Nao Yamamoto

Nao Yamamoto | Forging His Own Path in Echizen

Nao Yamamoto is the founder of Yamamoto Knives and a certified Traditional Craftsman of Japan. Born in Toyonaka, Osaka, in 1979, he began his career at Asai Hamono in 1998 before joining Kamo To Hamono the following year, honing his skills within Echizen’s longstanding bladesmithing tradition.

With roots stretching back some 700 years, Echizen blade making has evolved alongside the people who use its tools. Yamamoto carries that tradition forward through his forged double-bevel kitchen knives and other knives, bringing experience across both fields to his craft.

In 2013, he received the ARS Award at the All Nippon Knife Show in Kobe and established his own workshop, Yamamoto Knives. He was certified as a Traditional Craftsman in 2019.

His work offers knife enthusiasts a distinctive expression of Echizen craftsmanship—shaped by years of workshop training, an independent maker’s perspective, and a practice that extends beyond the kitchen.