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Japanese Knife Craft and Sharpening Workshop in Asakusa (Tokyo)

Top rated
4.9
Activity provider: Traveling Tokyo
Japanese Knife Craft and Sharpening Workshop in Asakusa (Tokyo)
Japanese Knife Craft and Sharpening Workshop in Asakusa (Tokyo) 2
Japanese Knife Craft and Sharpening Workshop in Asakusa (Tokyo) 3
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0.6666666666666666-hour tour in Tokyo, including Use of the workshop and Use of the tools. Run by Traveling Tokyo, booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Runs 40 minutes
  • Use of the workshop
  • Use of the tools
  • Knife blade and handle
  • Bilingual staff (English/Japanese)

Japanese Knife Craft and Sharpening Workshop in Asakusa (Tokyo): Key Facts

PriceFrom $150.5 per person
Duration40 minutes
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 40-minute experience in Tokyo. It is run by Traveling Tokyo, an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.

Tokyo is the largest city on earth by metropolitan population and it is best seen as a set of neighbourhoods on the Yamanote loop line rather than one place. Asakusa has Senso-ji, the city's oldest temple, and Nakamise's shopping lane; Shibuya has the scramble crossing and Shinjuku the bars of Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho; Harajuku is Takeshita Street and Meiji Shrine's forest; Akihabara is electronics and anime; Ginza is department stores and sushi counters. Everything runs on time and the last trains are around midnight. Cash still matters in small restaurants, an IC card covers every train and bus, and tipping is not done anywhere.

The price covers Use of the workshop, Use of the tools, Knife blade and handle and Bilingual staff. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.

Traveling Tokyo sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with Traveling Tokyo before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Includes

  • Use of the workshop
  • Use of the tools
  • Knife blade and handle
  • Bilingual staff (English/Japanese)

Important information

Meeting point

Traveling Tokyo sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 40 minutes
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $150.5
$150.5
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Traveler Reviews

4.9/5
based on 366 reviews
Guide
4.9/5
Value for money
4.8/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
S
Sebastian
September 13, 2026

i learned how to sharpen knives the basic way, i really enjoyed the service the workers had and their smile. i can reccomend this activity.

Review photo 1
5
N
Nurit
September 13, 2026

Thank you for the experience. Elijah and Satoru we had a great time

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
A
Aubrey
August 30, 2026

Joji is a very patient instructor, friendly, and easy to communicate with.

Review photo 1
5
L
Louis
September 15, 2026

Satoru is a really good guide, really kind and speak english very well I have learned a lot with him I recommend this activity if you want to get a japanese kitchen knive 😁

5
R
Ryan
September 11, 2026

It was a great experience. The guide took the time to make sure we were happy with our knives and we got to choose our own engraving for the handle. Overall very happy.

5
A
Adrianna
September 9, 2026

Very relaxing and traditional experience! Truly recommend- Omar is very professional and explains every detail. Thanks!

5
L
Leah
September 8, 2026

Knife making was fun. It was geared towards how you can sharpen your knife in the future as well which was nice. Very easy going and ended up having a private tour which was a bonus.

5
D
David
September 2, 2026

It was such a fun experience! Joji was very knowledgable and helpful. Would definitely recommend!

5
A
Ashley
September 2, 2026

Great experience!! I now feel confident sharpening the Japanese knives I’ve purchased over the years! You also get to take a beautiful knife with you, with special engraving! Guide was very knowledgeable.

5
S
Stanislav
August 28, 2026

We had a great time sharpening our knives with Joji, very helpful and attentive!

5
M
Matthias
August 27, 2026

It was a lot fun making a knife by myself. Alberto did a great job and made the experience even better.

5
D
David
August 29, 2026

The guides Makoto and Satory were fantastic and spoke really good English which made it easy for me to understand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Traveling Tokyo sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
Yes. Anything finished in the session, calligraphy, origami, an ikebana arrangement, an indigo cloth, goes with you. Pottery needs glazing and firing, so it is posted to your home or hotel some weeks later; ask about international shipping when you book.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Use of the workshop, Use of the tools, Knife blade and handle, Bilingual staff (English/Japanese)
The duration of the Japanese Knife Craft and Sharpening Workshop in Asakusa (Tokyo) is typically 40 minutes. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom, or late October to early December for autumn colour and the clearest skies. Contrary to most advice, October is Tokyo's wettest month (234.8 mm), not the June rainy season. Full month-by-month figures are in our best time to visit Tokyo guide.
Get a Suica or Pasmo IC card and budget ¥1,000–¥1,400 a day. Do not buy a JR Pass for a Tokyo-only trip — it costs ¥50,000 and excludes Tokyo Metro and Toei entirely. Note JR East raised Tokyo fares on 14 March 2026, so Metro is now cheaper than JR on several routes. See getting around Tokyo.
Shibuya Sky releases tickets only 14 days ahead at 00:00 JST — it cannot be booked months in advance. teamLab Borderless tickets drop at 12:00 JST on the 1st of each month. Our 3-day Tokyo itinerary lists every booking deadline.
Yes — a Japanese licence or an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. 1968 Vienna Convention permits are not valid in Japan. Licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan need an official JAF translation instead. Arrange it before you fly; see the Tokyo go-kart guide.
Yes — the highway bus from Busta Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko takes about 1h 45m for ¥2,200. But manage expectations: Fuji is visible on 84% of December mornings and only 23% of July mornings, and cloud builds through the day, so go early. Details in our Mount Fuji day trip guide.
Edomae sushi (the Tokyo Bay style, where curing began as a workaround for having no refrigeration), monjayaki — a runny griddle dish unique to Tokyo with 80+ specialists on Tsukishima's Monja Street — and soba. Also worth knowing: Tsukiji Outer Market never closed; only the wholesale auction moved to Toyosu. See the Tokyo food guide.
The crossing itself takes about ninety seconds. What makes it worth an evening is one street back — Nonbei Yokocho, a lantern-lit alley of tiny bars a minute away that almost nobody who photographs the scramble walks into. Note street drinking is banned in the area 18:00–05:00 year-round, though the ordinance carries no fine. See the Shibuya Crossing guide.
Yes, some. Japan's cashless ratio reached 58% in 2025, so over 40% of payments are still cash — and card refusal is most likely at small independent izakaya, ramen ticket machines and market stalls. Tipping is not expected anywhere.
Starting from$150.5