Aritsugu Nishiki Market

Great knife but service was very average and place was full of tourists. This was one of the experiences I was most looking forward to about my trip to Kyoto. I came in ready to spend $500 ona single knife and nobody wanted to even look at me, I waved down someone and they told me to wait. Eventually i got served, bought my $500 knife with very limited info or help and then I was told no engraving. Then it got wrapped in a bit of old paper and cardboard an placed in a box. Would expect way more for the price. Good thing the knife seems high quality, otherwise I would suggest one of the hundreds of other knife shops around. C'MON ARITSUGU, don't let 500 years of greatness get lost with average customer service.

Artisugu – Timeless Craft, Personal Touch Stepping into Artisugu in Kyoto is like entering a quiet temple of craftsmanship. There’s a reverence in the air—centuries of tradition held delicately in every blade and every conversation. I came in curious, and left with not just a knife, but a deeper appreciation for the artistry behind it. A special thanks goes to Mako, whose knowledge, patience, and warmth truly elevated the experience. She walked me through the subtle differences in blade types, sharpening techniques, and care essentials with such care and clarity—it felt like a masterclass in precision and purpose. The packaging was beautiful. Minimalist. Understated. A perfect metaphor for the knife itself—functional elegance. Thank you, Mako, and thank you, Artisugu, for a purchase that feels like a piece of Kyoto I’ll carry for a lifetime.

When buying a knife becomes a life time experience. I always wanted an Aritsugu knife, and I was a bit unlucky due to arriving when they were closed for the holidays. Luckily I got there before my train as soon as they opened, found the knife I wanted and it was already pre sharpened. Now the staff and team are super helpful I told them what I was looking for and asked if I can try two other knives and they were more than happy to accommodate this. The packing and care they give to the knife is beyond words. Would love to go back and buy the other two

I bought many knifes between 2014 and 2019 in this shop for more than 100000 yens. It was great and they engraved for free your items with your name. You come back 2025 prices are increased 50% and they not very welcoming and not engraved anymore your name. So why go there ??? Pass your way. You will find better and cheaper for same quality in other shops. Sayonara Aritsugu you won’t be anymore in recommended guides

Visiting Aritsugu in Kyoto was an unforgettable experience. The moment I walked in, I could feel the deep history and craftsmanship behind every blade. This shop isn’t just selling knives—they’re carrying on a legacy that began with crafting katanas for samurai. Holding one of their knives feels like holding a piece of that history. The staff were incredibly kind and knowledgeable, helping me choose a knife that fit exactly what I was looking for. You can tell they take pride in their work, and they made sure I left with something I’d truly value. The knife itself is a work of art—razor-sharp, perfectly balanced, and made with the kind of precision that’s hard to find these days. It’s more than just a tool—it’s a piece of living tradition. If you’re ever in Kyoto and appreciate craftsmanship, Aritsugu is a must-visit.

Awesome market in the heart of Kyoto. It has a little bit of everything. Walking through the narrow pathway between businesses, you can find good, gifts, home goods, clothes, traditional local sake, custom made chopsticks, and so so so much more. A couple visits wasn't enough. Just loved this area!

This place offers a WIDE RANGE of knives and other kitchen tools made from carbon steel. I bought my Santoku (all-purpose) knife from here. Staff are friendly and can speak english and was able to provide me with lots of advice and info on which knife I should choose and how to care for the knife. I'm happy with my knife purchase and cannot wait to use it. Even though knife prices are on the higher side, I think of it as an heirloom which you only buy once and it'll last forever as long as you take good care of it.

Sharp knives. Lots of tourists in the area. I like it that this is one of the places that didn't have the usual offering of Damascus and multiple different knife handle options. I went in and knew what I wanted and got it very easily. It is slightly overwhelming and being a foreigner is definitely harder to communicate with the staff. You also should know the difference between a carbon steel blade and such but there's a lot of reviews on the internet. I ended up with a santoku and am very happy with it. Just have to make sure it's dried when I store it otherwise my knife will rust due to it being a carbon steel knife.

The most authentic knife store, they were sword makers for samurai's and when swords were no longer being made, they were the first knife store. We bought pocket knife's and they offered free custom engraving. It honestly feels like such a treat to be able to buy a knife from the OGs. They are super busy during the day, get a number as soon as possible and if you do want engraving you will need to return in about an hour or two so I suggest coming here first and then you can continue going around the market.

