About Us

Welcome to Zahocho Knives Tokyo

I'm Fred, and this is my wife Akiko. Before this, I was a sushi chef. Knives were always the part of the job I cared about most. Japanese knives especially.

I started Zahocho in 2019, a small online shop run from Tokyo, with Akiko by my side. I source directly from blacksmiths across Japan: Sakai, Sanjo, Echizen, and others. Small stock by choice.

Every knife here is something I'd personally use, from entry level to collector pieces. They come from craftsmen who've been doing this for decades.

The name

Zahocho is a wordplay. In Japanese, "the" is pronounced "za," and "hocho" means knife. So, 'the knife'. We want to help you find the knife for you. Nothing deep and philosophical.

Thank you for supporting our small shop.

— Fred & Akiko