The Records · A Dated Tracker
入手困難

The Waitlist Index

How hard it actually is to buy Japan's cult knives, checked maker by maker on a stated date, with the evidence cited. Reputation says "five year waitlist." The record usually says something more interesting.

15Makers Tracked
Aug 19, 2026Observation Date
30+Sources Checked
QuarterlyUpdate Cadence
01 · Scope

What this index is, and is not

This is a snapshot of ordering reality for makers whose knives are famously hard to get: whether you can order directly, whether a dealer can take your name, whether access runs through raffles, and what was actually in stock on the observation date. Every status below rests on something we can point to: an official notice on the maker's site, a dealer's published policy, or a live stock check on a stated date. Anecdotes from forums are included where useful and are always labeled as anecdotes.

It is not a stock tracker. Stock moves daily; the structural reality (no direct orders, dealer allocation, years-long queues) moves slowly, and that structure is what we track. It is also not a hype list: where a maker with an unobtainable reputation is in fact buyable today, we say so.

No direct orders Multi-year wait Raffle access Sells out on arrival Secondary market only Buyable today Evidence mixed
02 · The Index

The record, maker by maker

Shigefusa (Iizuka)SanjoMulti-year wait
Dealer-only, with fulfillment measured in years. No one takes preorders, because no one knows when knives will arrive.
One US dealer states it receives Shigefusa "in small batches years after ordering" and cannot take preorders or special orders[1]. The exclusive Scandinavian dealer takes "no preorders or custom orders" either[2], and an Australian dealer cites waits "stretching years, especially the Kitaeji"[3]. Observed August 19, 2026: of thirteen listings across the three, one knife (a kurouchi santoku) was in stock. There is no official Iizuka order channel and no suspension notice; distribution is piecemeal to dealers.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented dealer policies plus live stock check
Kiyoshi Kato (Yoshiaki Fujiwara)Sold via Sanjo-linked dealersSecondary market only
Retired in 2023 with no documented successor. The chase moved to the secondary market and it did not get cheaper.
His retirement was announced in April 2023 through his primary dealer's newsletter, as relayed and discussed on Kitchen Knife Forums[4] (see the full story in the registry of discontinued knives). That dealer never took preorders or custom orders[5], and its remaining gyuto listings are sold out; buy/sell threads through 2025 show acquisition running through collectors. One forum poster in 2022: "I've never even seen a Shig or Kato gyuto in Japan" (anecdote)[6].
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: retirement is forum-relayed dealer news; scarcity is directly observed
Shosui Takeda (Takeda Hamono)Niimi, OkayamaNo direct orders
The official site says it plainly: no sales at the office or factory, no phone or email orders. Dealers only, and the dealers are nearly empty.
Takeda Hamono's own site carries the notice that no direct sales or phone/email order sales are conducted, directing buyers to its listed dealers[7]. Observed August 19, 2026: the primary listed dealer had 2 of 30 Takeda listings in stock[8]. A 2019 Japanese press feature described the knives as perpetually reserved ahead, with orders flooding in from abroad[9].
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented, official notice
Konosuke Fujiyama lineSakaiRaffle access
Effectively unobtainable at open retail. Access now runs through timed drops and paid-membership raffles.
