[andykx]

My grandfather bought a knife in Japan while on a business trip in the 80s. The owner of the shop used to call him once a year (now they communicate via email) and ask if he needed to ship it back for any repairs. The repairs are free.

At this point, he considers this guy a friend. It’s a really interesting relationship. In my experience, the only similar relationship that most Americans might have is with the person who cuts their hair or with a bartender.

[tkgally]

I don’t cook much and I don’t need any fancy cooking knives, but I still enjoy browsing in knife shops in Tokyo and Osaka. (I've lived in Japan since the 1980s.) The breadth and variety is amazing, and the knives are often beautifully displayed.

Two shops I remember particularly fondly are in Osaka: Kunishige [0, Japanese only] in the Tenjinbashisuji shopping street and the Sakai Ichimonji [1] shop in Namba. The latter is in a street full of restaurant suppliers, and several other cutlery shops are nearby. There are similar shops in Kappabashi in Tokyo [2].

[0] http://www.tenjin123.com/shops/國重刃物店/

[1] https://ichimonji.jp/index.php

[2] https://www.kappabashi.or.jp/en/index.html