The second largest city in Osaka Prefecture, Sakai is not only one of the three major tool blade producing regions in Japan, but also an area rich in archaeological sites with a long history of craftsmanship and an advanced food culture developed as a result of flourishing overseas trade.

Japan House London is delighted to host an online event series in partnership with Sakai City Industrial Promotion Center exploring the culture, history and industrial heritage of this ancient area located in the Kansai region of Japan.

Each event in this series of four explores a different topic, ranging from online conversations on the history of hand-forged knives widely used by professional chefs in Japan, the archaeological mystery of the remaining kofun (burial mounds) in the area, an online live guided tour of a knife factory, and online demonstrations.

During these live online events there is an opportunity for registered guests to ask questions to the presenters.

9 September 2021: The History of Sakai: in Conversation with Simon Kaner and Sakai City Museum

7 October 2021: Coming soon

This page will be updated with information on individual events as they become available to book.

The event series is accompanied by a range of retail items in The Shop.