· New Year Japanese Sword Making Ceremony January 2nd of each year · Cutlery Festival Second Saturday and Sunday of October · "Cutlery Day" and Cutlery Memorial Service November 8th of each year · Demonstration of the Traditional Japanese Sword Making and Armour Skills First Sunday of March, April, June and November (Demonstrations from 10:00, 13:30, 14:30) *Date and time are subject to change.

A Sharp knife that does not snap or bend Approximately 700 years ago, during the Kamakura Era, a number of swordsmiths escaped from war-torn cities and relocated to Seki, seeking fine quality soil, water and charcoal that is necessary for the making of swords. Ever since, the fame of Seki swords has been enhanced and the production accelerated with the establishment of distinctive sword forging technique. After the end of the Warring State Period, demands for swords decreased, and many of the swordsmiths had begun to produce cutlery for agricultural and household use. Whatever the use, the cutlery produced in Seki was that of high quality, fully utilizing the expertise for sword making, and came to be known as "sharp knife that does not snap or bend". After the Meiji Restoration, a wide variety of cutlery began to be produced, matching the changing age and the introduction of new technology. Seki is now renowned as one of the greatest production centers of cutlery throughout the world, equaling Solingen of Germany. In the field of swords, although the culture of cutlery has gone through modernization, the production of Japanese swords continues with the traditional methodology by the swordsmiths. >> To sightseeing facilities related to cutlery in the city