TIKUSANDried Bonito Katsuobushi Shaver Box Made in Japan Smoked Bonito Block Kezuri Grater (Fujihide Blade) for Dashi

Updated review --I received my replacement katsuobushi shaving box today, this one does not have any splits or cracks at the corners, however the joinery is still below par for expensive Japanese woodcrafts. The mortises are not planed/sanded flat and stick out at the corners, the internal joinery and wood selection are much lower quality. Overall i am disappointed in the box itself. This replacement has a poorly finished drawer front panel, it has a large crack/groove in the wood that was not properly finished off, and is noticeable at a distance. The underside of the lid is poorly finished with 2 areas of splinters sticking out.The blade and the oak holder are excellent, this item is definitely great for the purpose it is meant for. However the overall woodcraft leaves much to be desired. But at least it was made in Japan, so that is a good thing.Original Review --I must admit, for the money i was expecting a high quality blade, which it has, and an equally high quality box, up the high standards i know the Japanese can provide, which it is not.The external wood is cypress, but not that well selected, the top even has a green section, not so great. The interior woods are lower quality, and fastened with nail gun ...The external joinery is only so so, the corner mortise joints are rough, they and not even properly squared off and flat. In fact the one i received was split at one of the joints, due to the fact it was sticking out and was caught in shipping, this would not have happened if the joints were made properly. Frankly have seen better made wooden sake cups for $5 in Mitsuwa !The planing block itself is very nice, flat, square and well selected wood. This is up the standard i would expect. It is sharp and does slice katsuobushi very well, and for that this is an excellent item.Having lived in Japan, i am well aware of the beautiful craftsmanship available from joiners and other people working with wood, both joined and bent. It is a shame this expensive block does not really live up to those very high standards.I have bought other wood items from Tikusan, and they have been of high quality, so this particular item is a big disappointment given my history with them.I have requested a replacement, due to the split wood on the corner. If the replacement is an improvement over this one, i will update the review accordingly.

It is perfect. I can finally make dashi with the flavor it was meant to have. I made cat rice for breakfast just like on Midnight Diner Tokyo Stories and it was so good.