Hatsu Tomoe-ha Thipa ya Kichine by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Thipa ya Kichine by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Moputso oa Silevera oa A' Design Award in Moralo wa Dibakewere, Disebediswa tsa Tafole, Dinoelo le Disebediswa tsa Pheho Competition Category.

SileveraDisebediswa tsa Kitjhine· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Thipa ya Kichine

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

Moputso oa Silevera oa A' Design Award Winner in Disebediswa tsa Kitjhine Category

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The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha Thipa ya Kichine

Hatsu Tomoe-ha ke thipa ya kichine e kopanyang mesebetsi ya thipa ya mesebetsi yohle le thipa ya ho ebola lehlakoreng le le leng la lehare. Lehare le sehilwe ka laser ho tswa tshepeng e sa ruseng ya stainless steel mme le be le leotswa hore le dule le le bohale nako e telele. Lehare le lekana 40 mm ka bophara qalong mme le nyenyefala ho ya ntlheng. Sethswaro se entswe ka lehong la Hoonoki, le bolokang thipa e le bobebe le e le kgutshwanyane. Sebopeho sa sethswaro se etsa hore matla a sebetsohe habonolo, kahoo baapehi ba qalang ba ka sebedisa thipa habonolo. Boholo bo bonyenyane bo tshwanela dikichine tse nyenyane mme bo lekana hodima boto ya ho sehela.

The Recognition

About the Moputso oa Silevera oa A' Design Award

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Thipa ya Kichine ke mohapi oa Moputso oa Silevera oa A' Design Award, kananelo e hlomphehang haholo e fuoang meralo e phahameng ka ho fetesisa, e ntle le e tsosang maikutlo. Bahapi ba Silevera ke mesebetsi e khanyang haholo le e nang le boqapi bo ikhethang e bontšang botsebi, talenta le bohlale ba baqapi ba eona. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Thipa ya Kichine e lebelletsoe ho ba mosebetsi o motle, oa mohlala, o nang le boprofeshenale bo bonahalang le mehopolo e mecha e tebileng. Moralo ona o hapileng Moputso oa Silevera oa A' Design Award ke mohopolo o hlokomelehang haholo le o ratoang o tlisang molemo mme o sutumelletsang meeli ea bonono, mahlale, moralo le theknoloji. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Thipa ya Kichine ke mosebetsi oo batho ba bangata ba o lakatsang, o tsosang litakatso, o tlisang maikutlo a matle le o tsosetsang ho makala le ho hlolla.

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.