Kama-Asa

Kama-Asa Knife Shops offer a fantastic experience for anyone looking for a quality Japanese chef knife. While in Tokyo, I was on a mission to find the perfect knife based on several recommendations. After exploring a few options, I settled on Kama-Asa because of their friendly and knowledgeable staff. Not being well-versed in knives, I appreciated how the associate took the time to explain the differences between various models and guided me to the one that suited my needs best. They cater to every budget, making it accessible for all. The highlight of my visit was watching my chosen knife get engraved by hand—a perfect, personalized souvenir that made the experience truly memorable. Highly recommended for both novices and enthusiasts alike!

Great experience shopping here. From viewing to payment, it was a seamless & thoughtful process. Staff are friendly and speak English well. No pushy sales here. I was attended by Nori-san who was hospitable and patient in explaining how to take care and maintain the knives I bought. Arigatoo-gozaimasu, Nori-san!

Shopping for a Santoku knife at Kappabashi Street is a pilgrimage every home cook or professional chef should make when in Tokyo. Nestled between Ueno and Asakusa, this street—often dubbed “Kitchen Town”—is a paradise for culinary enthusiasts, lined with specialty stores selling everything from lacquered bento boxes to plastic food replicas and artisanal ceramics. But the real magic lies in the knife shops. Wandering into a knife store like Kama Asa, Kamata or Tsubaya is like stepping into a temple of steel, where generations of craftsmanship come to life. Rows upon rows of gleaming blades glint under soft lighting, each one honed to perfection. The Santoku—Japan’s all-purpose kitchen knife—is a particular standout. Its name means “three virtues,” referring to its mastery of slicing, dicing, and mincing. Decided on the V5 Damascus stainless shell Santoku knife from Tsubame, a refined blend of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and modern steel technology. Crafted in Tsubame City—famed for its precision metalwork—the knife features a V5 stainless steel core for exceptional edge retention, corrosion resistance, and easy upkeep. The outer Damascus shell, formed by layering multiple steels, creates a striking wave-like pattern that enhances both beauty and durability Choosing one is an experience in itself. Shopkeepers will let you feel the balance of the blade, explain the steel’s origin, and may even offer to engrave your name in kanji. You leave not just with a tool, but with a slice of Japanese culture—sharp, elegant, and deeply personal. There’s a quiet reverence in these shops, where passion meets precision, and shopping becomes a moment of connection between tradition and the modern kitchen.

A must-visit shop at Kappabashi when I travel to Tokyo. It has a lot of nice pots, knives, cutting board and BBQ equipment etc. The staff are very friendly and patient. Most of them can speak English very well.

- If you're in Japan, grab a cool kitchen knife from Kama-Asa shop. - They've got lots of different knives, all looking really nice. - And hey, they'll even engrave it for you for free. - Don't miss out on this Tokyo spot if you're into cooking!

Great shop to buy high quality knives at a decent price. Staff are very helpful, we got our names engraved into the knives. A lot of the popular styles sell out though, especially if you’re looking to buy a set, they have a big selection.

Beautiful shop with knowledgeable and friendly personnel, also perfect if you don’t speak Japanese. Despite the boutique being filled with customer, it didn’t take long to get the help I needed. Jérémy is incredibly knowledgeable and helped me find a suitable knife within minutes. Optionally, one can engrave the knife for free. All in all, superb service, I will come back here in the future.

This shop is beautiful and most important of all is managed by highly skilled staff. They directed me towards the right choice for a gift and they were really available to answer all my question. If you want to buy a kitchen knife this is the place in Kappabashi. In particular, Jeremy was great; another guy which unfortunately I don't know the name, did the engraving, he was great too. Kudos to this shop!

I was introduced to Kama Asa through a dealership operating in Brooklyn, NY. At first glance, i knew i needed to have one in my collection. I purchased online, which also came with an engraving service at no additional cost. Feedback and response from their staff via e-mail was prompt, accurate and informational. The craftsmanship of the blade i purchased, spoke for itself the moment i opened my package and held it. A true work of art.

Kama Asa was probably the 5th or 6th knife shop i browsed through while on the hunt for a specific knife through Kapabashi street. Granted, the knife I was seeking is quite hard to find as I needed a left-handed one. However, the sales staff at this store were leaps and mounds better than any other I entered. They all spoke pretty fluent english and catered to my every need. They were extremely knowledgeable about each knife and weren't just trying to upsell the customer. I actually walked out with two knives because of how great of a deal I got. I am super stoked on my purchases as they were also much better priced than all of the other stores as well. They also offer free engraving which is super cool. I will be recommending this shop to anyone and everyone I know who comes to Japan looking to purchase a knife.

Everytime I come to Japan I go to this store. They have a chef knife made with stainless steel but only 2mm wide [on top]. Nothing cuts like it and it was just over 100.00. Stateside this same knife would be over $260.00. It is worth the trip to come out there and get away from the tourist sites.

This is a great place to buy a high quality sushi knife and all the other kinds of cutlery needed for Japanese cooking. They have a very extensive selection of cutlery. The staff are super friendly and knowledgable. They will take the time to determine how you intend to use your new knife and will make recommendations on the type and style of knife best suited for you. They will also show you how to sharpen your new knife. They will also engrave your blade if you are so inclined. The sales staff speak fluent english. Credit cards accepted. Free Wi-fi in the culinary district. Highly recommend.

As you can tell from the photographs, this store in Tokyo's Kappabashi neighborhood specializes in very high quality, hand made knives of all kinds. You can spend as much money as you want, though most of the most expensive knives are designed specifically to cut fish into sushi pieces, and most of us don't need one of those at home. I settled for a moderately prices santoku knife, which is what I had in mind when I entered the store. I almost bought a nakiri vegetable knife just because they were so beautiful, but I refrained. As mentioned at least one of the staff speaks good English and they can do engravings on the blade if you choose with minimal wait time. This place is expensive, but it's where you go to buy kitchen knives so that you never have to buy another again (so long as you care for it properly!) Highly recommended.

You can really tell the people who worked here knew what they were doing and were very passionate about their job. We purchase 4 knives for a little less than $375,000 yen. The shop was a little busy and the staffs don't really speak much English so that was the only thing I wish we could have received more help. However overall we are happy with our purchases!

In the past two months, I've revisited Kama-asa four times and have purchased a total of ten knives as gifts and for my own use. The knives are beautifully made, and are available with the traditional, and simplistically beautiful, "wa" handle (for those who hold their knives with fingers wrapped around the handle or use the pointer finger along the spine of the blade) or in the western style for those who use the "pinch the blade" method in their food prep. Damascus manufacturing and hand hammering create a beautiful, and practical, food-shedding blade with a hard metal core that retains an edge for, I'd say, at least a month of everyday use. I was specifically shopping for a general purpose kitchen knife, and bought the 8" blade Santoku knife (literally meaning three ways or three solutions, for slice, chop, and mince). But of course, there are many, many types of knives to choose from, including specialized large tuna knives with blades in excess of two feet long! Layered Damascus is one option, but standard forged options are available as well. To make the knives unique, ask for hammered engraving which can accommodate Japanese characters with straight lines. Otherwise, they can use a standard rotary engraver for inscribing English characters. The hammering engraver is not always there, perhaps call ahead of time if you know this is something you might want. Kama-asa has been in Kappabashi for more than a century although the showroom is modern and open with a friendly feel. They are registered for visitor's tax exemptions, just take your receipt and a passport and get a refund of about 8% off your purchase price to "take the edge" so to speak, off the cost of your new blades at a refund location about a block away. The staff was very helpful with two English speakers to guide you through the process.