A focus on the essentials, clear lines and high-quality materials are characteristic of Japanese design. However, it is almost just as important for Japanese designers to take practicality a step further. And this is where the story of a special kitchen tool begins: the Japanese butter knife.

In Japan, butter first found its way onto the menu with Western eating habits - and with it, the butter knife. Traditionally, a butter knife is very different from a table knife, and the blunt blade, which is intended for spreading butter, is particularly distinctive. However, the concept only really "works" with well-tempered butter from the pantry. If the piece of butter arrives at the table well-chilled from the fridge, it is often difficult to cut off a small portion and spread it on breakfast toast, sandwiches or dinner rolls.

In Tsubame, Japan, a city with a 400-year-old metalworking tradition, a unique interpretation of the butter knife was created: without a classic (blunt) blade. At Yoshikawa, where high-quality kitchen utensils have been manufactured for over 70 years, the blade is replaced by a series of mini-rings. When this side of the spreading tool is passed over a chilled piece of butter, delicate strands of butter are created that can be spread effortlessly on toast or bread. (The opposite side is finely serrated - ideal for dividing a piece of toast or removing dark edges from a slice that has become a little too crusty). The ergonomic design, in pure stainless steel, is comfortable to hold and impressively proves that a Japanese reinterpretation of the "western" classic not only brings a contemporary look, but also a plus in well thought-out functionality to the laid table.