Hatsu Tomoe-ha ᱟᱥᱨᱟ ᱪᱮᱴᱟᱹᱴ (ᱠᱤᱪᱤᱱ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ) by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha ᱟᱥᱨᱟ ᱪᱮᱴᱟᱹᱴ (ᱠᱤᱪᱤᱱ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ) by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱨᱟᱸᱰᱷᱟ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱱ Competition Category.

ᱨᱩᱯᱟᱨᱟᱸᱰᱷᱟ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱱ· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha ᱟᱥᱨᱟ ᱪᱮᱴᱟᱹᱴ (ᱠᱤᱪᱤᱱ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ)

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱨᱟᱸᱰᱷᱟ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱱ Category

7,963

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #163536

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha ᱟᱥᱨᱟ ᱪᱮᱴᱟᱹᱴ (ᱠᱤᱪᱤᱱ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ)

ᱦᱟᱛᱥᱩ ᱴᱚᱢᱚᱭᱮ-ᱦᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱟᱥᱨᱟ ᱪᱮᱴᱟᱹᱴ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱨᱮ ᱡᱚᱛᱚ-ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ ᱟᱨ ᱦᱟᱨᱛᱟ ᱚᱰᱚᱠ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱛᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱨᱮᱜᱮ ᱢᱮᱥᱟ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱛᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱩᱨᱪᱟᱹ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜ ᱥᱴᱮᱱᱞᱮᱥ ᱥᱴᱤᱞ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱞᱮᱡᱟᱨ ᱛᱮ ᱜᱮᱫ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱚᱱᱟ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ ᱰᱮᱨ ᱢᱟᱦᱟ ᱫᱷᱟᱹᱵᱤᱡ ᱞᱟᱹᱲᱦᱟᱹᱭ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱛᱮ ᱥᱟᱱ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱛᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱚᱥᱟᱨ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱩᱲᱩᱡ ᱴᱷᱮᱱ ᱔᱐ ᱢᱤᱢᱤ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱪᱩᱴᱩ ᱥᱮᱫ ᱛᱮ ᱨᱮᱦᱮᱫ ᱦᱩᱲᱩᱭᱚᱜ-ᱟ ᱾ ᱥᱟᱵᱟᱜ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱦᱚᱱᱚᱠᱤ ᱠᱟᱴᱷ ᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱚᱠᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ ᱫᱚ ᱩᱥᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱥᱟᱵᱟᱜ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱛᱮ ᱫᱟᱲᱮ ᱞᱟᱜᱟᱣ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜ-ᱟ, ᱚᱱᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱱᱟᱶᱟ ᱨᱟᱱᱫᱷᱟᱣᱤᱭᱟᱹ ᱦᱚᱸ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱮᱵᱷᱟᱨ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜ-ᱟ ᱾ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱢᱟᱯ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱨᱟᱱᱫᱷᱟ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱡᱩᱛ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱜᱮᱫ ᱯᱟᱴᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱴᱷᱤᱠ ᱛᱮ ᱚᱲᱮᱡᱚᱜ-ᱟ ᱾

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ

Hatsu Tomoe-ha ᱟᱥᱨᱟ ᱪᱮᱴᱟᱹᱴ (ᱠᱤᱪᱤᱱ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ) ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱩᱱᱫᱚᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Hatsu Tomoe-ha ᱟᱥᱨᱟ ᱪᱮᱴᱟᱹᱴ (ᱠᱤᱪᱤᱱ ᱪᱟᱠᱩ) ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

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.