For travelers who reach Kochi by cruise ship, aboard vessels such as the Diamond Princess, Celebrity Millennium, Westerdam, Riviera, and Azamara, this is a shore excursion far off the usual sightseeing track: a full day spent forging your own Japanese kitchen knife by hand, from raw iron and steel to a finished blade you carry home. An English-speaking interpreter and guide meets you at Kochi Port and rides with you by private car to the workshop, so the day between ship and forge unfolds without a single logistical worry.

The knife you make belongs to the tradition of Tosa Uchihamono, one of Japan's three great cutlery styles, and you work under a master craftsman recognized as a Tosa artisan. Over the course of the day you follow the blade through every stage of its making, from the first heat of the forge to the final pass across the sharpening stones. You are never left to manage alone: the craftsman assists as needed, which keeps the experience safe and genuinely enjoyable for everyone aged 11 and older.

Your host is Tsuyoshi Sakoda, the craftsman behind Sakoda Hamono, who trained in Fukui Prefecture, long celebrated for its exquisite cutlery. After returning to Kochi he kept reaching for higher skill, visiting knife specialty stores and masters throughout Japan to deepen his knowledge of forging and sharpening. Despite the extra effort it demands, he insists on finishing every blade by hand-sharpening, so that the knives he makes are ones their owners can cherish for a long time.

This is a day for travelers who would rather immerse themselves in genuine local culture than follow the typical sightseeing circuit common on cruise ship shore excursions, and who like the idea of carrying home a timeless Japanese masterpiece, useful in everyday life, as a memorable souvenir of the journey. You leave with a one-of-a-kind knife shaped by your own hands, and with it a rekindled spirit of taking care of the things you own.