A major North American dealer's Fujiyama collection stood completely empty on the observation date, its own copy inviting buyers to "join the fandom (and the waitlist..)"[10]. That dealer's July 2025 timed drop, including two Fujiyama White #1 gyutos around CAD 1,100, is entirely sold through[11]. A June 2026 forum poster describes paid-membership raffles as the main access path "to my understanding," with supply down because the smith forges for more brands than ever (anecdote)[12]. Konosuke's official site runs a membership club and publishes no open order form or lead times[13].
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented retail reality; raffle mechanics anecdotal
Sasuke (Yasuhiro Hirakawa)Sakai · scissorsMulti-year wait
The one-man scissor forge with the internet's favorite "five year waitlist" story. The documented number is shorter: roughly half a year to a year and a half.
In a 2018 workshop interview the master himself put custom orders at roughly half a year to a year[14], and a 2023 Business Insider film profiles the workshop where a single pair of bonsai scissors can cost $26,000, with clients described as waiting on the order of a year[15]. Japanese descriptions cite about one to one and a half years, one pair taking about a week and one man making them. We found no dated source supporting the five-year figure that circulates online.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented interviews; exact current queue length unknown
Tsukasa Hinoura (custom work)SanjoSells out on arrival
Every Tsukasa-brand custom at the two major Western stockists is sold out, and nobody publishes a wait time.
Observed August 19, 2026: all 16 Tsukasa Hinoura listings at one major stockist[16] and all 13 at another (USD 355 to 2,487)[17] were sold out, with no restock or made-to-order notice at either. The workshop's chamber-of-commerce profile lists contact details only, with no published order status[18]. The years-long-wait reputation is consistent with total retail sell-through, but no dated primary statement of a current wait exists, so we do not print one.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: stock reality documented; wait time deliberately not stated
Toyama NoborikoiSanjoSells out on arrival
One exclusive dealer, sporadic supply, and a smith in his mid-eighties. Nearly everything is sold out the moment it lands.
His Noborikoi line is made exclusively for one Scandinavian dealer; observed August 19, 2026, a single honesuki was in stock against roughly a dozen sold-out listings, with no restock or waitlist mechanism published[19]. Forum reports from November 2024 (anecdotal) had him at 83 with back and hip trouble and supply paused, followed by the dealer's own post that he had recovered and deliveries resumed[20].
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: stock documented; health and supply reports anecdotal
Naoki MazakiSanjoSells out on arrival
Retail presence is close to zero and new drops have been drying up since 2023.
Observed August 19, 2026 across three Western dealers: 4 of 33 listings in stock at one, 1 of 9 at another, and an empty brand page at the third[21]. A June 2023 forum thread already reported his hon-sanmai drops had "dried up" to roughly one large drop that year (anecdote)[22]. Demand persists through want-to-buy posts and resale.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: stock documented; drop cadence anecdotal
Sakai Takayuki Homura Premium (Itsuo Doi)SakaiSells out on arrival
The Itsuo Doi-forged Homura lines were sold out at all four retailers we checked, one warning that restocks can take months.
Observed August 19, 2026: Homura Premium and Homura by Itsuo Doi pieces (USD 389 to 1,072) sold out at every stockist checked, with one publishing the note that restocking "may take a few months"[23]. No waitlist or drop mechanism exists; it is out-of-stock-everywhere with slow refill.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented
Sukenari HAP40 and ZDP-189 linesToyamaEvidence mixed
