Finding Mindfulness At The Natural Whetstone and Hone Museum

On my first trip to Japan nearly a decade ago, I bought my first Japanese knife and a Shapton 2000 grit ceramic whetstone. The knife, I used often, but embarrassingly, I was lazy about using the whetstone. It only when I moved from San Francisco that I even realized it had somehow gone missing.

On this last trip to Japan, I wanted to build out my knife set and a pick up new whetstones. Researching the latter sent me down a rabbit hole that eventually led to the awareness of beautiful natural whetstones and discovering the Natural Whetstone and Hone Museum near Kyoto.

There, they offered a private workshop with the museum director that included your choice of a carbon steel knife and a natural whetstone, and learning how to use the two together the way artisans did for centuries in Japan – as some still do.

Much in the way photographers gravitate towards analog film cameras and manual focus lenses, I’m fascinated by tools and techniques that existed before modern technology. I welcome innovation, but I also don’t mind doing things the old way, even if it’s slower or not as efficient. Maybe it’s just about finding mindfulness as the pace of our lives only seems to increase.

A Brief History of Japanese Natural Whetstones

Historically, Japanese natural whetstones have always played a crucial role in the realm of craftsmanship, maintaining the unparalleled sharpness of the knives, swords, and woodworking tools used by artisans, chefs and samurais.

Knives and swords are the first to come to mind, but whetstones were used more regularly for a different blade – the straight razor. The kamisori were used by monks and samurai to shave their beards and head. The blades were highly valued as were the whetstones used to keep them sharp.

Japanese swords are renowned for their unique combination of durability and sharpness, but the latter is only possible because swordsmiths discovered the superior sharpening qualities of the natural stones found in their volcanic landscape. These whetstones are the result millions of years of seismic and tectonic movements beneath the surface of the earth.

Below Japan’s islands, four major tectonic plates are constantly shifting under the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for its high volcanic and seismic activities.

The movement of these plates are responsible for the downwards deposit and subsequent upwards shifting of silica and clay particles. After millions of years of compression and mineralization, they form refined stones with extremely fine and consistent abrasive properties that are prized by artisans.

Kyoto and its surrounding mountains are home to the most prominent mines and quarries. Dating between 150 – 250 million years, the stones found here are known for their uniformity and fine grit structure that’s used in finishing and polishing work.

Once known only within the a smaller circle of artisans and chefs, the secret is out and more casual users are turning to natural whetstones with a renewed interest in traditional craftsmanship. In Kameoka, the Natural Whetstone and Hone Museum and its director, Aki Tanaka, are doing their part to flame that fire.

Visiting The Natural Whetstone and Hone Museum

My visit to the museum started off with a lovely 45 minute walk through the countryside from the closest train station 3 km away. It was literally a breath of fresh air away from the crowds of Kyoto, and I relished the slow morning stroll.

The brownstone building housing the museum is hard to miss, but I had to do a double take when I entered the front doors and found a rock climbing gym instead. Turns out, the museum itself is attached to the Kamoekashi Koryu Hall, a local community center offering classes and nature-related events like stargazing parties to its local residents. There’s a rock climbing wall, an amazing restaurant serving medicinal cuisine above the museum, and a sports field across the street.

This is a place created for the locals, but the Whetstone museum has begun to draw in more international visitors, the kind willing to venture away from the well-traveled paths to experience more of what Japan has to offer culturally.

Meeting The Museum Director, Aki Tanaka

I arrived 15 minutes earlier than my 10 am appointment and I’m greeted with a warm big smile from Aki Tanaka, the director of the Natural Whetstone and Hone Museum. She and two other women are still getting the museum ready for opening, since they had been closed for the last week due to unexpected heavy snowfall.

I’m glad to wait and watch. The Museum is part exhibition and part working studio and I use this time to take photographs of the place.

At precisely 10 am, Aki-san is ready for me and introduces herself formally. I do the same and she excitedly shares that she lived in Vietnam for some time, when we talked about my family’s background. I’m in Japan to learn about traditional craftsmanship and meet with the people who continue the practice. Aki-san is eager to lend her expertise to this journey, and I’m instantly relieved and grateful for it.

As director of the museum, Aki-san spends part of her time on research and the other part in finding ways to cultivate awareness about natural whetstones.

What Is A Sword Without Its Edge?

We start with my visit with a brief history of natural whetstones and the surrounding region’s importance in producing the most sought after natural whetstones in Japan and possibly in the world.

Not only are they a cornerstone necessity for many other crafts, they are simply beautiful pieces on their own. Until then, I’d only seen photos of natural whetstones, so it was something to touch and feel the different types of stones.

Aki-san brings out a real samurai sword. It too, is a thing of beauty, and feels surprisingly light in my hands. This is the first time I’ve handled and looked at a real katana blade up close and I can appreciate how the humble whetstone is what gives a sword its edge, yet demands none of the spotlight or the acclaim.

In the next room, there are two more blades and examples of different tools and whetstones used around the world. I’m fascinated by the idea that world’s apart, different cultures uncovered the same secret found beneath the earth.

A Living Workshop

In the studio space, there hundreds of whetstones chaotically organized in system lost on me. Some are for sale, but many are there to be used by visiting artisans. And they do. Aki-san tells me that many knives and tool makers come by to test out and find the perfect whetstones for their jobs.

The museum is a living space where the tools are used, new whetstones come in and many leave, finding homes in all corners of Japan and around the globe.

Arranged in a circle are sharpening stations, where visitors can learn and try their hands at sharpening a dull knife. It’s one of the main draw of the museums and while I was there, several groups arrived specifically for the workshop.

They are taught by staff members in Japanese, so you might want to bring a translator if you’re interested.

I was lucky to have the personal guidance of the Aki-san herself without the need for a separate translator. A great perk of the private workshop I booked was getting to choose a knife and whetstone or hone.

