Japanese Cutlery Set

Stainless steel cutlery · Dye-free · Nakano Kagaku × Yamazaki Kinzoku · Japan

A cutlery set designed from the way Japanese people actually eat
In Japan, chopsticks are the default. Knives, forks, and spoons exist on the table but are often secondary — reached for with pasta or steak, then set aside. SUGATA was designed from this reality: not to replicate the decorated tradition of European cutlery, but to strip it back. Less ornament, more precision.

Rose — a new colorway added to the lineup

Three specialists, two years, one set of cutlery
SUGATA is the result of a three-way collaboration: Nakano Kagaku, a company known for advanced surface finishing technology; Yamazaki Kinzoku, the manufacturer that produces the cutlery used at the Nobel Prize banquet dinner; and Akiko Tsurumoto, a brand consultant and producer with decades of experience in art and design business globally. It took more than two years of iteration to reach the final form.

The ergonomics of chopsticks, applied to a fork
Western cutlery typically places the center of gravity toward the front. Chopsticks do the opposite — the balance point sits at the rear, and the implement finds its working angle naturally in the hand. SUGATA applies this logic to each piece in the set. The handle thickness varies between the fork, spoon, and knife — each tuned so that the working end arrives at the correct angle without conscious adjustment.

"We pursued a bowl depth that was enough to hold food without requiring the mouth to open wide — something that works for both men and women. We tested it by having many different people eat with it. The handle thickness is also different for each piece — fork, spoon, knife — so that each one naturally arrives at the right angle, like chopsticks."
— Nakano, Nakano Kagaku

Five colors — no dye, no paint
All five colors are achieved through surface treatment processes rather than paint or dye, which means the color sits in the material itself rather than on top of it. Every piece is safe to put in the mouth.

White
A matte finish developed exclusively by Nakano Kagaku — silky to the touch, with no gloss. Works across everyday meals; particularly well suited to desserts.

Silver
Mirror-polished to the same standard as the Nobel Prize banquet cutlery. The surface reflects cleanly when drawn from the drawer.

Black
Color achieved through oxidation treatment — not paint, not coating. A top international chef who encountered it said: "This is the black I've been looking for."

Gold
24-karat gold plating applied like a veil over the surface. The finish is the result of the highest level of polishing technique before plating. Best suited to formal or celebratory table settings. Note: minor plating wear over time is a normal characteristic of gold-plated items and does not affect quality.

Rose
Pink gold plating — an alloy of 24-karat gold and copper. The warmth of the tone suggests jewelry rather than tableware. A newer addition to the lineup.

Left to right: Black · White · Silver · Gold · Rose