Craft · No. 153
No. 153金工品
Echigo Yoita Forged Blades
越後与板打刃物
echigo yoita forged blades · 新潟県
Echigo Yoita Forged Blades are a group of hand-forged cutting tools — including chisels, planes, and saws — produced in the Yoita district of Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. Renowned for exceptional sharpness and durability, they have long been prized by craftspeople across Japan.
- Origin
- 新潟県
- Category
- 金工品
- Materials
- Iron · 鋼 · Stone
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
The tradition of blade-smithing in the Yoita district is said to have its roots in the early Edo period. As a castle town, Yoita attracted skilled smi…
No. IIMaterials
No. IIITechniques
The heart of the craft is forging: high-carbon steel is heated to a glowing temperature, hammered into shape, and forge-welded to the softer iron body…
No. IVClimate
Yoita lies in the heavy-snowfall zone along the Shinano River, where cold seasonal winds from the Sea of Japan bring deep winter snow. Because farming…
