kitchen knife laws in Japan?

[Noodle Soup]

Wandering around the web I found the statement in several places that non professional household knives are restricted to 15 cm. in blade length with out a permit. I have no idea how hard a permit is to acquire for longer kitchen knives but even the traditional nakiri (165 cm) exceeds that measurement. They also stated tourist purchases would be wrapped and sealed for transportation out of Japan. Anyone know if household kitchen knives are really restricted to 15 cm.?

 

[Benuser]

165cm is indeed hardly a home kitchen knife, it's a weapon.

 

[Jovidah]

Maybe this is lost in translation information about knives carried in public? Lots of countries have regulations about this... and airports usually take a lot more kindly to knives that are packed & wrapped than those ready to be used instantly.

 

[240_Gyutos_Only]

Ah, the good old traditional 165cm nakiri. I believe I saw these utilized extensively in the film Seven Samurai. I can see why they were outlawed.

 

[KenjiF]

I've never heard about this. My dad trained Bushido in Japan for many years and he said he did need a license to carry his sword to the dojo but that was a katana.

 

[MarcelNL]

you probably need a license to cut ;-)

Would the sites of Japanese knife sellers not state the requirement?

https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/cutting-chase-knife-laws-work-japan/
https://tokyoknives.com/blogs/trave...to-know-when-buying-japanese-knives-in-person
seems as if there really is something to this!

 

[dragjp]

If you meant 銃砲刀剣類所持等取締法(The Japanese Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law: Translator's Introduction), the rule is for carrying outside not using inside someone's kitchen.

 

[M1k3]

Wandering around the web I found the statement in several places that non professional household knives are restricted to 15 cm. in blade length with out a permit. I have no idea how hard a permit is to acquire for longer kitchen knives but even the traditional nakiri (165 cm) exceeds that measurement. They also stated tourist purchases would be wrapped and sealed for transportation out of Japan. Anyone know if household kitchen knives are really restricted to 15 cm.?

15 CM is a LOT of leeway. I personally prefer my Gyuto's in the 260-280 MM range.

 

[Pie]

They did check my knives at the airport when I was leaving Japan.. but this was a few years back.

One was a 240mm suji, that’s the only one they wanted to look at but had no issue with.

Man they packed my luggage so well after taking it apart, I had room for at least 3 more blades!

 

[Noodle Soup]

15 CM is a LOT of leeway. I personally prefer my Gyuto's in the 260-280 MM range.

Obviously Im not a metric kind of guy. Sorry about that.

 

[BillHanna]

They did check my knives at the airport when I was leaving Japan.. but this was a few years back.

One was a 240mm suji, that’s the only one they wanted to look at but had no issue with.

Man they packed my luggage so well after taking it apart, I had room for at least 3 more blades!

My wife would see me see that space and rush me through.

 

[blokey]

I think it is just you can’t take blades on public transportation, but plenty shops would offer to ship to your hotel or your home

 

[Pie]

I think it is just you can’t take blades on public transportation, but plenty shops would offer to ship to your hotel or your home

Oooooops..

 

[blokey]

Oooooops..

Well if no one knows…

 

[dragjp]

It's pretty much like our brown bags rule for the happy beverages here, just don't let the bag break in public..