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Nestled among the used bookstores of Jinbocho, the Nozaki Cutting Tool shop has been selling bladed tools for almost 100 years. In times past, there were other such shops in the neighborhood, but the bookstores have crowded out the hardware competition. One wall of the narrow shop is lined with 100s of scissors -- left-handed scissors, long-bladed tailor's shears, delicate German scissors shaped like a crane -- and a wide range of the one-piece, hand-forged Japanese scissors found in every home sewing kit.. Above the rows of scissors are kitchen knives -- beautiful tools with the Nozaki named stamped into the shoulder of each blade. Kitchen knives and scissors are on perpetual sale -- 20% percent off.
Mr. Takai, the owner, has got tweezers, nail clippers, toenail clippers, ear cleaners and barber shears. He's got two-inch long Victorinox Swiss Army pocket knives in assorted rainbow colors and a surprising Victorinox machete with a 15-inch blade. Also in stock is a large stuffed 4-point antlered buck's head. He's got a samurai-like sharkskin-handled knife with a gleaming 180 mm blade. He's got knives to cut paper, slash bamboo, or hack through branches, and knives that are works of art -- handle-less knives shaped like a dragon, a bird, a bamboo shoot, a feather. He sells traditional Japanese planes of all grades. Other traditional carpenter's tools crowd the back wall. Hand-made hammers -- some with heads the size of a thumbnail, the odd pliers, screwdriver, or rasp fill spaces on lower shelves or behind the counter.
Also, Mr. Takai will sharpen your blunt knife or dull scissors for about 800 yen. If you visit early in September, you'll hear Mr. Takai's crickets filling the shop with song.
To get there, take exit A5 from Jinbocho station, (from the Hanzomon, Chiyoda, or Mita lines) for Jinbocho crossing. Cross the street, turn left and walk towards Tuttle Bookstore. The Nozaki shop will be on your right after a minute or two walk from the intersection.
--mjk
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