Dating from the 1850s and a registered cultural property, this busy, rustic blade shop is filled with incredible knives, hatchets, swords and even ninja shuriken (throwing stars), plus just about anything you might need for a Japanese kitchen – daikon (radish) graters, bamboo strainers, bentō boxes and more. An enthusiastic owner helps you make sense of it all.
There's also a cafe, offering good Japanese curry (¥1000), sōmen (noodles; ¥680), dango (rice dumplings) and shaved ice (from ¥400), all made with fresh Shimabara water and using hand-sharpened blades.