Korin Japanese Trading Company

Korin Japanese Trading Company is a specialist culinary retailer associated with Japanese kitchen knives, sharpening services, and professional food-service equipment. The company was founded in 1982 by Chiharu Sugai, a knife sharpener from Sakai, Osaka, and Saori Kawano. It initially operated as a wholesaler serving the food-service industry, linking Japanese knife-making traditions and professional culinary users in the United States. Korin later developed a public-facing retail business. In 2001, it began selling directly to consumers, expanding beyond trade customers to serious home cooks, culinary professionals, collectors, and food personalities. Its New York showroom, located at 57 Warren Street in Tribeca, became an important physical retail destination for customers seeking Japanese cutlery and advice on knife selection, sharpening, maintenance, and use. The company’s assortment includes its own Korin-branded products as well as knives from established Japanese makers such as Masamoto, Misono, Glestain, and Suisin. The range spans relatively accessible kitchen knives priced below $50 and highly specialized or collectible pieces costing more than $3,000. This breadth allows Korin to serve both entry-level buyers and experienced chefs looking for particular steel types, blade profiles, finishes, craftsmanship, or regional manufacturing traditions. Korin’s market position is based less on mass-market scale than on expertise, curation, and access to Japanese culinary tools. Its reputation has been strengthened by its visibility among celebrity chefs, professional cooks, and dedicated collectors. The business functions as both a retailer and a cultural intermediary: it introduces customers to Japanese knife-making regions and makers while translating technical characteristics into practical purchasing guidance for Western kitchens. The company is also associated with institutional and high-profile culinary use. Japanese knives supplied through Korin have been reported as being used in the kitchen of the White House. This kind of association reinforces the company’s premium positioning, although Korin’s assortment itself covers a wide range of prices and intended users. Based on the available reference material, Korin remains an active specialist business centered on Japanese knives and related culinary products, with its principal public presence in New York City.

Korin Japanese Trading Company was established in 1982 by Chiharu Sugai and Saori Kawano. Sugai brought experience as a knife sharpener from Sakai, Osaka, a Japanese city widely associated with blade production and culinary knives. The company began as a wholesaler supplying the food-service industry rather than as a consumer-oriented retail shop. Its early business therefore focused on professional users and commercial culinary operations. Over time, Korin became a specialist source for Japanese knives and related kitchen products in the United States. Its assortment combined Korin’s own offerings with products from recognized Japanese manufacturers, including Masamoto, Misono, Glestain, and Suisin. The company’s role extended beyond simple distribution: its product range and expertise helped customers understand differences in blade construction, steel, geometry, handle design, sharpening requirements, and intended culinary use. A major transition occurred in 2001, when Korin began selling directly to the public. This opened the business to home cooks, collectors, and culinary enthusiasts in addition to professional chefs and food-service buyers. The public retail operation became associated with a showroom in Tribeca at 57 Warren Street in New York City. The showroom provided a physical setting where customers could inspect knives, discuss their requirements, and seek advice about maintenance and sharpening. Korin’s retail model occupies a premium specialist niche. Its price range extends from knives and culinary products costing less than $50 to highly specialized items priced above $3,000. This range reflects the diversity of Japanese cutlery, from practical everyday tools to handmade, limited, or technically demanding pieces sought by professional chefs and collectors. The business has consequently attracted a mixed audience that includes serious home cooks, restaurant professionals, celebrity chefs, and enthusiasts interested in Japanese craftsmanship. The company’s visibility has also been supported by high-profile culinary associations. Reference material notes that Misono knives are used in the kitchen at the White House in Washington, D.C. More broadly, Korin has become recognized as a New York destination for Japanese knives and culinary equipment, with its reputation grounded in product knowledge and close engagement with the chef community. In the available materials, Korin is presented as an active specialist retailer and wholesaler rather than a mass-market brand or publicly listed corporation. Its continuing identity is tied to Japanese culinary craftsmanship, curated product selection, professional expertise, and the direct retail experience offered through its New York showroom and broader customer business.

• 2001

  Korin begins selling to the public

  [1]Korin Japanese Trading Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company expands from its wholesale foundation into direct-to-consumer retail, serving home cooks, collectors, and culinary enthusiasts as well as professionals.

• 1982

  Korin Japanese Trading Company is founded

  [1]Korin Japanese Trading Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Chiharu Sugai and Saori Kawano establish Korin as a wholesaler serving the food-service industry.

• Tribeca showroom becomes a public retail destination

  [1]Korin Japanese Trading Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Korin’s showroom at 57 Warren Street in Tribeca, New York, becomes associated with its specialist knife retail and advisory business.

A premium specialist retailer and culinary authority focused on Japanese kitchen knives, professional cutlery, and related food-service equipment. Korin combines curated access to Japanese makers with expert guidance for chefs, serious home cooks, and collectors.

• Kitchen knives

  Korin-branded kitchen knives

  Korin’s own-brand knife offerings form part of the company’s curated Japanese cutlery range. They are presented alongside products from established Japanese makers and serve customers seeking professionally oriented kitchen tools through Korin’s retail and specialist distribution channels.

• Japanese kitchen knives

  Masamoto knives

  Masamoto knives are among the established Japanese brands sold by Korin. The range contributes to the company’s premium selection for chefs, serious cooks, and collectors looking for specialized Japanese culinary cutlery.

• Japanese kitchen knives

  Misono knives

  Misono knives are part of Korin’s Japanese cutlery assortment. Reference material specifically notes their use in the White House kitchen, an association that illustrates the brand’s professional and institutional visibility.

• Culinary equipment and cutlery

  Glestain products

  Glestain products are included among the Japanese culinary brands offered through Korin. Their presence broadens the assortment beyond individual knives to related professional kitchen equipment and tools.

• Japanese kitchen knives

  Suisin knives

  Suisin knives are sold through Korin as part of its selection of Japanese professional and enthusiast cutlery. They fit the company’s focus on maker-specific products and specialized blade preferences.

• 2001

  Expansion from wholesale into public retailStrategy

  Background

  Korin was founded as a wholesaler serving the food-service industry. The company later identified an opportunity to make its Japanese knife expertise and product assortment available directly to individual customers.

  Action taken

  Korin began selling to the public and developed a consumer-facing showroom and retail operation in New York.

  Aftermath

  The move broadened Korin’s audience to include serious home cooks, collectors, and culinary enthusiasts while retaining its professional chef customer base.

  Source

1. 1Korin Japanese Trading Companyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Saori Kawano and Korinblog.resy.com