A short walk along a country road just outside Ono brings you to a small workshop humming with sounds of the rhythmic beating of steel. A lone artisan sits pegging away at his work but calls out: “Welcome. Please come in.”
It is a sweltering summer day, but the artisan has been working diligently with the windows open. Wiping his face with a towel and bowing, he introduces himself as Osami Mizuike, maker of Japanese razors. This product could be considered the starting point of the Banshu Hamono brand since it was the first cutting tool to go into production after the Japanese sword. Unlike the sharp razor blades he makes, Mizuike is a mild-mannered man.
Softly he begins, “The Banshu Japanese razor is the oldest among blades made in Japan for daily use, dating back (almost 240) years. Though demand has fallen sharply, people who still lead traditional lifestyles keep using my razors with great care. For instance, maiko — apprentice geisha — apply special white makeup to go to work. Part of their daily routine is to shave the area at the nape of the neck in order to apply the makeup to best effect. They continue traditional methods of makeup, which calls for the traditional type of razor.” To feel how sharp the blade is, you only need to press it softly to your hair and gently slide it down. The blade will catch even the slightest scratch on the surface of a single strand, invisible to the naked eye.