Hatsu Tomoe-ha Tepoztlatequiloni ipan Tlakualchiualoyan by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Tepoztlatequiloni ipan Tlakualchiualoyan by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Mahuizolli A' Design Award Iztacteocuitlatl in Tlaxcalchihualoni, Tlacualtlapechtli, Atliloni ihuan Tlecuilchihualli Tlachihchihualiztli Competition Category.

IztacteocuitlatlTlecuilchihualli· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Tepoztlatequiloni ipan Tlakualchiualoyan

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

Mahuizolli A' Design Award Iztacteocuitlatl Winner in Tlecuilchihualli Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha Tepoztlatequiloni ipan Tlakualchiualoyan

Hatsu Tomoe-ha ce tepoztlatequiloni ipan tlakualchiualoyan tlen kisentlalia itekiyo ce tepoztlatequiloni tlen nochi tekitl iuan ce tepoztlatequiloni tlen kixipeua xochikuali ipan san se tlateki. In tlateki mochiua ika laser tlen stainless steel tepoztli tlen amo poxkaui, uan teipan motenketsa para nochipa ueli tlateki kuali. In tlateki kipia 40 mm ipatlauak ipan itsintla uan mopitsauia kampa iyakauik. In imakuayo mochiua ika Hoonoki kuauitl, tlen kichiua para in tepoztlatequiloni amo etik uan tepitsin. In iixnexka imakuayo kipaleuiya para ueli se kitlalilia chikaualistli, ijkon akin yankuik tlakualchiua ueli kitekiuia amo oui. Pampa tepitsin, kuali kalaki ipan tlakualchiualoyan tlen amo ueyi uan kuali moketsa ipan kuautlapechtli kampa motlatekia.

The Recognition

About the Mahuizolli A' Design Award Iztacteocuitlatl

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Tepoztlatequiloni ipan Tlakualchiualoyan ca in quicuic in Mahuizolli A' Design Award Iztacteocuitlatl, hueyi tlamahuizoliztli tlen momaca in huel yectli, tlanextic ihuan mahuiztic tlachihualli. In quicuicah Iztacteocuitlatl ca cenca cualli ihuan cenca yancuic tlachihualli in quinextia in tlamatiliztli, toltecayotl ihuan ixtlamatiliztli intlachihuanime. Ca quinequi in Hatsu Tomoe-ha Tepoztlatequiloni ipan Tlakualchiualoyan ca cenca cualli, cenca motequiuhtia ihuan yancuic. Ni dizayno in quicuic Iztacteocuitlatl quihuelitia in toltecayotl, tlamatiliztli, dizayno ihuan teknolohia. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Tepoztlatequiloni ipan Tlakualchiualoyan quiyolchicahua in tlacah, quipaquiltia ihuan quitlamahuiztiltia.

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.