Pandemic cooking boom sharpens Japan knife sales - in pictures
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Knives displayed at a Sumikama Cutlery factory in Seki, Japan. All photos: AFP -
French chef Olivier Oddos cleaning a knife with whetstone at his restaurant in Tokyo -
In a Japanese city once famous for forging samurai swords, craftsmen sharpen and polish kitchen knives -
The export value of knives and other bladed tools such as scissors hit a record high in Japan last year -
A worker begins the knife sharpening process at Sumikama Cutlery in Seki -
The demand for Japanese knives is partly because of a home-cooking boom sparked by the pandemic -
A worker checks the quality of a knife being polished -
The factory is at full capacity to meet global demand -
Aspiring and professional chefs prize Japanese knives' delicate precision, sleek finish and long lifespan -
Katsumi Sumikama of Sumikama Cutlery puts the popularity down to a 'combination of technology and traditional craftsmanship' -
A worker testing the sharpness of a knife -
To achieve the formidably sharp knife edge, the company uses machines that guarantee accuracy to one-thousandth of a millimetre -
Seki's renowned blade expertise dates from the 14th century -
Seki became a major producer of swords thanks to its rich natural environment -
The Kama-Asa cutlery shop on Tokyo's famous Kappabashi kitchenware street -
The export value of kitchen bladed tools hit a record $90 million in 2021 -
Katsumi Sumikama, right, head of Sumikama Cutlery, checking the quality of a knife at his factory in Seki -
Japanese kitchen knives have a worldwide reputation -
Japanese knives have to be maintained regularly with sharpening stones
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