Author's Introduction:

Akio Tasai
Born in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture, in 1939.

1952 (age 12):
　Apprenticed to Eitoshi Sato .
　　, as a live-in apprentice.
　
In 1960, at age 20, he became a commuter craftsman.

In 1975, at age 36, he started his own business.

In 2014, he received certification as a traditional craftsman.
　He received certification as a traditional craftsman in 2014.

　Currently, he primarily forges chisels.

Michio Tasai

was born in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture, in 1969.

He graduated from the Forging Course at the Niigata Prefecture Advanced Vocational Training School in 1985.

He joined Tasai Chisel Forge in the same year.

He graduated from Niigata Prefectural Sanjo Technical High School in 1988.
　He graduated from the same school in 1988.

In 1993, he received two years of instruction in metallurgical engineering from Dr. Shigeyoshi Iwasaki.
　Received two years of instruction in metallurgical engineering from Dr. Iwasaki.
(Niigata Prefecture Technical Advisor System).

In 1998, he became an apprentice of Takano Yukimitsu under the swordsmith Ono Yoshimitsu.

In 2006, he was authorized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to forge swords.
　He was certified by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a swordsmith.
　Obtained qualification as a swordsmith.

2008 and 2009:
　Selected for the Omamori Sword Exhibition.

In 2020, he was certified as a traditional craftsman.
　He received certification as a traditional craftsman in 2020.

　Currently, I mainly make chisels, planes, carpentry tools, tools for making musical instruments, sword sheaths, handle winding tools, and other tools.
　He mainly makes tools for chisels.