Our Cutlery
The Kikuichi Company has a long and distinguished history. Although we have been producing superior cutlery for more than a hundred years, the origins of our company lie still further back in time. Some seven hundred years ago the Emperor Gotoba authorized our family ancestor, Shiro Kanenaga, to be one of his swordsmiths. For the next several hundred years our family manufactured samurai swords that bore the emperor’s chrysanthemum symbol or Kiku-no-mon as a mark of their excellence. Today Shiro Kanenaga’s original swords are considered national treasures in Japan and are on display at Seikado Bunko Art Museum in Tokyo.
When the Meiji Revolution brought an end to the samurai era in 1868, our company re-invented itself as a maker of cutlery. As the fourth-generation owner of this cutlery company, I am happy to say that the tradition of sword -making begun so long ago is something that the Kikuichi Company is proud to carry on in the high standard of craftsmanship we apply to the knives and scissors we produce today. In fact, the legacy of Shiro Kanenaga, our illustrious ancestor, is represented in our company’s full name: “Kikuichi-Monju-Shiro-Kanenaga.” Kikuichi means “first chrysanthemum,” and Monju the Buddha that Shiro Kanenaga worshipped in his Hometown of Nara.
Unlike ordinary stainless steel knives and scissors, the sharpness of our high-quality, handcrafted products is easily maintained. We offer a selection of over one hundred knives and scissors for both private and professional use.
Ikuyo Yanagisawa, President
Kikuichi Monju Shiro Kanenaga
