I have had the privilege of being able to visit Japan 4 times in my life. And each time, I have had the pleasure of stopping by Konosuke’s workshop. Each visit has added to the growing bank of memories that I sincerely treasure. Bit by bit, I am continuing to build upon the knowledge I had from the first time I dipped my toes in the world of Japanese chef knives because of my personal encounters with the craftsmen. These encounters lead to a reinvigorated curiosity for more focused research of specific topics. I am lucky to have been able to find trusted resources (shoutout to Julien, Keegan, and TJ) that I can refer to about anything ranging from “what is that green liquid that the knives sit in at Takada-san’s workshop?” to “why does heat treat matter more than steel type?”
On my second visit to Japan, I stopped by with my mom and picked up a GS+ petty. I was finally able to meet Natsuko-san, who I had been emailing for the past year. I also had the pleasure of meeting Nobuyuki-san as we were leaving and he graciously offered us a ride to our next destination. We had a fun conversation on the way to the Denshoukan in his “Cadillac”. Natsuko-san’s kindness and warmth and Nobuyuki-san’s generosity made me feel even more attached to the Konosuke brand.
My 3rd visit was when I was finally able to meet Kosuke-san in person and I had the privilege of having dinner with him and Natsuko-san. I knew that Kosuke-san was immensely forward-thinking and willing to break tradition in favor of making something “better,” but it was only after having dinner with him that I also appreciated how strong of a business-man he is. Whatever respect I had for Kosuke-san and the Konosuke company prior to spending time with him in person was nowhere near the level of respect I should have had, if I am being honest. For a small fee, anyone can become a “member” and read 343 (as of 3/2/2026) blog posts that Kosuke-san personally writes. These blog posts range from his personal journey in building Konosuke, to in-depth deep dives about how certain knife lines were created. You can find the blogs and membership here: https://konosuke-sakai.com/index.php/membership/
On my most recent trip to Japan, I was able to bring my wife with me and I was excited for her to meet Natsuko-san and Nobuyuki-san (Kosuke-san was away on business). My primary reason to visit this time was to pick up a limited edition Konosuke FM - the other Konosuke knife I really wanted! I was lucky enough to win a raffle to purchase it. But having Meredith have the chance to meet some of the people who I think so fondly of was just as important. Nobuyuki-san spent the entire time entertaining Meredith with magic tricks and paper/plant crafts. We had a great time and Meredith agreed that I was not exaggerating how charming Nobuyuki-san and Natsuko-san are.
Today, I will be linking to a polyethylene board with a wood core. There are many models of the Hasegawa board and you may find one that you like better. A lot of people prefer the black board, but I like the green/turquoise accent of this board. The benefits of these Hasegawa boards are that they are soft on Japanese knives, but because they have a solid wood core, you can actually wash them in the dishwasher. Pretty cool if you ask me! Full disclosure: you can probably find a better price elsewhere if you are willing to search around and wait for some sales. Again, I am not sponsored by the products I link to, but I do receive compensation if you purchase it using my links. And I will only be posting products I personally have purchased or plan to purchase.