The blacksmith’s work
Located in the department of Niigata, the towns of Tsubame and Sanjo are world famous for their cutlery and metalworking industry.
The craftsmen of Tsubame-Sanjo are the heirs of the blacksmiths who built the reputation of the region.
The craftsmen of Tsubame-Sanjo are the heirs of the blacksmiths who built the reputation of the region.
The story of Tsubame and Sanjo's metal objects:
the survival of an empire
At the beginning of the 17th century, Otani Seibei, in the service of Sanjo Castle, brought Japanese nailsmiths from the capital Edo to encourage the peasants of Tsubame and Sanjo – regular victims of the storms and floods that ravaged the region every year – to make these parts necessary for reconstruction, in addition to their work as farmers. This event was at the origin of the history of the blacksmiths of Sanjo.
In 1661, new tools such as the saw or the sickle appeared in the Aizu region, and the blacksmiths of Sanjo gained in reputation. The diversification of tools produced during the second half of the 18th century saw hardware merchants going beyond the borders of their simple townships and peddling metal tools in ever more remote regions, reinforcing the bond between blacksmiths and tool merchants. At the end of the 19th century, at the request of merchants, the production of nails gave way to that of sickles, choshi (traditional teapot), small swords, kitchen knives and saws, which then constituted the bulk of production.
Since then, the applications of Tsubame-Sanjo's metallurgical techniques have diversified, and the region now counts many producers making all kinds metal objects of the highest quality. Tsubame-Sanjo kitchen knives are particularly renowned, notably in France, where some great French chefs admit to prefer Tsubame-Sanjo knives, for their precision and for the quality of their steel.
In 1661, new tools such as the saw or the sickle appeared in the Aizu region, and the blacksmiths of Sanjo gained in reputation. The diversification of tools produced during the second half of the 18th century saw hardware merchants going beyond the borders of their simple townships and peddling metal tools in ever more remote regions, reinforcing the bond between blacksmiths and tool merchants. At the end of the 19th century, at the request of merchants, the production of nails gave way to that of sickles, choshi (traditional teapot), small swords, kitchen knives and saws, which then constituted the bulk of production.
Since then, the applications of Tsubame-Sanjo's metallurgical techniques have diversified, and the region now counts many producers making all kinds metal objects of the highest quality. Tsubame-Sanjo kitchen knives are particularly renowned, notably in France, where some great French chefs admit to prefer Tsubame-Sanjo knives, for their precision and for the quality of their steel.
Tsubame-Sanjo today: the reference in Japanese crafts and steelwork.
The centre of Niigata department is an important metal processing and tool production area of national renown, with a strong activity in the manufacture of machinery and automotive parts. Tsubame has many stainless steel processing companies, and is the leading producer of steel tableware products. Of all the city's industries, 36.4% are manufacturing producers – over 10,000 employees – making Tsubame the municipality with the highest rate of manufacturing industry nationwide. (source : 2009 Economic Census)
