Naniwa Gouken Arata (Baby Chosera) 800 Grit Sharpening Stone

Naniwa Gouken Line

The Naniwa Gouken line represents a fresh design philosophy from Naniwa, one of the most respected sharpening stone manufacturers.

For years, the Naniwa Chosera line has been regarded as the ultimate sharpening stone for kitchen knives, offering exceptional cutting speed, minimal dishing, and, most importantly, an incredibly smooth sharpening feel—a quality rarely found in other stones. These stones are massive (25mm thick, with the 10K exceeding 30mm), mounted on a traditional base, and come with a large Nagura (cleaning stone) included.

Practical Challenges of the Chosera Line

Despite its exceptional quality, the biggest drawback of the Chosera line—at least for vendors—is its size and weight. At 210 x 70 x 25mm, the stone is bulky and heavy, making international shipping costly and impractical. Even in a commercial setting, these stones last a long time, and for an average user, wearing one out is highly unlikely.

The included Nagura stone, while substantial, adds even more unnecessary weight, as most sharpeners prefer diamond plates or natural naguras instead. With a shipping weight exceeding 2kg, additional padding is required to prevent breakage, sometimes pushing the volumetric weight beyond 3kg. A cracked stone in an international shipment is a major issue, making logistics even more challenging.

Given these concerns, many customers have frequently asked:
"Do you offer the Chosera without the base?"

Introducing the Gouken Line

To address these issues, Naniwa developed the Gouken line, offering a more practical alternative while maintaining the high performance that sharpeners expect. The Gouken series currently features two sub-lines: Arata and Kagayaki.

The Gouken Arata: A Slimmer, Smarter Chosera

The Gouken Arata can be best described as a streamlined, improved version of the Chosera. It maintains the same surface size but is thinner (15mm), eliminates the non-essential Nagura stone, and comes with a removable base (the box) rather than a permanently mounted one.

In our experience, the Arata feels nearly identical to the Chosera while being far more compact, portable, and easier to store. You could almost think of the Arata as a superior alternative to the Shapton Kuromaku.

Why Choose the Arata Over Kuromaku?

• Better Blade Feedback: The Chosera (and Arata) provide a much gentler sharpening feel compared to the Kuromaku, while maintaining a similar cutting speed.
• Crucial Grit Options: The Arata offers a 3000-grit stone, which is an essential mid-to-high grit that is missing from the Kuromaku lineup.
• Superior High Grit Performance: The Chosera 5000 and 10000 grit stones are widely considered among the best, whereas Kuromaku’s higher grits don’t perform as well.