Japan has been making blades for over a thousand years, and the workshops that grew from that tradition are extraordinary. This is a guide to three towns where some of the best knives come from, and how to get beyond the shop counter and into the workshops where they're actually made.

You've got the Golden Route sorted: Tokyo's electric energy, Kyoto's temples, Osaka's food scene. Now it’s time to see what else Japan has to offer. This guide covers six destinations that are easy to reach but genuinely different from the Golden Route - places where you can slow down, dig into local culture, and experience a side of Japan most visitors never see.