Available Today: Sharpen and Personalize Your Own Japanese Knife in a Premier World Hone Production Region

Our hosts were knowledgeable and friendly. We learned alot.

L.O. United States

I love the place of the experience! I feel so grateful!

B.C.V. Mexico

It was great! I love learning more about topics that are directly applicable to me. AlLearning about the whetstone and history of it's use and application was very fascinating!

C.C. United States

Really fun and informative experience and really friendly and helpful staff.

C.L. United States

We had a great experience. It was truly great to learn from an experienced master and she was very nice.

A.S. United States

Amazing experience. It was engaging, educational and fun!

R.R. Canada

Everyone was so nice. The session was very informative. It was great. The instructors taught us well and ensured we had good technique. This will be a long lasting memory of our trip to Japan.

R.P. Qatar

I was in Japan for two weeks and tried so many things. This experience was my favorite! Aki San was amazing! Aki San gave an amazing class, let us pick our knives and stones, then taught us about the edge geometry and how to shape bevels. Then she gave us some cheap kitchen knives to practice on, before we were allowed to touch our own blades. We had the best time and I am so glad we chose this experience.

N.W. Qatar

I was in Japan for two weeks and tried so many things. This experience was my favorite! Aki San was amazing! Aki San gave an amazing class, let us pick our knives and stones, then taught us about the edge geometry and how to shape bevels. Then she gave us some cheap kitchen knives to practice on, before we were allowed to touch our own blades. We had the best time and I am so glad we chose this experience.

R.P. United States

The history that accompanied the activity was the perfect balance. We had an awesome time, learned while we did it, always felt engaged, and left with the best knife any of us own to show for it

J.B. United States

The experience was great! Worth every penny! The host was great and wewent home with some fun gear!

F.B. United States

Aki Tanaka was amazing. We loved her very engaging way of teaching about whetstones, and her personal way of being.

N.B. Qatar

Experience was very informative and fun. I could’ve spent a hours there learning about the history of the knife work and the stones. I loved the sharping skills being taught and learning about the regions the stone and craftsman are from.

R.C. United States

I took my son for his birthday as he has a growing interest in cooking. We were made to feel welcome and enjoyed the detail as knowledge provided. Our knives and whetstones were unique keepsakes of our trip to Japan and a great alternative to impersonal, mass produced products.

G.H. Australia

The experience was absolutely incredible. My group booked a private tour with a knife sharpening lesson at the Natural Whetstone Museum in Kameoka, Japan. The teacher, Aki-san, is an expert in the field and skilled at sharing her knowledge. She was such a pleasure to work with - knowledgeable, funny, and kind. It was also really nice to receive all the information straight from the source, as Aki-san speaks English; she communicated all the information about whetstones and knives directly to us - no interpreter necessary. It was also really cool to be able to see our knives before and after sharpening under a microscope. And of course, we were all super excited to be able to take home a hand-crafted knife and a whole whetstone with us. This experience was undoubtedly the best part of our entire trip to Japan. Thank you so much, Aki-san!

N.Y. United States

Because as a whole experience was amazing, the explanation, the friendliness of the host, me having questions and being answered, and talking about Japanese culture in general. I couldn’t be more satisfied

E.P. Greece

It was a great experience! We learned so much about knifes, hones and the region. So so nice, we were very thankful. We’ve already recommended the experience to our friends and will continue for the future!

I.K. Germany

The private tour and lesson on the day the museum is normally closed was really interesting and fun. Aki-san was a generous and entertaining host.

R.M. Australia

Wonderful! Absolutely one of the most interesting and unique experiences I have ever had while traveling. It was great to learn a new art and skill in knife sharpening, and even got to learn some carpentry techniques as well. The artisans involved are all so talented and it was a privilege to learn more about their work. Thank you Tanaka-san! Arigato gozaimasu!

