Kamila (our co-founder) is unable to find a quality, affordable Japanese knife for her partner. She contacts a Japanese blacksmith who makes her a custom-engraved knife. It is an extremely beautiful gift and she wants more people to be able to experience the joy of receiving it. Kamila comes up with the idea of setting up a knife retail store.
Together with her high school friend Anna, they co-found what was then known as “Oishya”. They travel to Japan to source and establish relationships with new suppliers. It isn’t easy for them to navigate the intricacies of different cultures and face language barriers, but the love for craftsmanship prevails.
Oishya is formed as a distributor of Japanese kitchen knives and knife related accessories. The business is based in London and all suppliers are located in Japan.
The founders find the ideal Japanese blacksmith to make their own knives. Due to geolocation exclusivity reasons, the blacksmith’s name can’t be included in the knives and so the blacksmith agrees to create these knives under their dedicated brand name. Hence, the first branded product line: “Sakai Kyuba” knives is created. To make the knives even more unique, a team of talented European artisans is chosen to make the colourful maple burl handles.
Oishya moves away from being a distributor and starts selling products under its own brand name “Oishya”. The business introduces more products including cutting boards, wooden trays and tableware. Oishya’s mission is to celebrate Japanese craftsmanship and culture.
The company’s mission evolves to focus on celebrating craftsmanship. While the flagship product, Japanese knives are handcrafted in Japan, they start collaborating with more and more craftsmen from Europe. The team decides that Oishya as a name no longer reflects our focus.
The team chooses to rebrand as “Oishya”. The new mission is to provide kitchenware that is made to last and used to create joy. Oishya focuses on creating products that enhance people’s time cooking and sharing food. The new mission and name is launched in January 2022.