Asano Kajiya — Attraction in Hashima

Had one of the most amazing experiences of my life at Taro's forge. Blacksmithing has always been something I wanted to experience for myself, and I could not have imagined a better introduction to the art than what is offered here. Taro and his apprentices are incredible at both blade smithing and teaching. They know exactly what they are doing there, and effectively guided me through the process of creating a custom, high quality piece of cutlery for myself.

Beyond their skills as blacksmiths, everyone was super welcoming and kind. We even were given tokens for free drinks from the break room! I could not be more pleased with my experience, and highly HIGHLY recommend that anyone who wants to learn from one of the most skilled (and most humble) bladesmiths alive, take the time to experience this...

Amazing experience! Cannot say enough good things about taro, his wife tonomi, and his apprentice masaki. My girlfriend and I had the best experience of our trip to japan here. He is funny, patient, knowledgeable, and truly a master at what he does. The lunch tonomi prepared for us was delicious beyond words and absolutely the best we had during our whole trip. Masaki was skillful and a master at sharpening and teaching us how to as well, i expected nothing less from a fellow chef, amazing experience! One note i will add is that getting to him was easy but make sure check the fare from wherever you're going to be traveling from and know that you also have to buy the super Express pass for the shinkansen. But other than that can't ask for a...

This experience is an absolute must for those visiting Japan! Taro and his apprentices helped my friends and I create not only knife blades, but fond memories that will no doubt last a lifetime. Although I was initially apprehensive about the blacksmithing process, the balance of encouragement and direct guidance ensured that we were supported without feeling micro-managed. Taro’s English is superb, which made the whole process even smoother and more personable. The hours flew by and the sense of accomplishment and wonder by the end of our day together was truly unmatched by any other experience we’ve had in Japan. I can’t recommend this...