Suwada Blog
Takaoka, Japan: 400 Years of Metal Casting, Copper and Modern Craft
A practical guide to Takaoka's 400-year metal-casting culture: bronze and copper alloys, moulds, casting, engraving, patination, specialist workshops and modern Japanese design.
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Seki Japan Knives: How a Sword-Making City Became a Modern Blade Centre
Why is Seki famous for knives? Learn how a medieval sword-making centre in Gifu adapted into a modern blade industry producing kitchen knives, scissors, cutlery and specialist tools.
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Mashiko Pottery: How a Japanese Town Became a Ceramics Centre
Mashiko pottery explained: its practical 19th-century origins, Shōji Hamada and Mingei, local clay, forming and glazing methods, and why Mashiko remains a living ceramics town.
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Arita Porcelain: How a Japanese Town Became a Porcelain Centre
A practical guide to Arita porcelain: why Arita became Japan's best-known porcelain town, how Arita and Imari are related, how porcelain is made, and what to look for in the region.
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Urushi Lacquer: What It Is, How It Is Made and Why It Lasts
Urushi is natural Japanese lacquer made from tree sap. Learn how it is harvested, layered, cured and used across regional lacquerware traditions.
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Japanese Joinery: Sashimono, Wood Joints and How the Craft Works
A practical guide to Japanese joinery: sashimono, interlocking wood joints, why some traditional work uses no nails, and the skills hidden behind the final fit.
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Monozukuri Meaning: What “Making Things” Means in Japan
Monozukuri means more than craftsmanship. This guide explains how the Japanese term is used across traditional craft, manufacturing and modern production.
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What Is Omiyage? Japan's Gift-Giving Custom Explained
Omiyage is often translated as souvenir, but it commonly means something brought back from a trip for other people. Learn how it works, why food and packaging matter, and what it reveals about everyday Japan.
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Shokunin Meaning: What the Japanese Word for Craftsperson Really Means
Shokunin is the Japanese word for a skilled craftsperson, artisan or tradesperson. This guide explains what the term means, what it does not mean, and how to look at skilled work without romanticising it.
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How to Tell If a Japanese Knife Is Authentic
Verify a Japanese knife through the exact maker, model, country of manufacture, steel, construction and seller traceability rather than relying on kanji, Damascus patterns or vague claims.
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Knife Heat Treatment Explained: HRC, Hardening & Tempering
Understand hardening, quenching, tempering and HRC, and why two knives made from the same steel can behave differently after heat treatment.
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Does Hand-Forged Automatically Mean Better?
No. Hand-forging can add skilled labour, small-batch control and a distinctive production story, but cutting performance still depends on steel, heat treatment, geometry, grinding, sharpening and quality control.
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