You can tour the factory and buy metal products made right there! The quality is top-notch, so anyone who cares about craftsmanship will love it.
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SUWADA Seisakusho (SUWADA Blacksmith Works, Inc.)
At the Tsubame-Sanjo Hardware Factory, visitors can observe a "manufacturing" site where craftsmen's traditional skills are at their best.
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Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata, which has a world-renowned reputation as a "manufacturing town," still carries on the blacksmithing and metalworking techniques that have been cultivated since the Edo period. Founded in 1926, Suwada Seisakusho is known for its cutlery products such as nail clippers and nippers, and has received numerous awards and accolades in Japan and abroad.
The open factory, which was renovated from the main factory in 2011, is open to visitors without reservations on any day the factory is in operation.
The factory, where everything is black, including the rooms and work clothes, is designed to make it easy to see the state of the metal being processed. The manufacturing processes, such as "forging," in which hot metal is beaten to make it stronger and formed, and "polishing and grinding," in which the metal is finished, are all done by hand by craftsmen.
The company cafeteria is open to the public as a restaurant, serving the same daily lunches as the artisans, and the factory also has a café serving paninis and other snacks, gelato, and authentic cappuccinos, as well as a store featuring limited edition products.
Highlights
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A manufacturer that has been making cutlery for more than 90 years in Tsubame-Sanjo, the town of hardware.
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Its nail clippers, nippers, and other products are highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad.
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The open factory allows visitors to tour the factory without prior reservations.
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The factory has a restaurant, café, and store.
Photos
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Open factory where you can see craftsmen's handiwork up close
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Various types of nail clippers as signature products
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Employee cafeteria open to the public
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Daily lunch sets feature the same menu as the employee cafeteria (limited quantities)
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Limited edition products are lined up in the SHOP.
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Suwada Seisakusho stands in a rural area
Official FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions have been vetted and answered directly by each listing.
Q
Can you provide services in foreign languages? (If so, please also inform us of the supported languages)
A
English and Thai accepted.
Q
Is it possible to re-enter the premises?
A
Yes, it is.
Q
Is free WiFi available in the facility?
A
Yes, it is.
Q
Are coin lockers available?
A
Not available.
Reviews
2
Some reviews are AI-translated.
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You can watch the entire process of the craftsmen working by hand here. Seeing how everything is made is really fascinating and totally worth it.
Details
- Name in Japanese
- 諏訪田製作所
- Postal Code
- 959-1114
- Address
- 1332 Koanji, Sanjo City, Niigata
- Telephone
- 0256-45-6111
- Closed
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Mondays, Sundays and holidays, Year-end and New Year's holidays, April 1
(SHOP and CAFÉ are open all year round except for the year-end and New Year holidays.) - Business Hours
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Restaurant: Tuesday to Sunday 12:30am - 2:00pm（L.O.）
Factory: Tuesday to Saturday 8:00am - 5:00pm (excluding breaks along the way) - Admission
- Factory tour is free of charge
- Directions
- 20 minutes walk from Obiori Station on JR Shinetsu Main Line.
- Credit Cards
- Accepted
- Official Website
- Official Website (English)