K.M. United States

The experience was really amazing. Aki-san was so personable and engaging, making the entire event with her exciting, fun, and really welcoming. She was patient and supportive in the crafting process, and endlessly knowledgeable. She even helped us find a more scenic route back into Kyoto so that we could see the bamboo forest and went above and beyond in making sure that we enjoyed the experience. From the booking all the way through to the experience itself I felt there was attention to detail, a warm and engaging customer service, and a fantastic relay of information.

D.R. United States

The experience with Aki-San was amazing. She is a wonderful host and incredibly knowledgeable.

R.M. United States

The experience is priceless because I can never forget about it. I can use it for my life. It has been passed down generations and Ms Tanaka was so kind and informative. I learned a life long lesson.

S.K. United States

We found the class really helpful. We learned a lot and got to take knives back with us - a great souvenir from our trip! It educated me on how Japanese knife culture became so popular.

J.K. United States

This was incredible to be part of the knife sharpening experience - understanding the art of the sharpening, the stones that are used and the history associated with it. Would highly recommend it was so unique and enriching on so many levels. Very professional. The people were so knowledgeable and passionate too.

J.R. South Africa

Great tour, very nice staff.

V.L. Greece

Incredible experience that you should definitely visit when coming to the Kyoto region. It was quite expensive, however worth it, seeing all the work that was done to craft such a knife and the stones. It gave a good view on the evolving use of the wet stone and the craftsmanship that comes into place when making these knifes.

L.H. Netherlands

Informative, a great learning opportunity, fun, very enjoyable and overall extraordinary way to spend a day in Japan. Everyone was so nice and there was a good mix of cultural exploration and hands on craft. The experience deepened our interest in the culture and artisans of the country.

J.G. United States

The one on one time with a master craftsman. We learned about the tradition of knife making, the traditions it is rooted in as well as the origin of the materials. It was fun with an interesting educational element.

C.L. United States

I can't express enough how kind, respectful, and knowledgeable the women we worked with were. The two ladies we worked with were absolutely amazing! They were so informative, understanding, kind, and supportive! I appreciate more of the history and the rural location that we were in. There is so much love and tradition that comes from Japan's culture. I am glad I got to learn about how whetstones take a part in that. 11/10 need to do in Japan! It is worth the travel. Unforgettable.

S.W. United States

Deep dive into Japanese culture to learn more about whetstones, knifes and the environment they come from. We went with a group of three and were greeted very cheerfully at Tennentoishikan. The director of the museum explained about the history of whetstones as well as the specialties of the region. After that, we were guided to another room to choose our knifes and whetstones. We specifically asked to follow the explanation in simple Japanese and the director was happy to do so. For more difficult terms, English was used, so we understood all the explanations and instructions while also practicing and improving our Japanese listening and speaking skills. Very special with this experience were several things. First we were asked to choose kanji, katakana or hiragana for the engraving of the knife handle. When we discussed that those kanji would look nice on a hanko, the director consulted one of the employees and made it possible for us to also get a hanko handcrafted by an artisan (paid at the location). Wow, we did not expect that! Second, while the hanko was made and we had finished sharpening our knifes, the director showed us how to shave bonito flakes and made us a bonito flake drink. Very tasty! Third, we went to the little shop on the second floor and checked out the local produce as well as eating a few packed sweet breads from the shop. We felt like kings (well, queens actually), everyone was really nice and genuinely happy to have us around and to share their knowledge with us. Next to that, the director was so kind to call a taxi for us to bring us to the nearest station. It showed how appreciative Japanese people are if foreigners are trying to speak Japanese and trying to act conform the norms and values of Japanese society. Japanese are genuinely friendly and happy to share their culture with others. This experience made me feel invited to join and come back at another occasion. Worth the time and money (we spent more time there than anticipated, but it was worth it), a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

L.K. Germany

Top rating all the way because we really felt like important visitors. The whole experience was calm, informative and great fun. I always wanted to learn about how to sharpen a Japanese knife with a whetstone. This visit gave is that and so much more. I knew that cutting techniques and different blades was important for chefs, but I learned that different blades have had influence in many ways to many occupations.

