Hatsu Tomoe-ha Antsy Fandakozana by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Antsy Fandakozana by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Volafotsy in Famolavolana Fitaovana Fanendasana, Latabatra, Fisotroana ary Fahandro Competition Category.

VolafotsyFitaovan-dakozia· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Antsy Fandakozana

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

A' Design Award Volafotsy Winner in Fitaovan-dakozia Category

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Colors

The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha Antsy Fandakozana

Hatsu Tomoe-ha dia antsy fandakozana izay mampifangaro ny asan'ny antsy fampiasa amin'ny zava-drehetra sy ny antsy fanendahana ao anaty lelany iray. Ny lelany dia notapahina tamin'ny laser avy amin'ny vy tsy misy harafesina (stainless steel), ary avy eo noranitana mba haharitra ela ny fahamaraniny. Ny lelany dia mirefy 40 mm ny sakany eo amin'ny fotony ary mihatery mankany amin'ny tendrony. Ny zarany dia vita amin'ny hazo Hoonoki, izay mitazona ny antsy ho maivana sy kely. Ny endriky ny zarany dia manamora ny fampiharana hery, ka afaka mampiasa ny antsy mora foana ny olona vao manomboka mahandro sakafo. Ny habeny kely dia mifanaraka amin'ny lakozia tery ary mety tsara eo ambony fandrasana.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Volafotsy

Nandresy ny A' Design Award Volafotsy ny famolavolana Hatsu Tomoe-ha Antsy Fandakozana, fankasitrahana malaza be omena ny famolavolana ambaratonga ambony, tsara tarehy ary mahavariana. Ny mpandresy Volafotsy dia asa mamirapiratra dia mamirapiratra ary mamorona dia mamorona izay maneho ny fahaizana, ny talenta ary ny fahamaotinan-tsain'ny mpamolavola azy. Andrasana ho asa mahagaga, ohatra tsara, mahay amin'ny asa ary vaovao amin'ny halalin-tsaina ny famolavolana Hatsu Tomoe-ha Antsy Fandakozana. Ity famolavolana nandresy ny A' Design Award Volafotsy ity dia fikarohana miavaka be ary ankafizina izay mahasoa ary mampandroso ny sisintanin'ny zavakanto, ny siansa, ny famolavolana ary ny teknolojia. Ny famolavolana Hatsu Tomoe-ha Antsy Fandakozana dia famoronana mahazo fitaka be izay mamaly ny faniriana, mitondra fihetseham-po tsara ary mamelona fahagagana sy fahatalanjonana.

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.