「Ichihiro」

Chronology of Tokyo Chisel Blacksmith: Ichihiro

Early 20th Century: Migration to Tokyo

At the beginning of the 20th century, Yamazaki Eisaku(山崎栄作) left his hometown of Teradomari in Niigata Prefecture to seek a living in Tokyo. As the third son of a local farming family, he initially took up employment in the Nihonbashi district. While his exact occupation during this period remains unknown, it is confirmed that he did not work as a blacksmith himself. Eisaku directed his eldest son, Yamazaki Ichitaro (山崎市太郎, the Ichihiro I) , toward the blacksmithing trade. Ichitaro was sent to apprentice under Shimamura Jirokichi(嶋村次郎吉), a blacksmith whose workshop was located in the Honjo district of Tokyo.

Upon completing his apprenticeship, Ichitaro was introduced by his master, Shimamura, to a larger and more prominent blacksmithing factory called Tadahiro(忠弘), located in the Narihira district of Tokyo. Ichitaro worked there as an employed blacksmith, honing the skills.

The Turning Point: The Great Kanto Earthquake
On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck, causing widespread devastation across Tokyo. The Tadahiro factory was severely damaged in the disaster. In the aftermath, the proprietor of Tadahiro decided to downsize and disbanded a portion of his workforce—specifically those smiths who had achieved enough skill to stand on their own. Ichitaro Yamazaki was among those released, marking the beginning of his journey as an independent craftsman.

Yamazaki Eisaku, the child he's holding should be young Ichitaro. The images have been optimized and colorized using AI. The left side is a black and white photo that closely resembles the original, while the right side is the colorized photo. Original image from "Genealogy of Tokyo Blacksmiths: Hidari Ichihiro", Knife Magazine, 2005 No. 12.

Yamazaki Ichitaro. Original image from "Genealogy of Tokyo Blacksmiths: Hidari Ichihiro", Knife Magazine, 2005 No. 12.

1912 (Meiji 45): Yamazaki Isamu(山崎勇) was born. His elder brother, Yamazaki Ichitaro , was approximately ten years his senior.

1924 (Taisho 13): Yamazaki Ichitaro established his own independent business in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, founding the chisel blacksmith workshop known as Ichihiro Nomi Seisakusho (Ichihiro Chisel Manufacturing). Having just graduated from elementary school, the younger brother,Yamazaki Isamu, joined the workshop as an apprentice to begin his training in the craft of chisel making under his brother's guidance.

January 3, 1938 (Showa 13): The eldest son of Yamazaki Isamu was born. In Japan, the first month of the Gregorian calendar is known as "Shogatsu/正月" (New Year). Because the boy was born on the third day of Shogatsu(正月三日), he was named Yamazaki Shozo (山崎正三).

1940 (Showa 15): Yamazaki Isamu’s second son was born and named Yamazaki Hirotsune (山崎明倫).

January 24, 1941 (Showa 16): The first-generation Ichihiro, Yamazaki Ichitaro, passed away. His younger brother, Yamazaki Isamu —then 29 years old and having worked in the workshop for many years—succeeded him to become the second-generation Ichihiro.

June 6, 1944 (Showa 19): Yamazaki Eisaku (the father of Ichitaro and Isamu) passed away.

1953 (Showa 28): After graduating from junior high school at the age of 15, Yamazaki Shozo began studying chisel-making under his father, marking the start of a 10-year apprenticeship. Two years later, the second son (Hirotsune), also upon his graduation from junior high school, began his own apprenticeship in the family craft.

A snapshot from their younger days. Shozo-san is in the middle on the right, with his younger brother Hirotsune in the background. In the foreground is the master craftsman who taught Shozo the trade. The name of this craftsman remains unknown. Judging by the photo, he appears to be instructing the brothers on the shaping process of the chisels. Original image from "Genealogy of Tokyo Blacksmiths: Hidari Ichihiro", Knife Magazine, 2005 No. 12.

In 1963 (Showa 38), the "Ichihiro" (市弘) mark was registered by a wholesaler. Consequently, the second-generation Ichihiro began using the mark "Hidari Ichihiro" (左市弘) from then on.

A photograph from the early Showa 50s (mid-1970s): The second-generation Ichihiro, Yamazaki Isamu, at work. Judging by the photograph, the second-generation Ichihiro is using a heavy blacksmith hammer to strike the chisel indirectly through a lead block. This technique is used to correct any distortion or warping that occurred in the chisel after the quenching process. Original image from "Genealogy of Tokyo Blacksmiths: Hidari Ichihiro", Knife Magazine, 2005 No. 12.

In 1987 (Showa 62), after the passing of the second-generation Ichihiro, Yamazaki Shozo became the third-generation Ichihiro and the head of "Ichihiro Nomi Seisakusho" (Ichihiro Chisel Manufacturing). Although Shozo held the title of the third generation, the products were the result of a partnership with his younger brother, Yamazaki Hirotsune. Their workflow was divided: Hirotsune primarily handled the forging, while Shozo focused on the shaping and finishing. Despite this division of labor, both brothers possessed the individual skill and mastery to complete an "Ichihiro" chisel independently from start to finish.

Yamazaki Shozo using a sen to shape a chisel. This photograph was taken in the early Showa 50s (mid-1970s). The sen (drawknives) and files in the background were all handmade by him. He once said: "To achieve a truly beautiful finish with a file, you have no choice but to make the tool yourself." Original image from "Genealogy of Tokyo Blacksmiths: Hidari Ichihiro", Knife Magazine, 2005 No. 12.

Yamazaki Hirotsune working at the forge. Original image from "Genealogy of Tokyo Blacksmiths: Yamazaki Hirotsune", Knife Magazine, 2006 No. 10.

In January 2006 (Heisei 18), Yamazaki Shozo was hospitalized due to illness. Though he was discharged and managed to return to light work for a brief period, he was readmitted in mid-February. Sadly, Shozo never left the hospital again and passed away at 11:52 AM on March 11, 2006. Following Shozo’s passing, Yamazaki Hirotsune—recognizing that he could not sustain the standard production of Ichihiro chisels on his own—decided to retire and permanently close the blacksmith shop.

A photograph of the Yamazaki brothers in their later years, standing in front of the Ichihiro Chisel Manufactory. On the left is the older brother, Shozo, and on the right is the younger brother, Hirotsune. Original image from "Genealogy of Tokyo Blacksmiths: Yamazaki Hirotsune", Knife Magazine, 2006 No. 10. Image optimized with AI.

「Ichihiro」

Chronology of Tokyo Chisel Blacksmith: Ichihiro

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