Japan Knife Guide: BladeHunter

Find a Japanese kitchen knife you will want to bring home — and remember the story behind it. BladeHunter helps travellers explore knife shops in Japan, understand shapes and steels, and keep a personal record of the knife they choose. Free to use, with no account required. MAKE YOUR KNIFE YOURS Add your own photo and create a My Knife Portrait. Choose from 10 decorative backgrounds, personalise the text style, add your name, and decide which details to show. Adjust your photo’s position and crop, save the portrait on your device, and share it through the iOS share sheet. Reopen your saved portrait whenever you want to enjoy or share it again. EXPLORE BEFORE YOU VISIT Browse 57 shop listings across 13 cities. The directory distinguishes 10 listings with July 2026 web-verification records from 47 listings that need confirmation. Unverified service claims are withheld. Confirm current opening hours, services and availability directly with each shop. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE CHOOSING Explore knife shapes, compare 34 steel entries, and read 20 practical articles about choosing, using and caring for Japanese kitchen knives. Learn the terminology before your visit and bring more useful questions to the counter. The interface and article bodies are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Korean, German, French and Traditional Chinese. Decorative lettering within some portrait backgrounds remains in English. PLAN THE JOURNEY HOME Use the trip checklist, shop phrases and practical reference tools. Consult linked airline, airport and destination sources for your journey. BladeHunter does not determine baggage, transit, import or declaration requirements for your route. LOCAL FIRST The articles and shop directory are bundled with the app. Your My Knife records, imported photos and saved portraits stay on your device unless you choose to share them. Apple Maps needs a connection for uncached map tiles. External websites and services you choose to open may also require a connection. The app has no accounts, ads or tracking SDKs. Prepare for the shop. Understand your choices. Keep the memory.