HOCHO KNIFE, an online shop selling Japanese-made knives to customers overseas, will open its first physical store on Saturday, November 14, 2026, on the first floor of the Center Plaza West Building (センタープラザ西館) in Sannomiya, Kobe.
The store plans to carry about 700 items, including knives from across Japan and related products, and visitors can pick them up and choose with the help of specialist staff. On grand opening day, three knife craftsmen from Fukui Prefecture, known as a production area of Echizen forged blades (越前打刃物), will visit to meet customers and engrave names on knives bought that day free of charge.
The image is a rendering of the finished store and may differ in part from the actual store.
Bringing Japanese Knives Loved Overseas to Kobe
According to final figures for 2025 released on September 29, 2026 by the City of Kobe and the Kobe Tourism Bureau, the total number of foreign overnight guests in the city in 2025 reached 1.353 million, up 43.3% from the previous year. The environment for welcoming visitors from overseas is also changing, including the start of international charter flights at Kobe Airport.
Focusing mainly on overseas sales, HOCHO KNIFE has delivered more than 200,000 Japanese-made knives to over 80 countries in total. Its Instagram account, which shares the beauty of the knives and the skill of their makers through photos and videos, has gathered 269,000 followers, and total views have passed 41.6 million (as of October 2026).
Seeing chefs overseas use Japanese knives and collectors gather many of them, the team came to appreciate how deeply these knives are cherished. Not only sharpness and quality but also the pattern of the blade, the detailing of the handle, and the maker's skill are valued, which became an opportunity to look again at what makes Japanese knives appealing.
Now the shop wants to bring this appeal, which has won support overseas, directly to customers in Japan as well. In Kobe, a city visited by people from Japan and abroad, it is opening a store where both locals and tourists can handle Japanese knives.
From Pop-Up Surprise to a Physical Store
Kushida (櫛田), the company's representative, began selling Japanese-made knives overseas in 2013 from his home in Hyogo. While visiting production areas across Japan and talking with craftsmen and manufacturers, he came to know the skill and the thinking that go into each knife.
He began thinking about a physical store around 2023, wanting a place where he could convey that appeal to customers directly. After repeated study visits to knife shops in Japan, he opened pop-up stores in Sannomiya, Kobe, in autumn 2025 and in early summer 2026.
What encouraged the opening was the reaction of customers who held the knives in their hands, surprised and delighted by the blade patterns and the beauty of the handles. "So there are knives this beautiful," they said. The experience showed the value of letting customers confirm in person the individuality of each knife, which cannot be fully conveyed through a screen.
Kobe, where the business has been run for many years, was chosen for the first physical store. The shop hopes to let local people experience the appeal of the knives it has delivered to the world directly, from Sannomiya Center-gai (三宮センター街), where shoppers and tourists pass through.
The pop-up store in Sannomiya, Kobe, in May 2026.
Inside the same pop-up store.
A Specialty Store Where Knives From Across Japan Can Be Seen, Touched and Chosen
Japan has knife-making areas that carry on different histories and techniques, including Sakai (Osaka), Seki (Gifu), Echizen (Fukui), Tsubame-Sanjo (Niigata), and Miki (Hyogo).
Drawing on its connections with craftsmen and manufacturers nationwide, the online shop handles more than 45 brands and over 3,000 types of knives. The new store will display about 700 items selected from them, together with related products.
Visitors can compare knives that differ by purpose, material, method, and maker, and check the feel in the hand and the balance of weight. Specialist staff will also suggest a knife suited to the customer's cooking style and use.
Aiming to be "a shop you can consult about knives," the store plans to support knife selection for everyone from home cooks to professional chefs. Through displays of knives made by craftsmen from Hyogo and elsewhere in Japan, and through exchange events, it also intends to create opportunities to encounter the makers' skill and thinking.
Grand Opening Day: Three Echizen Craftsmen Visit
Three knife craftsmen from Echizen City (越前市), Fukui Prefecture, including two Traditional Craftsmen (伝統工芸士), will visit the store at the grand opening on Saturday, November 14. Visitors can speak with the makers directly and hear about the features of their knives and the thinking behind their making. Knives purchased on the day can also be engraved with a name free of charge by the visiting craftsmen.
Grand Opening Event Details
- Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Craftsmen's visiting hours: Planned for 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
- Venue: Inside the HOCHO KNIFE store
- Activities: Craftsmen introduce their knives and talk with customers; free name engraving on knives purchased that day
- Visiting craftsmen: 黒﨑 優, 加藤 義実, 野村 和生
The store's business hours on the day are 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
A soft opening with shortened hours of 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM is planned for Wednesday, November 11 to Friday, November 13.
The Visiting Craftsmen
黒﨑 優 - 黒﨑打刃物 (Echizen City, Fukui)
Known for original hammered patterns. He pursues sharpness and beauty and makes distinctive knives fitted with a wide variety of handles. In 2019, at the age of 39, he was certified as a Traditional Craftsman (伝統工芸士).
加藤 義実 - カトウ打刃物製作所 (Echizen City, Fukui)
The third-generation head of カトウ打刃物製作所, founded in 1948. He has worked as a knife smith since 2012, carries on the techniques of Echizen forged blades, and makes a wide range of knives from Japanese-style to Western-style.
野村 和生 - 佐治打刃物 (Echizen City, Fukui)
The fourth-generation head of 佐治打刃物, founded in 1916. He carries on the traditional techniques of Echizen forged blades and makes Japanese-style knives, custom knives, forged kitchen knives, and more. He was certified as a Traditional Craftsman (伝統工芸士) in 2020.
What Is a Traditional Craftsman (伝統工芸士)?
It is a title certified by the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries (一般財団法人伝統的工芸品産業振興協会) to craftsmen who have worked for at least 12 years in making traditional crafts designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and who have passed practical skill, knowledge, and interview exams. Even after certification, holders have their skills checked every five years, and they are expected to pass on the techniques and knowledge honed through years of training to the next generation.
From a Knife for Yourself to One for Someone Special
A knife is a tool that can be used for a long time through repeated sharpening and care. It stays close to the user's life through everyday cooking, not just on the day it is given.
Knives have long carried the auspicious meaning of "cutting off misfortune and opening up the future." The store hopes to spread the culture of giving knives as gifts to celebrate milestones such as a new start in life, marriage, or opening a business or going independent.
In the store, name engraving and gift wrapping are available, and staff ask about the user's cooking style and preferences to help choose a knife to give to someone special.
Store Information
- Name: HOCHO KNIFE
- Address: Center Plaza West Building (センタープラザ西館) 1F, 2-11-1-105 Sannomiya-cho (三宮町), Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo
- Access: About 5 minutes on foot from JR Motomachi Station and Hankyu Sannomiya Station, and about 7 minutes on foot from JR Sannomiya Station
- Regular business hours: 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM
- Closed: None
- Products: Japanese-made knives and related products, about 700 items in total planned
- Services: Consultation on choosing knives with specialist staff, name engraving, gift wrapping, and consultation on sharpening and maintenance
Related Links
- Store information page (more information to be added in stages): https://www.hocho-knife.com/hocho-knife-kobe-sannomiya/
- Google Business Profile: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cvckz8LyMpaN4JEJ6
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hocho_knife/
