Tsubaya Hochoten (つば屋庖丁店)
TSUBAYA — Kappabashi, Tokyo
English support and tax-free are shown only where we've confirmed them. Many Kappabashi shops do offer tax-free — ask at the register (passport required).
Tsubaya sells knives and nothing else, and the racks are arranged by the job the blade does. For general work there is santokuA Japanese all-purpose kitchen knife, its name meaning "three virtues" — meat, fish and vegetables. Usually the first knife a home cook buys.— Kappabashi notes (an all-purpose knife for meat, fish and vegetables) and gyutoThe Japanese take on a Western chef's knife: longer and more pointed than a santoku, built for larger cuts of meat.— Kappabashi notes (the Japanese take on a chef’s knife); for vegetables, nakiri (a straight-edged knife for vegetables) and usuba (the thinner straight blade professionals use for the same work); for meat, sujihiki (a long slicer for trimming and portioning) and honesuki (a stiff knife for taking meat off the bone); for fish, yanagibaA long, slender knife for slicing sashimi in a single draw, so the cut face stays smooth instead of sawed and crushed.— Kappabashi notes (a long knife for slicing sashimi in one draw) and debaA thick, heavy Japanese knife for breaking down whole fish. The weight lets the blade cut straight through small bones.— Kappabashi notes (a thick knife for breaking down fish); and at the specialist end, knives for bread and for cutting soba noodles. More than 1,000 knives are in stock at any one time.
The shop says on its own site that it can serve visitors from abroad in English, so you can describe what you cook and have someone choose the blade with you instead of guessing from the rack.
What you can buy here
- All-purpose knivessantoku, gyuto and petty knives
- For vegetablesnakiri and usuba
- For meatsujihiki and honesuki
- For fishyanagiba and deba
- For one job onlybread knives and soba knives
Getting there
About a 7-minute walk north along Kitchen Town Street from Tawaramachi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.
| Hours | 10:00–17:00From the shop |
|---|---|
| Closed | Year-end and New Year holidaysFrom the shop |
| Address | 3-7-2 Nishi-Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0035 |
| Phone | 03-3845-2005 |
| Official site | https://tsubaya.jp/ |
| Online shop | https://tsubaya.jp/ |
| Payment | Cash and credit cardsFrom the shop |
| Social media |
Services
| Overseas shipping | YesThe online shop delivers to a number of countries and regions. |
|---|---|
| English spoken | YesThe shop's official site says it can serve visitors from abroad in English. |
Good to know
- Anyone who has not decided what to buyover 1,000 knives, sorted by the job they do, so you can compare before choosing
- Anyone who wants to ask in Englishthe shop's own site says it can serve customers in English
- Anyone sending a knife homethe online shop delivers to a number of countries and regions
Videos featuring this shop
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