Ein authentisches Messerbau-Erlebnis bei einem Schmied in Kyoto

The experience that we did at studio NIN is the knife making experience with upgraded wood handle, though they do have other experiences that look incredible! The workers here are absolutely amazing, our teacher Sawan was incredible, professional, and a ton of fun. The staff in general are all very engaging, easy to talk to, and knowledgeable. The experience is a full 3 hours and you will hammer the metal ingot into a knife, quench and sharpen it. The workers here speak english well and instructions were easy and clear and they help and guide you at every turn! There are quite a few choices of knife styles to choose from. One note is the wood handle will not be put on there but they give you instructions to do it at home. Very very highly recommended, this is a unique must do experience and I will absolutely be going back!

Amazing afternoon making my own knife with the crew from studio NIN and easy and clear instructions from rick made it almost passable hahah. Definitely fun. Try the ninja star game too

Honestly if you had asked right after I had this experience, I would say this is an amazing experience. I had fun and it was a great activity. Loved creating something I could use...but the question is, how much is your health worth? Back in Feb (almost 6 months ago) I created a paring knife and was planning on actually using it as one with food. I have a number of kitchen knives at home that I use and I put this knife with them to get sharpened from my knife sharpener. The great people who sharpen my knives ran a lead test on this knife and it came back dark red or in other words extremely positive (not just a smidgen of lead, but almost lead based). As such they wouldn't even sharpen this knife. They wrapped it, gave it back to me and basically told me to dispose of it. Or I could seal it and put it up somewhere as a decoration (since it has already been created). As they told me: A) it can hurt someone just by using it (in its intended manner). B) if they (or anyone else) were to sharpen it the lead can get in the air and hurt the people who breath it in. Since we all sharpened these knives in the enclosed space, I can only imagine how much lead we inhaled. So in short, if you plan on doing this activity, realize just by doing this you're going to be inhaling lead and if you actually use the knife you'll get lead residue into your food.

Trying to offer our kids a more active, exciting activity during our trip to Japan, we booked this experience at Studio NIN — and indeed, it turned out to be something unique and fun to do. The staff were very kind and helpful, and even in the Kyoto summer heat, the atelier remained bearable. Do not expect to come out of this activity as an expert metallurgist or knife connoisseur. The focus is really on the process itself—forging, grinding, and sharpening the knife. The atelier is right next to Yase Station, making it very easy to reach. It also brings you to a very interesting part of Kyoto, from where you can take nice walks, cool off with a dip in the local stream, or visit the nearby Mikage Shrine and the wonderful Shugakuin Imperial Villa with its beautiful gardens (about a 20-minute walk—reservations are technically required, but when we visited during high season, there were still plenty of spots available). All in all, it was a very interesting day, and one our kids will certainly remember. That said, I do find myself reflecting on the value proposition of the experience. For the price we paid to make four amateur knives, I wonder if a different format might have offered more lasting value. For instance, a workshop where a master blacksmith demonstrates the process while explaining in greater depth the nuances of steel quality, the differences between various forging techniques, or how to identify a truly well-made blade, could be equally engaging but more educational. Additional touches—such as the option to have your name engraved on the knife, or a more detailed explanation of the history and tradition behind Japanese blacksmithing—would also have added a nice personal and cultural dimension to the experience. As it stands, the hands-on aspect is certainly memorable, but those looking to walk away with deeper knowledge or a more polished keepsake might want to temper their expectations accordingly.

Amazing experience ! Very interesting , and Mits was very comprehensive and helped us along the way !

Extremely cool experience and our knives turned out great! Recommended by a friend and the recommendation did not disappoint! Thanks to Ako and Mao!

Amazing experience start to finish. This is actual knife making, not just a tourist trap. Place is super easy to get to and find and the people working there were helpful and thorough. It is actual work to get this done but well worth it. My 15y/o son has done a lot of things while in Japan and this was his favorite. I would not do this with smaller children.

Well worth the heat! Fantastic experience and explanations were great. Love my knife and I’ll use in the kitchen a lot.

Great Experience, everything was very well explained in english, very attentive guides. Great souvenir to take home

I felt this was a different travel experience than the typical guided tour. I truly enjoyed making my own kitchen knife and understanding the expertise required to make a world-class knife. Highly recommended!