MUSASHI JAPAN tops global knife brand awareness survey

TAIMATSU says its MUSASHI JAPAN knife brand scored the highest recognition in a survey across seven major markets, with 22.5% awareness and strong favorability and purchase intent. The results point to growing overseas traction for Japanese kitchen knives and shape the company’s push to expand internationally.

Why it matters: - MUSASHI JAPAN is using the survey results to back an international expansion strategy in the United States, Europe and Australia. - The brand’s 22.5% awareness, 91.7% favorability and 71.0% purchase intention suggest strong consumer reception in overseas markets. - The seven surveyed countries have a combined estimated population of 365,749,756 people, giving the brand a large addressable market for future growth.

What happened: - TAIMATSU Inc., the Tokyo company behind MUSASHI JAPAN, said the brand received the top rating as the most recognized knife brand in a global survey by GMO Internet, Inc. - The survey covered the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. - GMO Internet conducted the online survey from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, 2025, using respondents ages 20 to 60. - The sample size was 963 respondents.

The details: - MUSASHI JAPAN recorded 22.5% brand awareness, 1.1 percentage points higher than competing brands. - The brand also posted a 91.7% favorability rate and a 71.0% purchase intention rate. - Survey respondents gave MUSASHI JAPAN strong marks for being “high quality and reliable,” “highly designed” and “modern and sophisticated.” - Social media and online advertising were among the main channels through which respondents learned about the brand. - The survey asked about basic attributes, cooking habits, knife ownership, purchase motivation, brand awareness, brand image, favorability and purchase intention.

Between the lines: - The results suggest Japanese kitchen knives are gaining visibility in major overseas consumer markets. - Digital marketing appears to be playing a central role in building awareness outside Japan. - TAIMATSU is positioning MUSASHI JAPAN not just as a product brand, but as part of a broader effort to present Japanese craftsmanship to global consumers.

What's next: - TAIMATSU plans to strengthen global brand marketing across the United States, Europe, Australia and other markets. - The company plans to expand social media efforts, including TikTok, to lift awareness and favorability. - TAIMATSU also plans to expand domestic and overseas locations and retail development. - The company said it will continue brand investment with a goal of reaching 49% awareness.

The bottom line: - MUSASHI JAPAN’s survey results give TAIMATSU a measurable base to push harder into global knife markets.