Hyogo Prefecture

Banshu Cutlery

Established Heritage Site

Specialties

Tailoring Shears (Tachi-basami)
Traditional Thread Clippers (Nigiri-basami)
Garden & Flower shears
Japanese folding razors (Kamisori)

Notable Makers & Brands

Origin Story & Evolution

Banshu Cutlery in Hyogo Prefecture (centered in Ono and Miki cities) began in 1792 during the Edo period when local magistrates invited master swordsmiths and shear-makers from Kyoto to teach farmers a winter trade. The region specialized in double-bladed cutting instruments. Today, Banshu is known as an important center for shears, producing hand-forged tailoring scissors (Tachi-basami), flower and bonsai shears, and traditional spring-loaded thread clippers (Nigiri-basami). Each tool is hand-aligned and tuned by craftsmen for smooth shearing.

Key Forging Techniques

Blade Twist Control (Urasuki alignment)

Grinding a concave curve on the inner face of the shears' blades so they glide past each other touching only at the cutting point.

Forge-welding iron loops

Welding soft iron rings (for handles) onto hard steel shear blades for comfort and shock absorption.

Access & Directions

From Tokyo

Take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Shin-Kobe Station (~2h 50m). From Kobe, take the Kobe Dentetsu Line via Suzurandai to Ono or Miki Station (approx. 1 hour). Total travel time: approx. 4 hours.

From Osaka

Take the JR Kobe Line from Osaka Station to Kakogawa Station (~40m). Transfer to the JR Kakogawa Line to Ao Station (~30m), then take the Kobe Dentetsu Line to Ono or Miki (~10m). Total time: approx. 1 hour 20 minutes.

Regional Cooperative

Miki Industry Cooperative

Location Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture

Main Workshops & Manufacturers

Yoshiaki Kondo Workshop
Yasuhiko Fujiwara Workshop
Hiroo Inoue Workshop
Naoki Kajiwara Workshop
Sadahide Chiyozuru Workshop

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Miki Industry Cooperative

Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture

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Modern Active Swordsmiths & Bladesmiths

Artisan

Banshu Hamono Artisans

Ono & Miki Blacksmith Workshops

Master Shear & Scissor Makers

Master craftsmen in Ono and Miki Cities who specialize in hand-forging fabric shears (Rasha-kiri), bonsai clippers, and traditional spring-loaded thread snips (Nigiri-basami) with perfect blade alignments.