The shop is near by the symbolic tower 通天閣 of Osaka 新世界-Shinsekai(famous tourist district)called TOWER KNIVES OSAKA.
One of the best knives shop in Japan for sure.
Walk inside the shop and you could see the walls are surrounded by more than 500 kinds of Japanese cooking-knives,
very spophisticated and unusual!The more you see the more you can feel the depth of each.
In the workshop over the glass, you can also see the craftsman sharpening his blade.
The knives are not only for daily use, Thin blade knife, Deba knife, Nakiri knife, Sashimi knive, etc.
I do not even know theres that much of categories, although im Japanese, Inpressive.
How can we choose the one?
The friendly, English-speaking staffs will not just explain everything and help you to choose, they will even
start a demonstration infront of u with several knives to show the differences of each. Not only that,
you can also have a chance to experience the feels of sharpness. The differences are obviously shown like majic!!
This is not just an experience, but an amusement.
It is reminds me of the scene of Harry Potter at the Ollivander’s wand shop.
“I choose the knife or the knife choose me.”
I know you are curious of the owner of the shop and I was the one, so I asked ,I would love to talk to the owner.
The owner Mr.Bjorn Heiberg canadian born in denmark came to Japan when he was 23 years old.
He was attracted by the sharpness of the japanese cooking-knives, when he recieved the souvenier from his customer.
After 9 years career of the knife comapny, he decided to open his ownshop.
Surprisignly the day we interviewed , January 10th was 10 years anniversary of the shop! WAO! congratulations!
In the beginning, people feel suspicious of the knives he sales because he is foreigener and also introuducing in English, he said.
I guess it is hard for people link the Japanese cooking-knives and foreigner ownwer together.
To take this image away, there is only one thing can do is to explain fluently in Japanese and it is not easy of course.
However, because of his hardworking spirit and the love belong to the Japanese cooking-knives, not only local(Japanese),
the customers are from all over the world nowdays and also known as one of the best Japanese cooking-knives shop in Japan.
Although, the shop is becoming world wide nowdays, I could tell his is still the biggest fan.
[I am not selling knives, I am just explaining how Japanese skills are amazing for people to understand it.]
Why did you choose OSAKA?
[For opening the shop, I chose the place near 通天閣, because it is familiar for local people and also for tourists
that could easily access to.
There is another reason I love Shinsekai, because the warm heart-spirit that people having here.
At the beginning, I put the shop papers in front of my shop for promotion, but its disapears very quick everyday.
I thougt people here dislike me, but I totally change the way I think after I found out my shop papers were actually
spread oever neighbors shop. They were supporting me!!! I felt touched by the actions people take for me and this made me love this place more.
Under this corvid-19 situation, people life style has been changed.
we do not even know where the world is heading to and everyone has facing the same situation equally.
I asked him again to give me a message for those who are waiting to have chance to come over Japan and thoes that are
working hard to having their own business here.
[Japanese professional skills are really amazing, thats why I have never stop falling-in-love with the
Japanese cooking-knives. Not only knives or the things you use for daily, be particular to your life, places and the people who you want to spend with.]
The words are just pefectly describe the life of Mr. Bjorn Heiberg.
Im so jealous of his lifestyle that successfully changes his interest to his loveable job and still ultimating it.
His life represent his lifelong craftmanship!
I have learned and discovered so many things on that day.
This experience was completely 新世界SHINSEKAI to me. (a new world) haha.
Thanks for giving me a chance to interview! See you again!
