The Michel BRAS brand manufacturer KAI Group was founded in 1908 in Seki, Gifu Prefecture. Seki is a cutlery town with a 700-year history of Japanese sword production. The whole town has been sharpening knives since ancient times and is still sharpening knives today. The Mino region, where Seki is located, has a 1,300-year history of producing Mino washi paper and ceramics. It is one of Japan's three largest producers of washi paper and the largest producer of ceramics in Japan. It is one of the most concentrated regions in Japan with a rich history and culture of crafts handed down to the present day.
This is probably why, even after the country was unified in 1603 and enjoyed 265 years of peace, and even after the modernisation of the country and the disappearance of the samurai class, the entire town has never lost its craftsmanship. The town has continued to sharpen its skills with all its wisdom. Of course, the industrial proportion of the town is now much larger in the production of cutlery other than swords. However, the swordsmiths, the many craftsmen and their skills, and the daily routine of forging and refining these skills, undoubtedly shape the atmosphere of the town.
For Michel and his brother André, this visit to Seki was an opportunity to touch, feel and breathe the atmosphere. It was an opportunity for Michel and his brother André to touch, feel and breathe the air, to remember what they saw, and to think about tomorrow. See how Michel was moved by the experience.