Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata
Two neighbouring cities on the Shinano river. Sanjo (三条) is the blacksmith town — nails from the 1600s, then knives, nata, chisels and planes; Echigo-Sanjo Uchihamono (越後三条打刃物) has been a nationally designated traditional craft since 2009. Tsubame (燕) is the stainless and factory side: GLOBAL, Tojiro, Brieto. Together they are the only region on this site we document entirely in person.
Makers (20)
| Maker | Marks | Kind | Steels | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoshikane Hamono | 吉兼作 / 吉兼久作 | Forges | SKD, Shirogami #2 | Seen in person |
| Hinoura Hamono Kobo | 司作 / 日野浦司 | Forges | Aogami #2, Shirogami #2, Aogami Super | Documented |
| Tadafusa (Hocho Kobo Tadafusa) | タダフサ / 忠房 | Forges | SLD, Shirogami #2, Aogami #2 | Seen in person |
| Tojiro | 藤次郎 / TOJIRO | Factories | VG10, Shirogami #2 | Seen in person |
| Yoshida Metal Industry (GLOBAL) | GLOBAL / GLOBAL-IST | Factories | CROMOVA 18 | Seen in person |
| Kataoka Seisakusho (Brieto / TAMAHAGANE) | Brieto / ブライト | Factories | Molybdenum-vanadium stainless, SG2 / R2 | Seen in person |
| Shimomura Kogyo | 下村 / ヴェルダン | Factories | Molybdenum-vanadium stainless, VG10 | Seen in person |
| Kiryu Kogyo (Tetsuhiro) | 哲弘 / 桐生 | Factories | Aogami Super, Aogami #2, VG10, SG2 / R2 | Seen in person |
| Sekikawa (Hidari Tozo) | 左藤蔵 / セキカワ | Factories | — | Seen in person |
| Nakagawa Shokai (Sadaaki 定明) | 定明作 / 定明 | Wholesalers with own brands | Aogami #2, VG10 | Seen in person |
| Wakui Bar Hamono (forges Kinjiro) | 金次郎 / 涌井 | Forges | Shirogami #2 | Seen in person |
| Wakui Co. (Kinjiro · Yamabito) | 山人 / 剛剣 | Brand companies | Shirogami #2 | Seen in person |
| Nakajo Kanamono (wholesaler) | Wholesalers with own brands | — | Seen in person | |
| Shigefusa (Kairo Iizuka) | 重房 | Forges | Shirogami #2 | Documented |
| Tsurugi Kenshin | 剣謙心 | Brand companies | Shirogami #2, Aogami #2, SLD, SK carbon steel, VG10 | Seen in person |
| Igarashi Hamono Kogyo (Kanenori) | 鋼典 | Factories | — | Seen in person |
| Babacho Kanamono (BABACHO · Chozaburo) | BABACHO / 長三郎 | Wholesalers with own brands | Shirogami #2 | Seen in person |
| Babacho Co. (Kireru Yorokobi) | 切れるよろこび | Wholesalers with own brands | Shirogami #2, Aogami #2, Aogami Super | Seen in person |
| Kobayashi Kogu (Muthos Homura) | Muthos Homura | Factories | — | Seen in person |
| Yajimaya (ROKUSHIRO) | 六四郎 / ROKUSHIRO | Wholesalers with own brands | AUS10, VG10 | Seen in person |
Places
三条市須頃1-17 — Showcases from ~40 local makers plus a shop. 5 min from Tsubame-Sanjo station. Start here.
三条市元町11-53 — Home of the Echigo-Sanjo blacksmith group; 20 member forges listed below.
三条市北新保2-7-5 — Sanjo wholesaler; BABACHO / 長三郎 brands.
燕市吉田東栄町9-5 — Factory tours and the full Tojiro range. Photographed from the car park.
燕市 — Factory-outlet store for Tsubame-Sanjo makers; boxed Tojiro, Kataoka and others at outlet prices. Shelf prices on our Prices page were read here.
Sanjo Kaji Dojo — the 20 member forges
From the blacksmith group's own list (kajidojo.com). Most make tools, not kitchen knives; the ones on this site are linked above.
- 石川製作所 Ishikawa Seisakusho
- 今井鑿製作所 Imai Nomi Seisakusho (chisels)
- 義平刃物 Gihei Hamono
- 小林製鋏株式会社 Kobayashi Seikyo (shears)
- 株式会社諏訪田製作所 Suwada Seisakusho (nippers)
- 株式会社近藤製作所 Kondo Seisakusho
- 三条製作所 Sanjo Seisakusho
- 鹿田産業 Shikada Sangyo
- 白井産業株式会社 Shirai Sangyo
- 小由製作所 Koyoshi Seisakusho
- 有限会社 平 木鋏製作所 Taira Kibasami Seisakusho (garden shears)
- 鑿鍛冶田齋 Nomi-kaji Tasai (chisels)
- 株式会社タダフサ Tadafusa
- 有限会社鶴巻刃物 Tsurumaki Hamono
- 有限会社永桶菊弘丸刃物製作所 Nagaoke Kikuhiromaru Hamono
- 有限会社梅心子 Baishinshi (carving knives)
- 日野浦刃物工房 Hinoura Hamono Kobo
- 涌井バール刃物製作所 Wakui Bar Hamono Seisakusho
- 水野製作所株式会社 Mizuno Seisakusho
- 株式会社山村製作所 Yamamura Seisakusho
Visiting
Tsubame-Sanjo station is about 1 h 50 min from Tokyo on the Joetsu Shinkansen. The promotion centre is a five-minute walk from the station; Sanjo Kaji Dojo, Tadafusa's factory shop, Tojiro's Open Factory and YOSHIKIN SHOP are short taxi rides. The Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival (工場の祭典) opens dozens of workshops every October.