Japanese Natural Whetstone Shohonyama Nakayama Kiita Extra Fine 163g from Kyoto Japan

This is an exceptionally fine Nakayama Kiita (中山 黄板) Japanese natural finishing stone from the famous Nakayama mine in Kyoto. Its estimated fineness is approximately #10,000–12,000+. Our supplier particularly recommends this stone as a final finisher for straight razors.

The stone is extremely dense and absorbs water slowly. Despite its hardness, it provides a comfortable and highly controlled sharpening feel. The use of a Nagura is recommended to raise slurry more quickly.

Its structure is exceptionally dense, fine and homogeneous, making this Nakayama Kiita an excellent choice for final honing of straight razors, premium knives and traditional Japanese woodworking tools.

Color — Kiita (黄板)

黄板 — Kiita literally means “yellow plate.” In JNAT terminology, the name is used for Japanese natural stones displaying characteristic yellow, creamy-yellow or warm yellowish-beige coloration.

Fine old Nakayama Kiita stones are particularly prized by JNAT enthusiasts and collectors for their combination of beautiful coloration, exceptionally fine structure and outstanding finishing characteristics.

Sharpening Characteristics

The stone has an extremely fine and homogeneous abrasive structure, approximately equivalent to #10,000–12,000+.

Its high density allows for exceptionally fine and controlled honing. When used with a Nagura, it develops a fine working slurry that enables delicate refinement of the cutting edge without excessive aggressiveness.

As the slurry is gradually diluted, the stone works progressively finer. Final honing can be performed with a highly diluted slurry or directly on the clean Nakayama surface.

On soft iron, the stone is capable of producing an attractive Kasumi finish, while hard steel develops a noticeably brighter, cleaner and more polished finish.

For straight razors, the combination of high density, extremely fine abrasive structure and controlled feedback is particularly desirable, allowing the user to produce an exceptionally fine, clean and highly refined shaving edge.

Nakayama Kiita is also an excellent finishing stone for traditional Japanese planes and chisels, as well as premium kitchen knives, particularly those made from carbon steel.

Markings

中山 — Nakayama — the mine / origin of the stone.

黄板 — Kiita — the traditional designation for the yellow color variety.

The special stamp includes the following characters:

天然 — Tennen — natural.
砥石 — Toishi — whetstone.
京都 — Kyoto — Kyoto.
特産 — Tokusan — special / characteristic local product.

The marking can therefore be understood as referring to a Japanese natural whetstone — a special product of Kyoto.

Specifications

• Name: Nakayama Kiita
• Kanji: 中山 黄板
• Type: Japanese Natural Finishing Whetstone — JNAT / Awasedo
• Mine: 中山 — Nakayama
• Origin: Kyoto, Japan
• Dimensions: approx. 90 × 95 × 2–20 mm
• Weight: 163 g
• Hardness: approx. 4.0 / 5
• Estimated fineness: #10,000–12,000+
• Color: Kiita / 黄板
• Nagura: recommended
• Recommended for: straight razors, Japanese planes, chisels and premium kitchen knives

Historical Background — Nakayama

Nakayama (中山) is one of the most famous historic sources of Japanese natural finishing stones in Kyoto. Whetstone quarrying in this area has a history extending back many centuries.

Nakayama is located in the Mount Atago area and is traditionally associated with the celebrated Higashimono — the “Eastern” group of Kyoto natural whetstones.

Nakayama stones have long been highly prized for their exceptional finishing qualities and have been used for the fine honing and polishing of Japanese blades and high-quality edged tools.

Today, Nakayama remains one of the most prestigious and recognized names among Japanese natural finishing stones, while fine Nakayama Kiita examples are particularly desirable both as working stones and collectible JNATs.

This Nakayama Kiita is a compact, exceptionally fine and dense finishing stone particularly well suited for straight razors. Its #10,000–12,000+ fineness, homogeneous structure and moderate hardness of approximately 4/5 provide a clean, controlled and exceptionally refined finish.