The flagship distributor shows every listed HAP40 and ZDP-189 knife sold out and one dealer cites an average one-year wait, yet another dealer had 13 of 19 in stock the same day.
Observed August 19, 2026: every HAP40 and ZDP-189 listing at the primary distributor was sold out[24], and a US dealer's product copy states "production is extremely limited, and wait time is on average one year once sold out"[25]. But a Denver dealer had 13 of 19 Sukenari listings in stock, including HAP40 and ZDP-189 models[26]. Scarce, not unobtainable; one label would be dishonest, so we print both facts. Context: ZDP-189 itself is being phased out (see the registry and our ZDP-189 page).
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: mixed by observation
Hattori KD (Cowry-X)SekiMulti-year wait
Production has been "very limited since 2008" per the distributor, which says it does not know when the classic KD models will be available again.
The exclusive distributor states that KD production has been very limited since 2008, citing Mr. Hattori's advanced age and reduced fitness. It separately states that Hattori does not know when the knives will become available again[27]. Nuance the lore misses: on the observation date, 9 of 23 items in the KD collection, special Forums Custom Limited pieces, were actually in stock; it is the classic KD-1 through KD-4 that are gone.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented distributor statements
Shinichi WatanabeSanjoBuyable today
Reputation says unobtainable. His own site says delivery in about 7 business days.
Watanabe takes direct orders through his official site, which states "Delivery time is about 7 business days" with no backlog or suspension notice anywhere[28]. The real friction, per buyers on Kitchen Knife Forums in June 2024, is communication: email replies can take weeks and listed stock is not always current (anecdote)[29]. Patience with the inbox, not a waitlist, is the obstacle.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented, official site
Yoshikazu Ikeda honyakiSakaiBuyable today
The scarcity reputation is real, but mizu-honyaki by the Sakai master were in stock on the observation date, at master prices.
An Australian specialist had five Ikeda mizu-honyaki pieces in stock on August 19, 2026, from AUD 3,800 to AUD 5,999 (roughly USD 2,500 to 3,900), against nine sold out[30]. Retailer biographies still describe him as chairman of the Sakai traditional craftsmen's association; we found no retirement or obituary notice in Japanese searches. Thin on the ground elsewhere, but "closed for orders" is not supported.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented stock check
Yu KurosakiEchizenBuyable today
Sells like a cult maker, restocks like a professional operation. You can buy several of his lines right now.
Observed August 19, 2026 across three US dealers: roughly 12 to 14 of 40 listings in stock at one, 8 of 26 at another (several of the in-stock items being sayas rather than knives), and 0 of 13 at a third[31]. Dealers describe receiving small batches and recommend restock alerts, but there is no waitlist, lottery, or suspension; Senko, Fujin, and Gekko pieces were purchasable at retail on the observation date. For the smith himself, see our Yu Kurosaki profile.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented stock checks
Nigara HamonoHirosakiBuyable today
Drop-based and patchy, but genuinely buyable: stock levels differed sharply between dealers on the same day.
Observed August 19, 2026: one major dealer showed 14 of 80 Nigara listings in stock, while another showed a majority of its 52 listings available on the same day[32], so availability depends on which dealer you check, not on a queue. The official site publishes no ordering notices, wait times, or suspensions[33]. For the house itself, see our Nigara profile.
As of: Aug 19, 2026 · Confidence: documented stock checks
03 · Methodology

