Japanese Whetstones and Knife Sharpening Factory Tour in Tokoname

Nagoya, Japan
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Duration5h
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish
Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Discover why Japanese whetstones are prized by chefs and sharpening enthusiasts worldwide.
Step inside the factory of King Whetstone, a renowned Japanese sharpening stone maker.
Follow the month-long process behind the making of Japanese waterstones.
Learn knife sharpening directly from a fourth-generation craftsman in a hands-on workshop.
Explore Tokoname’s historic Pottery Path, shaped by over 1,000 years of ceramics.

What's included

  • Factory tour
  • Knife sharpening experience
  • Professional, English-speaking guide
  • Train and taxi transportation during the tour
  • Transportation to the meeting point
  • Personal purchases

What to expect

  1. Tokoname
    3h
    1. Explore the Historic Tokoname Pottery Path

    Walk through the heart of Tokoname, a pottery town with more than 1,000 years of ceramic history. Follow the atmospheric Pottery Path past historic brick chimneys, climbing kilns, the famous Clay Pipe Hill, and small workshops and galleries where the town’s ceramic heritage remains part of everyday life.

    2. King Whetstone Factory Tour & Knife Sharpening Workshop

    Visit King Whetstone, one of Japan’s leading manufacturers of synthetic sharpening stones, and explore the factory with fourth-generation craftsman Toshiro Watanabe.

    See how ceramic manufacturing expertise is applied to the production of Japanese waterstones. Follow the process from blending and shaping the raw materials through firing and finishing, with each whetstone taking approximately one month to complete.

    After the factory tour, join a hands-on knife sharpening workshop led by a craftsman. Learn how to sharpen a blade using a Japanese waterstone.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Meet your professional, English-speaking guide at the Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center and travel together to Tokoname by train.

End point

Meet your professional, English-speaking guide at the Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center and travel together to Tokoname by train.

Additional information

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • This package tour includes statutory accident compensation in accordance with Japan’s Travel Agency Act. We also recommend that travelers purchase their own travel insurance for broader medical and travel-related coverage.
  • A Mandarin, French, Spanish, German, or Korean-speaking guide may be available. Please contact the supplier in advance to check availability.

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
From
36,300.00 JPY per person
Check availability & book
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
  • You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.
Operated by Tourism Designers Co., Ltd. · Booked through Viator
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