Aoki Ichiro, founder of Aoki Hamono cutlery house, moved to Sakai in 1947, just after the Second World War. Sakai is already, at that time, a traditional knives making center located south of downtown Osaka. He gives his brand the name of his eldest son: SAKAI TAKAYUKI. Its range is expanding to include all kinds of kitchen knives quickly. His son takes over the company and imposes Takayuki kitchen knives in quality cutlery whose reputation already extends beyond the borders of the Empire of the Rising Sun. Aoki Takahiro, 3rd generation now runs the family business and is already distinguished for listening to ever-changing markets. The blade forging at Sakai has a 600 year tradition. All the while, the Sakai knives were made according to a shared work system. Blacksmiths and sharpeners have their workshops scattered around town and work in turn on the knives, passing them from one to the other. Aoki Hamono is where all these problems meet. The company designs and orders knives, manages the quality, finds the right craftsmen for the work and deals with the marketing. Artisans in turn depend on a constant flow of orders. This is how it has always been, and companies of this type are considered "Tonya" or wholesalers.
However, Aoki Hamono, unlike most other houses on the market, has its own forges, very famous, known as the "Sanpo workshop". It is the kingdom of Master smith Doi Itsuo (he has been working for 3 generations for Aoki Hamono) and Master knife maker Yamatsuka Mitsuo and his sons. Aoki Hamono also ensures that the tradition and skills of Sakai's cutlery are passed on to the next generation by training and employing young apprentices, not only preserving the traditions of the past, but assuming responsibility for to come up. This deep involvement in the making of knives is one of the reasons why Aoki Hamono and Sakai Takayuki knives have become the number one cutlery market in Sakai.
A port city and trading center, Sakai has seen many European innovations appear in Japan since its port. In Japan, it says that "all new things begin in Sakai". Faithful to this ancient spirit, Aoki Hamono ensures the maintenance of Sakai's traditional knife making traditions while continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of beauty and performance.