A.R. Norway

Everything was great! I think the most memorable part was receiving our completed knives at the end. This definitely helped us better understand the craftsmanship and history of knife/sword making in Japan. A great way to stay cool, learn a new skill, and experience Japanese culture and hospitality.

R.L. Canada

Memorable, enjoyable, full of information, entertaining. I would recommend this experience to all my friends who would visit Japan. Is probably not the first thing to do or see while for a short trip in Japan, but for us it was a memorable activity during ours. It was also a very good match of our expectations and reality. I considered it a bit expensive when I booked it, but considering that we had (accidentally or not) exclusivity in the museum and that we also got to leave with an engraved good quality knife & whetstone, in the end it did not seem excessive at all.

A.H. Romania

Memorable and the staff were so friendly. It broadened my knowledge and allowed me to understand the intricate levels of workmanship that go into Japanese katanas and knifes.

N.B. Australia

We thought this event was good value for the money. The instructors were very kind and taught us a lot. They were very caring. We learned how to sharpen knives and also got a set ourselves. We learned a lot about the history of whetstones and how important they were in the history of japan. Very fun and you learn a lot.

L.L. Canada

The Wabunka experience at the Whetstone Museum was an amazing experience. We learned about the long history of whetstones and sword / knife making in Japanese culture. The detailed tour and hands on instruction from the staff made this a highlight of our time in Japan. We'd definitely book with them again.

S.L. United States

An opportunity to work with people in love with their craft and with a gift for sharing it. They explained every step thoroughly and allowed us to ask a lot of questions. The way the hosts prepared our names to engrave onto the knives, and the care and joy with which they presented each aspect of the workshop was memorable.

B.V. Belgium

Content was exactly as expected with a few pleasant surprises (additional speaking on carpentry tools), duration was also as promised around two hours which was perfect timing for transportation. No issues with customer service or English interpretation, excellent english across the board and very easy to understand. Price was great value, I expected higher. Sharpening was the most fun hands on activity, simply because I had never done it before and hadn't considered something as simple as a knife to be used with long term maintenance in mind. It was a lot of fun having my skills refined and checked by Aki-san, and I will continue investing in sharpening and maintenance as a hobby. The distinct difference in treatment of knives in the west and in Japan are made very clear, and the historical significance of how that came to be through the different material properties of the sharpening stones and knife construction processes embodies Japan's insistence on cultural and material preservation. Getting the knife is the main appeal, because not only is the knife exceptional quality but it's also exciting knowing that it was forged by masters of the craft. Learning about cultural significance of the sharpening stones, how they develop, and why Japan is notorious for sharpening stones ranging from war time relevance to maintaining every day tools was also extremely insightful, and gave a lot more weight to sharpening and maintaining your new knife. I highly recommend anyone that has the opportunity to go.

J.P. United States

All top-notch. The guide, she was so charming and spoke perfect English. I learned a lot about the history of knife making and also how to sharpen a knife in accordance with Japanese customs.

W.R. United States

Authentic, personalised, insightful and highly recommended. Every aspect of our experience was well-conceived and delivered. The knife sharpening and personalisation of the knife was outstanding. The staff at the Whetstone Museum were wonderful.

N.I. Australia

Loved it. Great experience worth the trip to learn about knives and whetstones. The two workers running the tour were very helpful and realized I struggled getting a taxi so they helped me find the bus and offered to call a taxi for me to get back if needed. Shows me how kind and friendly people are. When I left I forgot something and one of the ladies came running after me shouting tie sit and she had me the things. I was so appreciative.

T.J. United States

Definitively worth it.

R.E. France

It was very difficult to given anything below the top ratting. Everything from the actually experience, to customer service was beyond amazing. The most memorable moment of my experience is getting a chance to do the sharpening class privately. I’ve learned so much from the best instructors I can possibly ask for, and it made my experience more especial because I was able to share it with my husband. It allowed me to see deeper into a piece of this country’s culture, not only showing me what has Japan done to influence other countries. But as well as seeing how Japan has taken inspiration and made something their own and perfecting it. I was a very educational and beyond fun Hands on experience.

A.G. United States