I admit that I'm much more of a tourist than I am a cook, but I'm a big fan of Aritsugu, the storied knife shop of Nishiki Market. Aritsugu was founded in 1560 and has been at this location since 1781. When people get reverent about Japanese knives, they're talking about knifemakers like Aritsugu. We went during our visit to Nishiki Market. I wanted to buy some knives while we were in Japan, both for ourselves and as gifts, and it was nice that Aritsugu didn't require a separate trip, like the famous knife shops on Kappabashi in Tokyo. The store was compact but well stocked, with walls and display cases full of beautiful knives. We were only interested in basic kitchen knives, but it was fun to look at all the specialty knives, the whole range of shapes and sizes. Service was excellent. The place was quite busy the whole time we were there, but we were well attended to, with salespeople who spoke to us in both Japanese very good English. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that Aritsugu takes credit cards--if you've read that it's cash only, that information is out of date. We ended up buying several of the same knife, a practical kitchen mid-size kitchen knife that we use to cut pretty much everything. (You can pack well-sealed knives in your carry-on luggage, no problem.) I also bought one for my mom, a great cook who maintained for years that there was no need to buy nice knives. She is now a convert, and planning to make her own trip to Aritsugu when she goes to Kyoto this month. You can get these knives online, but there's a significant mark-up, and you don't get the pleasure of shopping at a place with hundreds of years of history. I would highly recommend visiting Aritsugu when you're in Kyoto. It's worth a browse even if you don't walk away with a bag full of knives.

Great service.Lots of variety. Crowded. Don't forget to get your name engraved! We had the luxury of having an interpreter which helped. Ask before taking photos or video.

I love my all purpose vegetable knife from Aritsugu! It's beautiful, well designed, light, and super sharp! Visiting Japan, I knew that I had to get a handcrafted knife. Going to the store was exciting for me. I felt like a kid in a candy store! There was an entire wall of knives as well as pots, molds, and other kitchen tools. It took awhile to get service since they were packed with customers. I appreciated the variety of knives offered and wished I'd done more research ahead of time. Nevertheless, the salesperson helped to narrow my choices which helped. She also went over, an extensive list of exactly how to care for my knife. The best part was the complimentary engraving offered. Buying a knife from Aritsugu was a memorable experience and should be a must stop shop for anyone that likes to cook!

Public service announcement to significant others everywhere: If you wish your spouse/partner/roommate would cook more, Aritsugu is the solution! Reputedly selling some of the finest knives in Japan, we invested in a chef's knife. Reasonable price, and you get what you pay for. The staff are helpful and quite proficient in English. They explain everything clearly, especially the important things like how to care for your knife. I tried chopping some brussels sprouts at home, and the blade glides through them like they're made of butter! I've never seen anything like it! Worth every penny. Consider this a place you MUST see when in Kyoto!

Aritsugu's knives are a work of art. Aritsugu has been manufacturing kitchen knives for centuries (400+ years!)/ 18 generations. The store though can get quite busy and with so many different choices and options, most of the customers needs help and advice in deciding what to get. Of course unless you know what you really want. Definitely worth visiting and see all these knives on display!

Aritsugu is one of the first stores you'll encounter on our right-hand side when you enter the Nishiki Market from the mall entrance. I absolutely had to get a handcrafted Japanese knife before leaving, and I have only heard great things about the knives at Aritsugu. I ended up getting an all-purpose knife (the one most people get when they come), which cost about ￥140,000. It was a beautiful knife. I did have a little bit of skepticism at first because of how it felt in my hand; the weight was good, but the handle was a bit small. Best thing of all, the knife came with a complimentary engraving. I ended up getting my name engraved on the side. The knife also comes with a quick lesson on how to take care of the knife, cleaning instructions, and a gift wrapping. The staff was great and super friendly. The eldest gentlement did his best to keep up a conversation with us. I will definitely come back everytime I'm in Japan.

One word..Class! These knives are as good as it gets. I started my collection a while ago and couldn't resist adding while in Kyoto., they carve your name in the knives and have great service and advice on what to acquire. If ur looking for a great knife or any traditional Japanese cookery, this is a great place to start!

