Craftsman
Yoshikazu Tanaka田中義一
The story
Sakai runs on a division of labour: smiths forge, sharpeners finish, brands sell. Yoshikazu Tanaka is what the top of the forging side looks like. More than fifty years at the anvil. The METI Traditional Craftsman certification (Dentō Kōgeishi), and Sakai's own Master Craftsman title since 1996. He heads Tanaka Uchihamono Seisakusho, the family smithy running since 1896 — he is the fourth generation, and his son Yoshihisa, working beside him, is the fifth.
You have probably held his work without knowing it. Tanaka forges white and blue steel — including traditionally forged honyaki — for labels like Sakai Kikumori (Kawamura Hamono), Hado, Yoshihiro (Yamawaki Hamono), and Baba Hamono's Kagekiyo. Hado was the first house to hand him stainless-clad carbon; he liked it enough that he now forges clad construction for several companies. A high-end white-steel blade from a Sakai brand has a real chance of having started life in his fire.
Awards
- Dentō Kōgeishi — METI-certified Traditional Craftsman (year not publicly documented)
- Sakai Master Craftsman, 1996
Works with
Forges for
The relationship map 職人系譜
Masters, family, and the brands between them. Every line is a verified fact from our research. Tap a node to light up its connections and read its story.
