Taylor Kurtz, Hayakawa Hamonoten: A Heritage Blade Mastery (DOCO 2026)

To a humble rustic workshop in Kyoto's Shimogyo Ward, people are drawn by the promise of something authentic; a true piece of local craft. Lured by whispers of a historic family-run blade sharpening shop operated by a master craftsman. Inside an unhurried gentleman quietly tends his tools; 'Mr Hayakawa' (as he is known by his dear customers). Kyoto's Michelin star chefs say he has been sharpening their knives for decades. Now aged 89, the shop is a 120 -year-old lineage that he is still actively tending. Each blade a homage to his family heritage and his life's devotional work. But it is not work as consumption or obligation, this is work as purpose - Mr Hayakawa does not appear burdened by the years; he is sustained by them. Travellers from all corners of the globe come to his small workshop and leave with more than just a traditional knife. They leave with a sense that good tools, like good work and good lives, are made slowly; and learn from Mr Hayakawa himself that patience is a form of mastery. Image series captured on 35mm film. Kyoto, Japan 2025

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.