Buying our new knives

We went to Koppabashidori and bought our new knives from Kama-asa. Marina speaks excellent english and helped us enormously in choosing the knife.  Apparently you don't chose the knife, the knife chooses you - much like Olivanders wand shop in Harry Potter.

You don't choose the knife, the knife chooses you.  

Marina was wonderful in helping us choose the knives - knowing exactly what we were looking for. 

After you choose your knife, they will engrave it for free (in English or Japanese)

We ended up buying two knives each - a chefs knife and a smaller utility knife.  They were very reasonably priced, with the largest costing around $125.  I also bought a bonito shaver.  Each of the knives were engraved with our name on the blade and our initials on the handle, and came in a cloth lined box with their own maintenance instructions, and provenience of where each knife was made, and by whom.  We were in foodie heaven.

How to get to Kappabashi
Take the Ginza line to Tawaramachi Station.Take Exit #3 out of the station. Once you emerge, you will be facing north on the corner of Asakusa-dori and Kokusai-dori. Turn around (180 degrees) and walk west along the Asukusa-dori away from Asakusa toward Ueno. At the second light look up and you will see a huge plastic chef guy wearing a hat and also a police box. Turn right and you're on the street Kappabashi-dori!