Japanese Knives Annual Japan Trip (Sept 19th- Oct 20)

Its coming close to that time again for us. Every year, we close down for a bit so we can go back to Japan and i can train with the craftsmen in sharpening and blacksmithing. We also meet with most of the knife makers we work with and a few new ones too. This year, we will be going from September 19th to October 20th. As usual, we will not be shipping during this time. However, that does not mean you can not place orders. All orders will be shipped upon our return (as fast as we can get them out). Also, during this time, we will be checking e-mail (and responding when possible) and will also be on skype when we can.

Anyways, if you're waiting to place an order right now, our last day of shipments will be september 18th.

Sorry for any inconveniences this may cause. These trips are important to us to be able to train, but also so we can work on bringing you cool new things (and new educational materials). Thanks for your patience and understanding.

-Jon (and Sara)

Best wishes on this year's trip success...sounds wonderful, travel safe.

If you're in Tokyo on Friday the 21st or Saturday the 22nd maybe we can meet up for shōchū... I'm taking my sister to Tsukiji for the auction and sushi breakfast on the 21st, then the Giants game in the evening. Saturday afternoon we will be at Ryogoku Kogukikan for the bashō. We're leaving on the 19th, out of Detroit, arriving Haneda late on the 20th; are you going LAX to Haneda?

sadly, we have meetings lilterally every day of the trip (usually more than 1 per day)... zero free time this trip. Sorry. We will be in tokyo for some of the same time, but we have plans from the morning to late evenings every day

We go LAX to narita usually.

If you need someone to fondle the knives, I mean.... Watch the store. I am more then glad to do it. What about the garden?? Free tomatoes??

-Chuck

i'm hoping we get a couple tomatoes before we leave

Is there a bottle of Hibiki from the duty-free shop in the near future?

i really do love japanese scotch

Any chance on restocks of the Gesshin 400, 2k or Suien VC cleaver before you leave?

i think the stones are going to get here while i am gone... however, there is absolutley no chance of me running out of them once they get here

The cleavers may get here sooner. I think they're on the way as we speak.

JBroida said:

sadly, we have meetings lilterally every day of the trip (usually more than 1 per day)... zero free time this trip. Sorry. We will be in tokyo for some of the same time, but we have plans from the morning to late evenings every day

We go LAX to narita usually.

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Hey, we know you have to say that for the IRS But I hope you will find a good balance - or a lot of overlap - between work and fun.

Stefan

sometimes i wish i was saying that just for the IRS... we're squeezing 6 weeks of plans into 4 this year

I hope I can squeeze in my shopping time in our schedule :bliss:


ok Jon... I'm just kidding.

Take pictures of higanbana.

Tatsuya said:

Take pictures of higanbana.

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I haven never seen higanbana field (or higanbana batake?).... any good locations? They are really pretty...

Neither have I, but I'm told they're not uncommon in my family's neighborhood (Kinugasa, Yokosuka). I've never been to Japan later than August, always spring or summer. I just got off the phone with my mom though, that might change this year.

Tatsuya said:

Neither have I, but I'm told they're not uncommon in my family's neighborhood (Kinugasa, Yokosuka). I've never been to Japan later than August, always spring or summer. I just got off the phone with my mom though, that might change this year.

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I found out that Hidaka city, Saitama has the largest garden of higanbana (and this is a higanbana only type of garden) in Japan... and in this particular garden, higanbana seems to blossom from around mid September for about 2 -3 weeks.

That looks awesome. Itsuka...

Sara@JKI said:

I hope I can squeeze in my shopping time in our schedule :bliss: ok Jon... I'm just kidding.

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Goodness, can't Jon-san speak Japanese by now? Sara, I think you should be free to shop while Jon does the knife stuff. Daijoubu, I say. :wink:

Nice higanbana photo!

Cutty Sharp said:

Goodness, can't Jon-san speak Japanese by now? Sara, I think you should be free to shop while Jon does the knife stuff. Daijoubu, I say. :wink:

Nice higanbana photo!

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Jon is fully aware of my behavior, including bad shopping habit, and this makes it very hard to hide away to go shopping...... Jon wa kowai desuyo....

NOTE: Kowai, not kawaii.

Hahaha, yeaahhhhh buddy.

or.. maybe Jon wa ijiwaru. ha!

No, I wouldn't have thought that Jon was kawaii, but sad to hear if he is kowai and maybe ijiwaru. He should let you go do your shopping, though. I mean, how many knives and stones does he have?

... Actually, a little worried now that if he is 意地悪人 he shouldn't be around all these knives.

Cutty Sharp said:

No, I wouldn't have thought that Jon was kawaii, but sad to hear if he is kowai and maybe ijiwaru. He should let you go do your shopping, though. I mean, how many knives and stones does he have?

... Actually, a little worried now that if he is 意地悪人 he shouldn't be around all these knives.

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haha.. we'll test his nature in Japan then - I'll update!