Masashi Fujiwara — a master sharpener renowned for his unmatched precision and craftsmanship.
Highly trusted by some of Japan’s most distinguished chefs, he stands as one of the country’s finest artisans.
We are honored to announce our long-awaited collaboration model with Mr. Fujiwara.
The steel “T3” is a material he has devoted over five years to perfecting.
For the past year and a half, we have worked together, refining every detail through countless prototypes, and the design is now nearing completion.
Since each knife is personally finished by Mr. Fujiwara, the number of pieces produced will be limited.
We are currently in the final adjustment phase and expect to unveil this model to the public next year.
This piece stands in contrast to our previous designs—a pursuit of ultimate simplicity and functional beauty.
Within its quiet presence lies the soul and discipline of true craftsmanship.
A knife that embodies the spirit of Japan itself—robust, sincere, and quietly powerful.
https://www.tsukiyama.jp
Biography of Masashi Fujiwara
Mr. Masashi Fujiwara is a master knife sharpener and a leading pioneer in the scientific analysis of how sharpness affects flavor.
He has quantitatively demonstrated the correlation between a knife’s edge and taste through rigorous research.
In his pursuit of the ideal sharpness, he not only mines natural whetstones but also conducts extensive research and development on both synthetic whetstones and knives, exploring their interrelationship from both perspectives.
Since ancient times, knives have been born from whetstones, and life has been breathed into them through sharpening.
In this spirit, Mr. Fujiwara is reconstructing the trinity of whetstone, blade, and sharpening for the modern age.
Based on this philosophy, he has systematized the theory and techniques of sharpening for professional chefs, teaching over 2,000 students to date.
Through his five published books, he continues to pass down the cultural essence of Japanese sharpness to future generations.
Rather than merely preserving tradition, he evolves it—Fujiwara’s sharpening redefines the future of knives and cuisine.
Career Highlights
2010 – Succeeded as the third-generation owner of Gassan Yoshitaka Cutlery Shop
2012 – Featured on Mie Television’s “Masters of Mie”
2013 – Appointed as Director of the Japan Sharpening Culture Promotion Association
2014 – Supervised theoretical content for The Complete Encyclopedia of Knives and Whetstones
2015 – Supervised The Knife and Sharpening Handbook (with English translation)
2016 – Awarded the Grand Prix at the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Contest
2017 – Founded the Japan Knife Sharpening Association and appointed as its Representative Director
2018 – Appeared on NHK’s Asaichi program, scientifically proving through experiments that sharpening enhances the flavor of food
2020 – Supervised techniques of traditional Japanese knife sharpening
2022 – Authored Techniques of Knife Sharpening
2023 – Supervised How to Select, Use, and Nurture Knives and Whetstones
2024 – Achieved total sales of approximately 33 million yen through crowdfunding.