Hatsu Tomoe-ha Kouto Kwizin by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Kouto Kwizin by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Ajan in Vasel Competition Category.

AjanVasel· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Kouto Kwizin

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

A' Design Award Ajan Winner in Vasel Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha Kouto Kwizin

Hatsu Tomoe-ha se yon kouto kwizin ki konbine fonksyon yon kouto pou tout itilizasyon ak yon kouto pou kale nan yon sèl lam. Lam nan koupe ak lazè nan asye inoksidab ki reziste ak wouy, epi answit li file pou li ka rete file pandan lontan. Lam nan mezire 40 mm nan lajè nan baz li epi li vin pi etwat nan direksyon pwent lan. Manch la fèt ak bwa Hoonoki, ki kenbe kouto a lejè epi konpak. Fòm manch la fè li fasil pou aplike fòs, kidonk moun ki fenk kòmanse kwit manje ka itilize kouto a fasilman. Ti gwosè li a adapte ak kwizin konpak yo epi li antre byen sou yon planch pou koupe.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Ajan

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Kouto Kwizin se yon ganyan A' Design Award Ajan, yon rekonesans ki gen yon prestij enmans yo bay design nivo siperyè, bèl anpil e enpresyonan. Ganyan Ajan yo se travay ki trè briyan e ki trè kreyatif ki montre ekspètiz, talan ak finès designer yo. Yo atann Hatsu Tomoe-ha Kouto Kwizin pou se yon bèl travay modèl, remakab nan pwofesyonalis e ki gen gwo inovasyon. Design sa a ki ganyen A' Design Award Ajan se yon envansyon trè remakab, admire ki pote benefis e ki pouse limit atizay, syans, design ak teknoloji. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Kouto Kwizin se yon kreyasyon anpil moun jalou ki reveye dezi, ki pote santiman pozitif e ki limen sipriz ak mèvèy.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Tomoe-ha is a kitchen knife that incorporates the dual usage of an all-purpose knife and a paring knife into one single utensil. It is made for people who are starting to live alone or for those who want to enjoy cooking with their children. Especially in countries with small living quarters like Japan,
having a simple yet highly functional mini kitchen knife makes cooking in a limited kitchen space more enjoyable. Tomoe-ha enables the user for an easier daily cooking routine and sustains that lifestyle for a longer period of time.
Dimensions & Packaging: W225×D18×H40mm. Blade length: 130mm
Tags: Japanese, sharperner, knife, handcrafted, blade
Production Technology: Steel is laser-cut to take its unique shape and then sharpened to turn into a working blade. The blade is made of rust-resistant stainless steel (locally termed as
"VG7") for long-lasting sharpness. The handle is manufactured by a woodworks company specializing in making knife handles for Echizen blades. Made from Hoonoki wood, it makes the handle light and compact. The overall shape of the handle makes it easy to apply force, so that even first-time cooks can use this
knife with ease.
Design Challenge: Finding the right balance between an all-purpose knife and a paring knife. In the end, we end up with a blade with a new kind of shape that has not existed before in any kitchen knives.
Research: The shape of the hybrid blade is the result of comparing the shapes and sizes of various small Santoku knives and a petty knives. In order to be used for both functions, we came up with a blade width of 40 mm at the base and a narrower blade towards the tip.
Inspiration: The Tomoe-ha mini kitchen knife combines the best features of the small Santoku knives (all-purpose knives) and petty knives (paring knives). The Japanese characters used for the name "Tomoe-ha” means ‘having two characteristics in equal measure,’. The characteristics of the small Santoku knife (used for cutting big things) and the petty knife (used for cutting vegetables) represents the idea of Tomoe-ha by incorporating both functionality into a knife that bears a single blade.
Project Duration: Manufacturing was done in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture. Design was done in Osaka, with frequent visits to Fukui Prefecture for quality control.
Operation Flow: Tomoe-ha fits the right size to use for cutting fruits and sliced cabbages for quick and easy cooking. It is also small enough to fit on a cutting board, making it easy to use in a compact kitchen, thus making the daily routine of cooking easier for the user.
Team Members: Designer: Kairi Eguchi
Image Credits: #1 Kairi Eguchi (Product Designer) Yuma Ono (Assistant Designer), Main Image, 2024. #2 Kairi Eguchi (Product Designer) Yuma Ono (Assistant Designer), Zoom-in, 2024. #3 Tsutomu Ogino (Photographer), Kiwi, 2024. #4 Tsutomu Ogino (Photographer), Carrot, 2024.