Cutting edges: souvernirs that look like they are out of Kill Bill

You have seen the sword of Uma Thruman in Kill Bill. It is made by an old blacksmith known by only a few privileged and who does not accept to create a sword for anybody unless they are heaven-gifted creatures...

Even if you are not Uma Thruman, you can get yourself a piece of that art!

If you like cooking, gardening, sewing, shaving, wood carving, and just enjoy good tools, Kiya is for you.

Kiya has been located in Nihonbashi for centuries in an old wood house that had bee nwashed away by reconstruction projects. But recently, it has phoenixed into the trendy Coredo of Muromachi, in front of Mitsukoshi and Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

You will find knives that are so beautiful that you could spend hours gaping at them. They have hundreds of different shapes, all of them designed for one specific purpose: fish bone removal, fruit cutting, meat cutting, fish cutting (each fish must have a different knife). There are also many different scissors for all purposes too. Some of them have exotic shapes and look both strong and light. Rasors, paper cutters, nail cutters, wood carving knives,sewing knives (huge one to cut fabrics and small ones to cut threads and all kind of little tiny things) ... and some sharpeting stones ...

Beware, they are tools to use. They are cutting very well.

Japanese don't offer knives because it cuts the relationship. But if you are not superstitious and have a friend who enjoys cooking, you will make his or her life more beautiful with such a souvenir.

Traditional art in Japan can be seen around 3 things that they have done very well since, well, since Japan was born:
Controlling fire
Hammering
Sharpening and Carving

If you think about it, they are still good at it. It is one of the reasons why they have so good technologies and why the "made in Japan" label is synonymous to good quality: cars, engines, ceramics, gastronomy ...