Note: A hone is a much finer grit whetstone that’s used for the sharpest finish and polishing.

Choosing My Knife and Whetstone

Aki-san presented me with a few knives to choose from, all from the knife making region of Tosa, known for their kurouchi finish – a rustic oxidized finish, that gives the knife a wholly unique look and protection that will change over time.

I choose a beautiful Funayuki knife and a 2000/3000 grit whetstone.

The Funayuki is a multi-purpose fisherman’s knife, that translates to mean an “on the boat” knife. It can be used for deboning, filleting, and slicing alike – and it’s just the style I had planned to acquire on this trip.

The whetstone is a medium-grit Tamba Aoto made from shale stone that should more than sharpen any edge for daily use.

There’s an option to choose a lower 800 grit volcanic stone or an even finer 6000-8000 grit Awasedo finishing stone. The latter are the stones sought after by chefs and knife makers to get the finest edge and a unique scratch pattern.

I went with Aki-san’s recommendation, that for most kitchen use, the 3000 grit was the right balance.

Sharpening A ¥100 Knife With Natural Whetstones

Before sharpening, we went to exam the edge of a dull blade under a microscope, magnifying the edge to show the jagged pattern we would be shaving away and smoothing out.

The blade we are working on is a ¥100 knife you can find at any Daiso store. It’s perhaps the cheapest knife you can buy and the best way to show a knife costing less than $1 can be razor sharp if you know how to sharpen it.

The sharpening process is simple but requires focus, patience, and a lot of practice. Aki-san shows me how to eyeball a 15° angle and demonstrates a basic up and down movement along the whetstone. It doesn’t look too hard, but the key is to maintain even pressure with each stroke and to keep the angle the same the entire time.

Easier said than done.

Using two to three fingers, you put downward pressure on the area of the blade you are sharpening and move up and down about 10 times before shifting to the next area. When you get to the edge of the blade, you flip it the blade and repeat the process.

With each move, you are removing microscopic layers of metal away from the blade to shape the edge. Each set of movements is repeated several more times until you get to your desired sharpness.

Professionals can feel the difference against the palm of their hands, but we go back to the microscope to visually confirm that we’ve created a clean edge.

The ¥100 knife is able to slice through paper like butter.

The Mindful Art Of Sharpening With Natural Whetstones

With some practice, it was time to work on my Funayuki. The knife is already sharp, but I’m meant to do a final finish, that’s usually left by the bladesmith to be finished at a wholesaler or shop.

There was a bit more pressure since I was no longer messing around with a knife that cost less than $1. Recalling all the steps and instructions, I carefully move the blade up and down against the shale stone.

I’m nowhere there, and can only do my best to be mindful of the angle and pressure and try to keep the speed consistent. It was incredibly meditative and something I know I’ll enjoy doing on lazy Sundays.

Once the knife was examined and given a nod of approval from Aki-san, she demonstrates its sharpness by slicing through a rolled up sheet of paper. There’s nothing holding it upright, so the slightest nudge would tip it over. The knife is so sharp that it’s able cleanly cut through instead of pushing the paper.

With another nod, she is satisfied and packages it up neatly along with the whetstone for me to take home.

Paper Thin Shave

There was still one more demonstration left at a wood planing station.

Aki-san writes my name on the a block of wood and pushes the wood planer across the surface. In one clean move, she removes the wood planer to reveal a near translucent shaving – with my name. It’s one more souvenir that she packs for me to take away.

One of other staff member hands me a hard block of something like that looks like a darken bone or antler. It’s dried bonito, a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine, used for making dashi stock.

She effortlessly runs the block back and forth over the blade to make bonito flakes. It’s harder than it looks and my attempts end up with shavings that aren’t quite as thin. She gathers the flakes into a cup with a pinch of salt and pours hot water over it. The aroma is instant and intoxicating. I bring it up to my nose for deep inhale and sip on the broth.

I’ve never had bonito flakes this freshly steeped before and now I’m already contemplating how I can bring home one of these planers and a block of dried bonito.

A Medicinal Lunch From A Local Garden

With our workshop complete, Aki-san asks if I would like to have lunch upstairs. The menu, she explains, is created seasonally with an assortment of herbal ingredients known for their medicinal properties.

“It’s good,” which is a huge understatement.

What came out was one of the most soul-warming meals I’ve ever had in Japan. The waitress eagerly explains the many ingredients in the dishes and its medicinal benefits.

Beyond the meal, there was just a genuine kindness that I felt with the meal and the service. The word polite accompanies almost all my experiences in Japan, but this was something warmer.

The meal completed an already extraordinary day and I could not hardly contain my excitement and gratitude for the last few hours and the knife and whetstone I’ll be taking home.

Aki tells me they will both last as long as I will.

Getting To The Natural Whetstone and Hone Museum

The museum is open from Tuesday – Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. It’s is closed from Monday – Wednesday and on New Year’s holidays. Admission is free. A walk-in sharpening workshop in Japanese is available as well as the workshop that I had with Aki-san.

The easiest way to get to the Natural Whetstone and Hone Museum is to drive. There’s parking right in front of the building.

By public transportation, the closest station is Chiyokawa Station via the San-In line from Kyoto Station. From there, you can take the local 41 or 43 bus. However, the buses run very infrequently only once every few hours.

It’s recommended to get off two stops earlier at the larger Kameoka Station, and take a taxi from there.

I opted to take the train to Chiyokawa Station and enjoyed a peaceful 45 minute walk through the rural roads to the museum. If you choose to do the same, ignore Google Map telling you it takes over 3 hours to walk and just follow the much shorter driving route. There’s a a dedicated walking path the entire way despite showing up on Google Maps.

Updated on March 30, 2025