Seki — Japan's Sword & Blade City
Japan's sword-making capital since the 13th century, now the world's leading producer of precision cutlery. Seki forged swords for samurai across medieval Japan; today its workshops produce kitchen knives and surgical blades for global markets. The Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum hosts live forging demonstrations.
2–3 hours
Museum ¥300
Seki Cutlery Hall (Seki Hamono Kaikan): 9:00–17:00; closed Dec 29–Jan 1 only
Year-round (October for the Cutlery Festival)
30 min from Gifu Station by Nagaragawa Railway
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Japan's sword capital since the 13th century — the tradition of samurai blades lives on here
- 2
Live sword-forging demonstrations at the Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum
- 3
The Hamono (cutlery) shopping street sells chef's knives that cost a fraction of Tokyo retail prices
Local Tips
Seki has produced blades for 700 years and remains Japan's knife and scissor capital. The Seki Hamono Museum displays 700 years of blade history and live blacksmith demonstrations. Several factories (Spyderco Japan, Global knife) offer factory tours by reservation. The Blade Festival in October (Hamono Matsuri) has hundreds of stalls selling blades at significant discounts.
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