Tsugaru Uchihamono are forged blades that trace their roots to the sword- and farm-tool smiths who once lined the streets of Hirosaki Castle Town during the domain era. So many blacksmiths gathered in early-Edo-period Hirosaki that a district was named 'Kajimachi' (Blacksmith Town), and their skills in forging swords and cannons were passed down over the generations into the making of everyday tools such as sickles, hoes, and kitchen knives. Blades forged using the traditional 'hizukuri' (fire-forging) and 'dorotsuchi' (mud-coating) tempering techniques combine excellent sharpness with durability. Because Aomori Prefecture is a major apple-growing region, the shears and saws used for pruning and fruit thinning have also become an important Tsugaru Uchihamono product, and the craft has developed hand in hand with apple cultivation around Hirosaki. It was designated an Aomori Prefecture Traditional Craft in March 1996, and blacksmiths today continue to carry out the entire process, from fire-forging to finishing, by hand.
Origin
The origins of Tsugaru Uchihamono trace back to Hirosaki Castle Town during the domain era. So many blacksmiths gathered and settled in the castle town that the district name 'Kajimachi' (Blacksmith Town) survives to this day. It is said to have begun when the skills of blacksmiths who originally made swords, weapons, and cannons gradually shifted, as an age of peace continued, toward crafting everyday tools rooted in daily life, such as sickles, hoes, and kitchen knives.
History
It is said that more than 100 blacksmith workshops once lined the streets of early-Edo-period Hirosaki, and the craft developed as both farm-tool and kitchen-knife forging. From the Meiji era onward, as apple cultivation spread through the Tsugaru region, demand grew for the shears essential to pruning and thinning branches, and blacksmiths' skills came to support the region's development as an apple-growing area. It was designated an Aomori Prefecture Traditional Craft in March 1996, and since 2008 the '情張鍛人' project has also been passing the craft's skills on to younger generations.
Features
Its defining feature is that it is forged using the traditional 'hizukuri' (fire-forging) and 'dorotsuchi' (mud-coating) tempering techniques, valued for producing practical blades with excellent sharpness and durability. In addition to everyday tools such as kitchen knives, sickles, and nata (hatchets), the shears and saws used for apple thinning and pruning have become a specialty unique to the Tsugaru region. The entire process, from fire-forging through tempering, edge-sharpening, and handle-fitting, is finished by hand by the craftsmen.
Production Process
- 1
Hizukuri (Fire-forging)
Heated steel is hammered and stretched out to form the rough shape of the blade.
- 2
Rough finishing
The forged shape of the blade is adjusted and excess material is filed away.
- 3
Quenching and tempering
The blade is heated to a high temperature and rapidly cooled to harden it, then reheated to add resilience.
- 4
Edge-sharpening and handle-fitting
The blade is honed on a whetstone to bring out its sharpness, and a wooden handle is fitted to complete the piece.
Artisans & Workshops
二唐刃物鍛造所
A forge in the Kanagane-cho district of Hirosaki City with a roughly 350-year history dating back to the early Edo period. Today the eighth-generation smith leads the workshop, making kitchen knives and the pruning shears and saws used in apple cultivation using traditional fire-forging techniques.
Official site →How to Buy
- 手仕事専科
- An online shop offering traditional crafts from all across Japan. It carries kitchen knives and blades made by 二唐刃物鍛造所, forged in the Tsugaru Uchihamono tradition.Where to buy →PR