First shot of Reiwa 4
I went to the Reiwa 4th year's first hitting ceremony (traditional training) @ Takefu Knife Village for the second year in a row! From Kyoto Station, take the limited express Thunderbird and head for Takefu Station.
It wasn't snowing in Kyoto, but when we entered Shiga, it turned into a blizzard. But this one has been folded in. Since we were also taking photos, the snow was more than welcome.
The master this time is Mr. Yu Kurosaki of Kurosaki Knives, one of our main clients. I arrived at the venue, Takefu Knife Village, quite early, and Nomura, president of Saji Uchi Hamono, was busy shoveling snow.
Around the time the date changed, Mr. Kurosaki and others dressed in white costumes appeared, and the old-style first-hitting ceremony was held solemnly.
I felt braced with the feeling that this year had finally begun, and the desire to firmly communicate the appeal of cutlery both domestically and internationally.
As a side note, the top image was entered into a photo contest sponsored by Takefu Knife Village Cooperative Association with the title ``Aun'' and it won.