Yauji Yoshihiro(弥氏 良寬), born in Echizen, Fukui Perfecture in 1983. At age of 20 in 2003, he entered Kitaoka Knives to apprentice under Kitaoka Hideo(北岡 英雄), the third generation bladesmith of Kitaoka Knives. In 2019, he acquired the Traditional Craftsman Certification, which is quite remarkable, considering by average it take 25 years for a bladesmith to accomplish this goal.

In April of 2021, Yoshihiro Yauji left Kitaoka Knives and set up his own independent knife workshop Kutsurogi(寬), which shares a same Kanji with part of his name. Kutsurogi along with Yoshihiro Yauji is now a part of the Takefu Knife Village, which is an association that consists 14 knife companies and more than 40 bladesmiths, all located in Echizen area. With big names like Yu Kurosaki, Shiro Kamo and Yoshimi Kato, the Takefu Knife Village has a total of 17 Certified Traditional Craftsman, working and communicating with each others, they make the association a remarkable force in the industry.

Yoshihiro Yauji's knives are often found in damascus, with a color that is usually brighter than what you find on other makers. These blades seems to be grinded with a convex bevel, wich helps prevently food sticking greatly, especially when paired with a more"sticky" finish like a mirror polish. With this skillfull grinding and great fit and finish, Yoshihiro quickly gained fame and reputation as a relatively young bladesmith in Takefu Knife Village.