For more than a century, KAMA-ASA has supplied Tokyo’s chefs from its headquarters in Kappabashi – the dense "Kitchen Town" dedicated to the restaurant trade. In 2018, the family-run business opened its first and only overseas outpost here, tucked away in a Saint-Germain-des-Prés alleyway. The shop operates with the same philosophy as the original: these are tools meant to be used, not just displayed.
The interior is stark and deliberate. Hundreds of knives line the walls, ranging from general-purpose Santoku and Gyuto blades to specialized cutters from Sakai and Seki. You are expected to handle them. The staff act less like retailers and more like technical consultants, spending time explaining the difference between carbon steel and stainless, or how a specific handle shape affects your grip. It is a tactile process, and you often see customers testing the weight and balance of a blade before making a decision.
Beyond the cutlery, the shelves are stocked with the heavy, durable equipment essential to Japanese cooking – hammered woks, cast iron pans, and dense "Tawashi" scrubbing brushes. The shop also functions as a maintenance hub. You can bring dull blades back for professional sharpening on whetstones, a service that reinforces the brand’s core belief that a good tool is a lifetime commitment.
@kamaasa_paris
KAMA-ASA
