In a country renowned for its sword-making tradition, Kimitaka Sakurai is focused on blades of a different sort.
The 41-year-old will serve as the official skate sharpener for Japan at the upcoming ISU World Team Trophy, the last competition of the 2024-2025 figure skating season, which takes place from Thursday to Sunday at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Skate sharpening is not a lucrative endeavor, but Sakurai has been doing it full time for 14 years, and he is a master at his craft. He now gets customers of all ages — between 2 and 90, to be exact — and skill levels from all over Japan. He estimates he sharpens about 2,000 pairs a year.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.