Seki is a city located in Gifu Prefecture and it is known for being the world’s third largest cutlery producing area together with Solingen in Germany and Sheffield in England. Nowadays Seki has grown to become a world brand, in fact, its high-quality cutlery production is famous not only in Japan but also overseas.

Once arrived, you will visit Seki Hamono Museum. The museum is a place that introduces the manufacturing process of Katana Japanese swords, kitchen knives, nail clippers that are made in Seki. The facility is equipped with a forge where you can view and experience sword handling training and enjoy sword cutting with a traditional master swordsmith.

Moreover, if you want to enjoy nature, then you should not miss “Monet’s Pond”, a pond that gained fame on social media for its resemblance to a Claude Monet’s water lily paintings. The pond features colorful swimming Japanese carps through the turquoise water. In fact, the major exponents of impressionism, such as Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Degas, Van Gogh and also the most popular Art Nouveau artist, Gustav Klimt, have been influenced by the “Japanese things”, also called as “Japonism”.

“Japonism” is represented by Japanese woodblock prints called Ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world” that became popular during the Meiji Era (1868-1912).