How this index is built

  • Official first. Where a maker has a site, its own ordering notice outranks everything. Takeda's no-direct-orders notice and Watanabe's 7-day delivery statement are quoted from the makers themselves.
  • Dated observations. Stock claims come from live checks of named dealers on August 19, 2026, recorded per entry. Stock moves; the observation date is part of the fact.
  • Anecdotes are labeled. Forum reports appear only with a date and the word anecdote. They add texture, never load-bearing claims.
  • We print what we could not verify. The five-year Sasuke waitlist, a rumored Kato direct-sale lottery, and a single blanket label for Sukenari all failed verification, so they are absent or shown with both sides of the evidence.
  • Update cadence: quarterly. Statuses reviewed against the same sources; the changelog will note every status change. Know something we missed? Write to info@okamiblades.com with a source and we will check it.

Last updated August 19, 2026. Next scheduled review: November 2026. Dealer names are given in the references; per our citation policy we hyperlink only makers' official sites, institutions, and major press.

04 · References

Sources

  1. Bernal Cutlery, San Francisco. Shigefusa collection note and stock status, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link per our citation policy.
  2. Japanese Natural Stones (JNS), Denmark. Shigefusa page: "I do not take any preorders or custom orders for Shigefusa or Yoshiaki Fujiwara knives!" Observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  3. Chef's Edge, Australia. Shigefusa collection note on years-long waits, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  4. Kitchen Knife Forums, thread "Possibly end of an era, Kiyoshi Kato retired," April 2023. Forum thread relaying the JNS newsletter announcement, cited without link.
  5. Japanese Natural Stones (JNS), Denmark. Yoshiaki Fujiwara page, no-preorder policy and stock, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  6. Kitchen Knife Forums, thread "Kato, a quarter of the price in Japan," post of November 26, 2022. Forum anecdote, cited without link.
  7. Takeda Hamono, official site notice: no office or factory sales, no phone or email orders, dealers only. Observed August 19, 2026. takedahamono.com
  8. Tsubaya, Tokyo (listed Takeda dealer). Takeda collection stock, 2 of 30 in stock, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  9. Oshihaku (Japanese press feature), September 30, 2019: Takeda knives described as perpetually in a reservation-wait state with heavy overseas demand. Cited without link.
  10. Tosho Knife Arts, Toronto. Konosuke Fujiyama collection, empty with waitlist copy, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  11. Tosho Knife Arts, Toronto. Konosuke release page for the July 12, 2025 drop, all items out of stock. Dealer page, cited without link.
  12. Kitchen Knife Forums, thread "Unobtanium Fujiyama Takada knives," post of June 30, 2026. Forum anecdote, cited without link.
  13. Konosuke, official site: membership program, no public order form or lead times. Observed August 19, 2026. konosuke-sakai.com
  14. GIGAZINE, "Sakai bonsai scissors" workshop interview, September 22, 2018: custom orders quoted at roughly half a year to a year. gigazine.net
  15. Business Insider, "Why Bonsai Scissors Can Cost $26,000 | Still Standing," January 2023. youtube.com
  16. JapaneseChefsKnife.com. Tsukasa Hinoura collection, all 16 listings sold out, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  17. Knifewear, Canada. Tsukasa Hinoura collection, all 13 listings sold out, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  18. Sanjo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hinoura Hamono profile page (contact details only). sanjo-cci.or.jp
  19. Japanese Natural Stones (JNS), Denmark. Toyama and Noborikoi pages, one item in stock, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer pages, cited without link.
  20. Kitchen Knife Forums, thread "Toyama question," November 2024, including the dealer's post of November 7, 2024 that supply had resumed. Forum thread, cited without link.
  21. Carbon Knife Co (4 of 33 in stock), Chef's Edge (1 of 9), Cleancut (empty brand page). Live checks, August 19, 2026. Dealer pages, cited without link.
  22. Kitchen Knife Forums, thread "Where is Mazaki," post of June 26, 2023. Forum anecdote, cited without link.
  23. Hocho-Knife, Knifewear, Bay Trade Japan (three stockists checked plus one line page). Homura Premium and Homura by Itsuo Doi listings sold out, one restock note "may take a few months." Observed August 19, 2026. Dealer pages, cited without link.
  24. JapaneseChefsKnife.com. Sukenari HAP40 and ZDP-189 collections, every listed knife sold out, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer pages, cited without link.
  25. Burrfection Store. Sukenari HAP40 gyuto product copy: one-year average wait once sold out. Observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  26. Carbon Knife Co, Denver. Sukenari collection, 13 of 19 in stock, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  27. JapaneseChefsKnife.com. Hattori KD Series collection page statements on limited production since 2008 and unknown future availability; 9 of 23 collection items (Forums Custom Limited) in stock, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  28. Watanabe Blade, official How to Buy page: "Delivery time is about 7 business days." Observed August 19, 2026. kitchen-knife.jp
  29. Kitchen Knife Forums, thread "watanabeblade.com orders," post of June 18, 2024. Forum anecdote, cited without link.
  30. Knives and Stones, Australia. Yoshikazu Ikeda honyaki collection, five pieces in stock at AUD 3,800 to 5,999, nine sold out, observed August 19, 2026. Dealer page, cited without link.
  31. Tokushu Knife (about 12 to 14 of 40 in stock), Cutlery and More (8 of 26, some sayas), Chubo Knives (0 of 13). Live checks, August 19, 2026. Dealer pages, cited without link.
  32. Knifewear (14 of 80 in stock) and Tokushu Knife (majority of 52 in stock). Live checks, August 19, 2026. Dealer pages, cited without link.
  33. Nigara Hamono, official site, no ordering notices or wait times. Observed August 19, 2026. nigaraknives.com
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