Flânons

Kyoto · Japan · To discover

Kanetaka Hamono

Location & practical

A Knife Shop with a Forge Out Back

  • Yamada reads the heat by colour.
  • The forge is behind the knife shop.
  • Flower shears come back to be sharpened by hand.
  • €37–368 / person
  • Dōnomaechō, Nakagyō-ku
  • Craft workshop
  • 30–120 minutes

Step in from Rokkaku-dōri and the first thing you see is steel behind glass. Kitchen knives share the cases with flower shears and the little snips Nishijin weavers hold in the palm of the hand. At the back is the forge, where Yoshitaka Yamada watches the colour of the steel to judge when it’s ready for the hammer. For some knives, he forges reclaimed wrought iron around a steel core.

The flower shears have customers across the street. Kanetaka took up its spot opposite Rokkakudō around 1770, a little over a century after the family says it began making Japanese razors in 1651. At the temple, the Ikenobo school traces ikebana back to the flowers once offered there.

When a pair of flower shears comes back to the shop, the blades are sharpened by hand and checked to see how they meet. Even with two sharp edges, a loose joint leaves just enough room for a thin leaf to slip between them.

  • Urban setting Dōnomaechō, Nakagyō-ku

Good to know.

Location
244 Dōnomaechō, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8134, Japan
Open map & directions
Getting around

About three minutes on foot south of Karasuma Oike subway station, or six minutes north of Hankyu Karasuma station.

Arriving

The main shop is at 244 Dōnomaechō on Rokkaku-dōri, opposite Rokkakudō temple. Arrange forge access in advance.

Accessibility

Confirm step-free access and workbench access with the shop before booking. The working forge can be hot and smoky.

Travelling with children

Confirm age and supervision requirements with the operator before booking a forge visit or class.

Worth knowing

  • The €37 to €368 budget spans standard experiences booked directly with the shop. The lower end is the guided forge tour (€36.76, ¥6,500 per person). The upper end is the standard kitchen knife class with the highest listed handle price (€367.58, ¥65,000 before shipping).

  • EUR figures are indicative conversions at ¥176.83 per €1, the ECB reference rate on 13 November 2026. The shop charges in yen. Shipping, interpretation, custom options and third party bookings are priced separately.

  • The shop finishes the blade after the class. It quotes roughly six to eight weeks for finishing and offers overseas shipping.

  • Wear closed shoes and clothes you can get dirty. The shop provides an apron, goggles and gloves for forging.

  • The main shop lists Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 17:00. Its published schedules disagree on Sundays, public holidays and Gion Festival closures. Confirm those dates directly at +81 75 221 5446. Forge tours and classes require a reservation.

A few places to make it your own.

KOSA（コウサ）

To eat · Kyoto

KOSA（コウサ）

At Ace Hotel Kyoto, Kōsa pairs exceptional Japanese beef with the vegetables and rice of local growers. A bright, garden-facing dining room and partner chef Katy Cole's Californian farm-to-table instincts make it a relaxed alternative to formal Kyoto dining.

Discover this place
Ace Hotel Kyoto

To stay · Kyoto

Ace Hotel Kyoto

Ace Hotel Kyoto pairs a 1926 telephone office with a timber-screened wing by Kengo Kuma and Associates. Inside are Samiro Yunoki’s playful artworks, turntables in the historic rooms and wood-fired pizza at Mr. Maurice’s Italian.

Discover this place
Hosoo Flagship store

To shop · Kyoto

Hosoo Flagship store

Behind black plaster and three-millimetre lines of gold leaf, a Kyoto weaving house founded in 1688 turns Nishijin cloth into cushions, furniture and made-to-order curtains. There’s a textile gallery upstairs and tea downstairs.

Discover this place
About this edit · 8 sources