Craftsman
日野浦司
Tsukasa Hinoura
The story
Tsukasa Hinoura (日野浦司) is the third generation at Hinoura Hamono Koubou in Sanjo, Niigata. The workshop's own timeline records the line: the first generation set up as a blacksmith in 1905, in what was then the village of Ajikata; the second went independent from the main house in 1957; and the workshop took its present name in 1991, when it moved. The same timeline dates his own start in the trade to 1978.
He works under two marks: Ajikataya (味方屋), the family trade name carried down from that village and in use since 1982, and Tsukasa (司), his own.
His site describes his river-jump damascus (Ryusuitobimon) as resembling water flowing, a rippled river surface, with each pattern the only one like it in the world. He also works a Flowing Clouds pattern (Unryu).
The timeline lists his awards and certifications: an encouragement prize at Craftpia SANJO 89 in 1989; awards at the Seki Outdoor Knife Show in 2005 and 2007; a regional Meister designation (県央マイスター) in 2006, the year the second generation retired; the traditional craftsman title (伝統工芸士) and Niigata Prefecture's Master Craftsman award (にいがたの名工) in 2012; and Sanjo City's industrial merit award in 2015.
His son Mutsumi went independent in 2025 under a new brand, Tsuchinone. The Ajikataya and Tsukasa marks stay with his father.
The Knives & Stones take
When we visited Master Hinoura's workshop, he showed me the raw material of how he does the cladding of his knife, which is rarely done these days. He also showed us a steel detail under 400x magnification.
— James Zhang, Knives and Stones
In photographs
The relationship map 職人系譜
Masters, family, and the brands between them. Every line is a verified fact from our research. Tap a node to light up its connections and read its story.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Tsukasa Hinoura?
Reviewed by James Zhang
What is Tsukasa Hinoura known for?
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Where is Tsukasa Hinoura based?
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How old is the Hinoura workshop?
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Who makes Ajikataya and Tsukasa knives now?
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