They have a nice shop but it's packed full of ignorant tourists, which are clearly their main clientele because the inventory is all low-to-mid range knives that are very simple. They didn't stock any knives that excited me. If you're somewhat into knives, I would recommend dropping by to browse but I highly doubt you'll find any interesting or beautiful knives... I came with a lot of cash in my pocket to buy a nakiri, bunka, and gyuto... didn't see a single knife that was remotely interesting. American importers offer significantly better quality Japanese knives for the money. Unless you need to say you bought it in Japan, it's cheaper to buy from an importer and you'll have a ton more options available. Engraving is tacky, but I bet it drives half their sales.

I am the very fortunate recipient of a knife gotten from Artisugu - I told my dad I wanted a samurai sword from his trip to Japan but I think this was a pretty solid compromise. I believe he spent around 20,000 - 25,000 yen for a beautiful European knife that easily passed my sharpness test (slicing a piece of paper held up with only two fingers - the most technical of all tests). It's been about 6 months of multiple daily use and without sharpening and it's starting to lose its edge. I'm too scared to sharpen it myself but found a great knife sharpener in San Jose that will hopefully be able to restore it to its glory. A note: this is real life steel. The first time I washed it, I left it to dry flat on the counter with several drops of water lying on the blade. A few hour later I found that it had already started to discolor/the thinnest film of rust (?) had formed. A quick scour cleaned it up, but be careful. This is a high-maintanence knife. Treat her well, and she will be good to you. Thank you, Aritsugu.

Famous knife and utensils store since edo period. I got my knife series from this well known store. Staff is nice and understand English well. I saw many foreign customers here and asking questions.

We stopped by to purchase some knives and this place was packed. We expected to find really beautiful knives in Japan but most shops, like this one, were full of knives with that plain wood handle. Personally, if I'm spending $$$ on knives, I want them to look good. So, we didn't end up buying here - instead we found some great knives at Tower Knives in Osaka - made in Japan but Western Style. Sure, I'm sure I'll take a lot of heat for caring too much about the looks, but at the end of the day I am a Westerner so I do prefer Western style knives!

I have two special knives of this shop. This is a kitchen knives specialty store located in "Nishiki Ichiba" in called Kitchen of kyoto. The greate variety of kitchen knives in the shop are originally crafted with traditional techniques.and habitaually not only by the cook of kyoto but also by chefs of overseas.

This is an ok knife shop. Don't get me wrong some of these knives are very high quality. But please do your research before buying any knives in Japan! If you notice that all clientele are tourists you should already question if this is the best deal. Honestly, this store is catered to tourist which means you will pay more for the same quality you can get at other knife shops. Do yourself a favor and go to websites like chefknivestogo.com (I am not advertising for this website) and compare prices before buying. Although Aritsugu does have some awesome knives they are priced the same in the U.S. as they are in this shop. One would think it would be cheaper because they do not need to internationally ship but it is basically the same price! So what's the point really of going to a knife shop in Japan if the price is the same on online stores in the U.S.. If you must though, the Aritsugu knife shop in tsukiji market is cheaper with the same knives, it's just a little more ghetto looking than the Kyoto store. My knife shop recommendations in Japan are Syodai in tokyo or sakai, Machikan in kawagoe, or aritsugu in tsukji market I recommend these places because they sale only their products ( all high quality hand made) and are not catered to only tourist. BTW if you are not a professional and just buying a kitchen knife for personal use these knives will impress you... just research first probably can get a better knife for the same price.

I use this manufacture's kitchen knives because they boast high credibility and are considered ideal and perfect ones among cooks or house wives. Their cutting quality is accurate and excellent!! My mom bought me this knife when I got married. Since then I have been using the same knife, which is a life-long treasure. Its head office is located in Tsukiji of Tokyo. This Kyoto branch is in Nishiki commercial district. An old tasteful atmosphere. I saw skilled craftmen wearing uniforms sharpening the kitchen knives in a glass-paneled corner. It was fun as well as rare experience to see directly them working. Many kinds of kitchen knives for making sliced raw fish, cooking Chinese dishes, or daily use or kitchen utensils are displayed and sold here. Everything is comparatively pricier than the ones of other manufacturers. If you want to develop your cooking skill, you may as well change your kitchen knife for the better one.