Bring Japan into your everyday life.
How this site works
Living with Japan is run from Japan for home cooks in the US and UK who want Japanese tools that last. We start with kitchen knives.
About the editor
Shota Ando
Yokohama, Japan
Shota Ando lives in Yokohama and runs a company that builds and introduces AI systems.
A fan of cutting-edge gadgets who still wants a traditional Japanese life at home.
Living with Japan exists to share the real voice of one person living in Japan: what is actually in the kitchen drawer, and why.
Every note marked "From our editor in Japan" comes from a recorded conversation with Shota, dated on the note.
Spotted a mistake, or have a question? Email shotaando@gmail.com
Where the specs come from
Every knife here is one we found in stock at a store that ships to the US or UK. We read each store's listing and record the shape, blade length, core steel, hardness and other details, with a link to the page each value came from and the date we read it.
When a store does not state something, we say so instead of guessing. The only values we fill in ourselves are standard ones, such as a double bevel on a gyuto, and those are marked "standard for this shape".
We last checked stores on 12 Oct 2026. The site lists 308 knives.
How AI is used
Pages are generated from our product database. We use AI to help read store listings and to write page text from the facts in the database. It does not invent specs, ratings or reviews. Care level and beginner score are simple published rules, shown on each knife page.
How the site is paid for
We plan to earn a commission when you buy through some store links, at no extra cost to you. Today every store link is a plain link. When that changes, links that pay us will be labelled. Stores do not pay to be listed, and commission does not decide what we list.
Why there are no photos yet
We only show product photos we have permission to use, such as images from store feeds. Until those are in place, follow the store link to see each knife.