The story of Oishya, a brand born from trips to Sakai and Seki that works with Japanese workshops to make knives for European home cooks.
Japanese Culture
How Japanese Kitchen Knives Are Made: The Craft Behind the Blade
How a Japanese kitchen knife is forged, from Sakai and Seki workshops to layered Damascus steel hammered at 1,100°C through dozens of hand steps.
Japanese Kitchen Culture: Traditions, Philosophy & Craft
The philosophy and craft of the Japanese kitchen, from nagomi balance and wabi-sabi to mottainai and kaizen, and how each shapes how you cook.
Inside the Box: The Meticulous Journey Behind Every Oishya Knife
The story behind every Oishya knife, from the 2022 rebrand out of Japana to wooden boards crafted by family workshops across Europe.
The Ultimate Guide to Eating Sushi: Do’s and Don’ts for Beginners
A beginner’s guide to eating sushi, covering types, restaurant etiquette, chopstick rules, soy and wasabi use, and how to eat nigiri, maki, and sashimi.
The Art of Karate: A Journey of Discipline, Strength, and Tradition
Karate began in Okinawa as ‘te’, shaped by Chinese martial arts and practised in secret under weapon bans. Its history, philosophy, and core techniques.
The Art of Hanko: A Japanese Tradition Meets Sakai Kyuba Craftsmanship
A hanko is a carved Japanese name seal used in place of a signature. Oishya stamps one on every Sakai Kyuba certificate of authenticity.
The Story Behind Sakai Kyuba’s Bugeisha Illustration
The onna-bugeisha illustration on Sakai Kyuba boxes honours feudal Japan’s female samurai, with nods to Hokusai’s Great Wave and the Oishya kamon.
Food Vending Machines: Japan’s Unique Culinary Experience
Japan’s vending machines serve full meals, from hot ramen to frozen gyoza, using refrigeration, heating, and robotic arms. A look at automated dining.
The Art of Kaizen: How Oishya Upholds a Relentless Pursuit of Perfection
Kaizen is the Japanese practice of small, continuous improvement born in postwar Japan. How Oishya applies it to craft and quality.
Why are Japanese katanas curved?
The katana’s curve, or sori, concentrates mass toward the tip for cleaner cuts and spreads impact to resist fractures. Why the blade is shaped this way.
Okinawa: A Culinary and Cultural Paradise
Okinawan food blends Ryukyu Kingdom trade roots with post-war American influence, from Taco Rice and tropical sushi to prized Ishigaki beef.
A Taste of Illusion: Exploring Shokuhin Sampuru, Japan’s Craft of Creating Lifelike Fake Foods
Shokuhin Sampuru are Japan’s lifelike fake food replicas, made from PVC to display restaurant menus. Inside the craft and the artisans who make them.
Introduction to Nagomi: Harmony in the Japanese Way of Life
Nagomi is the Japanese idea of harmony and balance, applied to homes, relationships, and meals. How the principle shapes a calmer everyday life.
The Difference Between Chopsticks : Japanese Vs. Chinese Vs. Korean
Japanese, Chinese, and Korean chopsticks differ in shape, material, and etiquette. A look at what sets each style apart and the culture behind them.
Where Is Damascus Steel Really From?
Damascus steel traces back to the Near East around 300 AD, prized for its wavy pattern and strength. Here is the history behind the legendary blade.
The Okinawan Secret To Longevity
Okinawa has one of the world’s highest counts of centenarians, linked to a plant-rich diet and the Hara Hachi Bu habit of eating until 80% full.
All About Japanese food
Why Japanese cuisine stands out: fresh seasonal ingredients, mastery of umami and the pride of the cooks behind sushi, ramen, soba and more.
What Is Umami Flavour?
Umami, the savoury fifth taste found in meat, cheese and mushrooms, was identified by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda in the early 1900s.
What Is Daruma Doll And How To Use It?
The Daruma doll, a symbol of luck and perseverance, traces back to Bodhidharma, the Zen monk whose nine-year wall meditation inspired the legend.
10 Japanese Concepts To Be Inspired And Live By
Ten Japanese concepts for a happier life, including ikigai as a reason for being, kaizen as steady improvement, and oubaitori on not comparing.
The Japanese Whisky History: From Reluctance Until Its Glory
The story of Japanese whisky, from Commodore Perry’s 1853 gift barrel to Masataka Taketsuru studying the craft in Scotland.
Secrets Of Japanese Business Etiquette: Personal Habits
Personal habits that trip up foreigners in Japanese business, from handshakes and nose-blowing to small talk that the other side won’t return.
Secrets Of Japanese Business Etiquette: Business Attire
What to wear for business in Japan, with seasonal suit colours, the black-suit funeral trap to avoid, and separate guidance for women and men.
Secrets Of Japanese Business Etiquette: Business Cards
How to give and receive business cards in Japan, why you carry 100 for a week’s trip, and the gestures that quietly cause offence.
Secrets Of Japanese Business Etiquette: Avoid Insulting A Japanese
Japanese business etiquette is more formal than the West, built on trust and politeness, with the card exchange treated as near ritual.
Japan’s Female Samurai Who Feared Nothing: Onna-Bugeisha
The Onna-bugeisha were Japan’s female samurai, trained for war alongside men. Empress Jingu and Tomoe Gozen led armies and feared nothing.
Is It Bad Luck to Gift a Knife? How to Give Kitchen Knives Without Breaking Tradition
Giving a knife is fine despite the old superstition that it cuts a relationship, as long as the recipient pays a coin, like Oishya’s 5 yen coin.
10 Fascinating Facts About The Samurai (And Female Samurai!)
Ten facts about the samurai, including the Onna-Bugeisha women warriors and the four Western men who earned samurai rank in Japan.
A Pole Who Teaches Japanese How To Make Knives
Patryk, a self-taught Polish blacksmith, founded Kaminari Knives and now shares Japanese knife making with a new generation on YouTube.