5 Reasons Why Musashi Knives Make the Perfect Japanese Gift

You are nearing the end of your Japan trip and looking for the perfect souvenir to take home. Wandering between the rows of kimonos, the anime figurine shops and various sorts of matcha powder, you wonder what souvenir could be at the same time traditional and original, aesthetically pleasing yet useful for daily life, something environmentally friendly and long-lasting.

At Musashi, we believe we have something that checks all of those boxes.

Discover 5 reasons why Musashi knives make the ideal Japanese souvenir (or at least one of the many gifts you will take home!)

1/ A traditional gift that also fits perfectly in our modern lives

When you think about Japanese souvenirs, the first things that come to mind are often kimonos, katanas, or fans. While each embodies a part of Japanese traditional culture, they are not always cut out for modern lives.

Kimonos are undoubtedly exquisite and rich pieces of fabric, but the tradeoff is they take up a lot of space in your suitcase. Additionally, once you’re home, you may have very few occasions to wear them. Even Japanese people rarely wear one nowadays, except for special occasions such as weddings or graduation ceremonies. As for katanas and fans, they often end up on display in a corner of a room or on a wall but are hardly ever touched again.

What if you could find a Japanese souvenir that showcased the best of traditional and modern Japanese culture? We believe our Musashi knives are the perfect pick for that!

Heirs of the world-renowned Japanese swordsmith, our knife makers follow centuries-old methods to forge the most durable and qualitative Japanese knives used daily by Japanese chefs.

2/ Keeping Japan’s history and memories of your trip alive

Unlike a souvenir or a gift that ends up forgotten and gathering dust on a shelf, we guarantee that you’ll get lifelong use out of our Japanese knives, and will soon be unable to do without them.

Santoku, meaning three virtues, is the perfect all-purpose kitchen knife. Sitting comfortably  in your hands, it allows you to cut fish, slice meat, and even chop vegetables perfectly. Imagine impressing your friends with your traditional Japanese knife and the slicing techniques you would have picked up from our staff members or by watching one of our tutorial videos!

To browse through our Santoku selection, click here.

If you have developed a taste for sashimi during your trip and now dream about becoming a sushi chef, we recommend purchasing one of our Yanagiba knives. It’s the ideal Japanese chef’s knife for slicing raw fish into thin, delicate pieces that will melt in your mouth.

To browse through our Yanagiba selection, click here.

3/ Giving back to Japan by supporting its craftsmanship

During your trip, you will have surely experienced the famous hospitality culture of Japan on several occasions. The care and attention Japanese people dedicate to their guests and clients is so unmatched that it has even earned a name: Omotenashi (meaning without an ulterior motive).

Japanese people often go to great lengths to ensure the maximum satisfaction of their guests. If you ever ask for directions, it's not uncommon that a Japanese person will decide to walk you to your destination, even if it’s the opposite direction of where they were heading to. You may even have had some of your drinks and meals paid for in bars and restaurants by a friendly Japanese neighbour who wanted to make sure you would not miss any of the delicacies their country has to offer.

 

If you feel like giving back for the generosity you have experienced, or want to support Japanese culture, buying our knives is one way to achieve that. In doing so, you will contribute to keeping alive a centuries-old tradition. Nowadays, artisans are struggling to sell their handicrafts in a world where cheap and low-quality products are often favored over more expensive but durable ones.

4/ A gift that stays sharp in an ever-evolving world

When buying a Musashi Japan knife, you also gain access to our dedicated team of experts. Our website boasts a series of articles and multiple beginner guides that will help you when tending to your knives. And if you cannot find the answers to your questions there, you can always contact our customer service through our website, or visit our stores in-person and chat with our knowledgeable and friendly store staff!

With the proper care, our kitchen knives can last a lifetime. They stay sharp even in a world that evolves constantly.

That is why, with the future in mind, we have also developed an environmentally friendly knife collection. With our Ocean Knife, we wanted to create non-discardable products with discarded plastics.

To browse through our Ocean knife selection, click here.

If you or your loved one cares about the environment, our Japanese knives are the best guilt-free gift.

5/ A highly fashionable and customisable knife

Not only are our knives useful, made with the finest materials and environmentally friendly, but they are also aesthetically pleasing and highly customisable!

Every type of knife comes with either a Western or Japanese handle. Since all our knives are handmade, you can be sure to bring home a one-of-a-kind souvenir!

The Japanese handles are also available in various forms (oval, octagonal, D-shaped) and made from different types of trees: cherry, maple, oak, magnolia, etc. Just pick the one that appeals to you the most!

 

Moreover, you can also personalize our knives free of charge at any of our stores. You can choose to have your name or the name of the person you plan to give the knife to engraved on the blade. A customisable option that makes our knives the ideal Japanese gift!

Final tip: If when you visit our store in Tokyo, you are only at the beginning of your trip, and want some more time to think or don’t want to overload your luggage, note that we have opened a new store in Kyoto where you can also shop!

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