Echigo Yoita Forged Blades

The making of Echigo Yoita forged blades dates back to the Sengoku period (1428-1573) of unrest. It was then that warring feudal lords who fought alongside Uesugi Kenshin encouraged swordsmiths from Kasugayama into the area and these skilled men began making various kinds of forged blades. In the middle of the Edo period (1600-1868), carpentry tools from Yoita became known as Tohi-nomi and Hyobu-nomi. At the start of the Meiji period (1868-1912) swordsmiths turned their hand to making plane blades, which soon became famous nationwide.

Echigo Yoita forged blades are invested with traditional skills and techniques dating back more than 400 years. Forged in a time honored fashion, they are well known for being sharp and trouble-free, and are fashioned into chisels, planes, axes, adze, carving tools, knives and the ancient shaving trowel or yarikanna. There are now 98 firms employing 243 people among whom are 12 government recognized Master Craftsmen producing top quality forged blades that are the envy of the world.