Kappabashi is the famous kitchen street where people, restaurant owners, and tourists all go to purchase quality and unique cooking and baking tools. The stores range from pots and pants, lunch box organizers, cookie cutters, knives, ceramic dishes, to realistic food recreations, refrigerators and menu signs.

I love kitchen gadgets! I spent so much time meticulously viewing the items.

Here’s a tool to make decorative children’s size onigiri!

Here’s a bunch of cookie cutters. The options go up multiple floors of the staircase.

Here’s a pan to make fluffy Japanese bread.

Here are stamps for the ABC alphabet and the Hiragana characters too!

Here’s an example of hyper realistic display food for the restaurant’s windows.

Cute Kappabaski sewer cover! かわいい! (kawaii, cute)

Here’s a restaurant curtain shop.

There are a bunch of fun chopstick rests!

A plate perfectly designed for an American “girl dinner”!

One store window was advertising elegant tree-free compostable tableware. Very intriguing.

I was also amazed by the cooling fan jacket to keep you air conditioned. If I lived in a warmer climate, I would have considered getting one for myself!

I bought some brushes made of animal hair that are used for cooking and also a tooth brush from horse hair. The lady was nice, so I was glad to buy from her.

I also bought a variety of bowls. I was especially fascinated with the bowls with the lids. I figured I can use the lids as a spectacular “ta da!” moment, but they can also function as a second plate.

I found a really cool coffee filter that is a lifetime reusable filter for not just coffee, but water, and tea, and wine. It is said to make cheap wine taste more delicious. I haven’t tried a blind taste test yet, but Takuro tried it with coffee, and he said it filtered out the bitterness. I didn’t try his coffee brewed the other way, but this way tastes good.

Keep your eyes peeled for this cool product. I could see it selling everywhere in the future. (Elle and Will if you are reading this, don’t rush to go order one. I got you one for Christmas.)

Kappabashi is a good place to buy quality Japanese knives. I bought 3 for myself and I also facilitated a sale for my sister for her husband’s birthday.

There were so many knife shops, I wasn’t sure which one to choose from. Some were very crowded, and some were empty. Some of the stores had plastic covering each knife, and that felt less quality to me. It could have been just as good of quality, but a different presentation of the knives. Some had sales people who were busy or less interested in facilitating sales. I was looking to buy from an eager store who could explain to me which type of knife to buy and why one might be different from another.

I walked in and was approached by a nice saleswoman, Riku, and I told her “I am looking to buy probably 2 knives and I don’t know much, but I want something that is nice that I will be able to take care of.” She immediately led me away from the carbon steel that you have to oil after each use and that is very easy to rust. Instead, she recommended AUS 10 stainless steel. Good call!

The special rippling on my knife blades is a metal treatment called Damascus. It is for beauty and strength.

I bought an all purpose knife, a paring knife, and a vegetable knife. I was able to try them by cutting daikon.

Here you can see Riku demonstrating to me how to use the vegetable knife. I will have to practice. I am excited.

If you find yourself in Kappabashi, I highly recommend buying your knives at 和心堂 (Washin-Dou) and working with Riku if she is in the store that day. She is so helpful and kind and funny. I came back the next day to get my brother-in-law’s knife and she was excited to see me again too.

My brother-in-law’s knife has the name of the store carved in it, and it is created to the exact specifications of the store. The store partners with multiple 5 person knife-making companies to create their knives to those specifications.

I am excited at all the different dishes and kitchen items that I was able to buy and see at Kappabashi!