OUR FORGE
Behind every ISSHO TABERU line are masters, workshops, and specialists from Japan who have passed down their knowledge through generations. Each line carries its own origin and signature, yet all are united by the same standard: uncompromising quality, crafted with precision, and far removed from industrial arbitrariness.
On this page, you will get to know the personalities behind our lines. Their work makes it clear why ISSHO TABERU stands for more than just sharpness: for true craftsmanship from Japan and for knives that prove themselves in the everyday use of haute cuisine.
TOSHIKI NANBU
2 Michelin Stars, 18 Gault & Millau points
Toshiki Nanbu, 86, is a third-generation master of Echizen forging. He has been forging for 67 years, representing a craft that has been pursued with unwavering dedication for decades.
Toshiki Nanbu forges with coal, working with a calmness and consistency that has developed over decades. He recognizes the right moment by the color of the steel with the naked eye. Precisely this experience and this feel for heat, timing, and material still define the precision of his knives today and make his work so crucial for the Izutsuki line.
HIDEAKI SARUWATA
2 Michelin stars, 18 Gault & Millau points
Saruwata Hideaki represents a workshop that is now run by the 13th generation and has been operating in the same location in Seki for over 350 years. This long tradition of passing down knowledge and experience still shapes the character of his work today, making his workshop part of the blade tradition for which Seki is world-renowned.
It is precisely in this environment that knives are created which impress not only with their performance, but also with the continuity of a workshop where quality has grown over centuries. His knives shape the Damascus line and combine visible mastery, precise cutting performance, and an origin that can be felt in every detail.
Murakami Fumio
2 Michelin Stars, 18 Gault & Millau points
Murakami Fumio works in a workshop tradition closely associated with the name Umeji. Umeji was his father’s lineage and the expression of a craftsmanship that had evolved over years. Murakami Fumio continues this tradition, consistently developing it further in his own work.
His work follows the tradition of the Kanto Style Gyuto, the form of Japanese chef's knife developed in Tokyo and the Kanto region, combining Western blade shape and Japanese precision. From this origin, Murakami Fumio develops his own light and free interpretation of the Tokyo Gyuto, which gives the Gyuto line its special character.
Masahiro Hirano
2 Michelin Stars, 18 Gault & Millau points
Masahiro Hirano is the sixth generation of Masamoto Sohonten and a direct successor within the lineage that dates back to the founder, Minosuke Matsuzawa. He thus carries not only the present of the house but also a historical and artisanal continuity that stretches back to the 19th century.
Masamoto represents classical Japanese knife culture in its most disciplined form. Especially with Deba and Yanagiba knives, this origin is evident in a precision and functional clarity that characterizes classic single-bevel tools used in sushi cuisine. This is precisely why this line is so significant for anyone who wants to experience Japanese techniques, kitchen hierarchy, and traditional cutting artistry in their classical form.
Yoshito Yamakawa
2 Michelin stars, 18 Gault & Millau points
Yoshito Yamakawa represents a workshop tradition born from a deep concern over the loss of true craftsmanship. For nearly ten years, he studied under Moriei Seki until he mastered traditional skills and developed his own signature style from them.
His knives are produced in over 30 manual steps, at a rate of only two knives per day. The fact that his work bears the Dento mark further underscores its special significance. In Japan, this award stands for traditional craftsmanship with regional roots and skills passed down through generations. This is precisely how knives of uncompromising craftsmanship, exceptional sharpness, and true collector's value are created.
Fujita Netsushori
2 Michelin Stars, 18 Gault & Millau points
Fujita Netsushori does not stand for a classic forging process, but for a crucial step in the quality of the Carbon line. Its work defines precisely the moment when reliability, consistency, and suitability for everyday use emerge from the material.
Fujita Netsushori plays a key role in the hardening and heat treatment process. In the Sub Zero process, the blade is cooled down to minus 75 degrees to stabilize the steel structure and create the basis for hardness, consistency, and reliable cutting performance. This very work makes the Carbon line more robust and suitable for everyday use.
