knife and Craft Museum, then enter the prestigious walls of the Yamawaki Knife Company for a tour, knife sharpening lesson, and a special opportunity to order a custom-made knife!
Wednesdays: Blacksmith
Get the privilege to enter a real blacksmith workshop in Sakai and interact with the craftsman directly. Learn deeply about the blade crafting process, and get the chance to test your hammering skills with the assistance of the blacksmith.
Possibility to buy the blacksmith creations directly on site, which are sometimes ordered months in advance by some of the most prestigious chefs all around the world.
Tuesday and Thursdays - Knife maker
Visit a knife maker with over 100 years of history under the same name, where the raw blades arrive directly from the Blacksmith. Visit the Sharpening Station and the main office.
Observe the blades being turned into proper handmade cooking knives. Learn and practice the traditional Sharpening techniques with a professional and get the chance to order your customizable knife, or knives, if you request it.
This tour starts strictly on time, due to the various stops/related timing involved
If you’re running late and are unable to make it to the meeting point by departure time, the tour will begin without you and a refund won’t be issued
Please make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure time to avoid unexpected delays
Guests will visit Yaogen Raikodo to sample cinnamon mochi, a traditional Sakai specialty.
Vegetarian
Available
Vegan
Available
Halal
Not Available
Pescetarian
Available
Gluten-free
Not Available
Kosher
Not Available
Vegetarian
Available
Vegan
Available
Halal
Not Available
Pescetarian
Available
Gluten-free
Not Available
Kosher
Not Available
Course changes seasonally, exact dishes can't be confirmed in advance. byFood can communicate any dietary needs to the host when you book.
Bilingual guide
One traditional mochi (Japanese glutinous rice sweet)
Entry to Sakai Knife and Craft Museum
Yamawaki Knife Company: Tour, Japanese knife sharpening lesson, custom knife order assistance
Transportation to and from the meeting point
Sakai
Meet your host at the East Exit of Nankai Sakai Station, in front of the gates. More information and a Google Maps link will be shared upon booking.
The tour was great. As we walked from location to location, the guide provided a good beginners guide to the history of Sakai and how it was influenced by the Western world and eventually became the home of knife making in Japan. The first stop on the tour was a 200 year old mochi shop that was passed down from father to son. We sampled some traditional mochi as well as got to speak to the owner. The next stop was the Sakai Traditional Crafts Museum where they have a gallery dedicated to fab...read more
WL
William LinSeptember 2025 • byFood
Great experience by Remi and his team at Japan Tour Adventure. Due to a national holiday, the knife company was closed. However, Remi and his team arranged for a unique experience with a local blacksmith, Eric, where we learned about the process of making a blade from raw materials. We got to try our hands at the forge, hammering the hot metal, and we were even able to purchase a blade made by the blacksmith himself. Overall this was an amazing experience. Thank you to everyone involved!
MS
Mohammad Shahid HasanMay 2024 • byFood
Absolutely great experience.
Remi was a wonderful guide who explained the history and significance of Sakai before taking us to a small store which sells what is likely to the best mochi I've ever had.
The museum was next and gave a great overview of crafts in Sakai but the real highlight of the experience was the visit to the knife factory where we got to see how the knives were initially sharpened and polished and Remi also gave a great lesson on sharpening with a whetstone.
Definitely a...read more
HG
Heather GoochOctober 2025 • byFood
The timing is pretty scheduled for this tour. The time at the museum felt a little rushed, but overall really interesting. Our guide was funny and knowledgeable, and honest when he didn't know the answer to a question.
