Shun
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
KAI Group's premium Japanese kitchen knife brand.
Shun makes its kitchen knives in its own factories in Japan, where labour laws are strong and legal wages are close to a living wage.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 5 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 5 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Japan are close to a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsPresumed from where it's made, not audited
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: timber
Red flags 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Shun's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Owns or runs its own production
- "Made in Japan" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good.
- Doesn't show where its timber comes from. Timber is linked to illegal logging linked to forced labour, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes All Shun knives are made in Seki City, Japan, where KAI runs its own kitchen knife factory; KAI's factories in Vietnam, India, China and the US make other KAI products. KAI joined Sedex in 2021 and has Basic Rules for sustainable manufacturing covering human rights, labour and safety, but publishes no supplier list, audit results or wage information. Most Shun lines have PakkaWood (resin-impregnated wood) handles, with no stated timber origin or FSC certification. Employee figure is for the whole KAI Group.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's ratings do not assess kitchen knife makers. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour abuse reports or response requests concerning KAI or Shun were found on the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Shun Classic boning knife, PakkaWood handle (Hospitality Superstore) · search the archive · Shun Classic knives have PakkaWood (wood composite) handles
- Shun Classic Chef's Knife - Robins Kitchen · search the archive · Shun sold by Robins Kitchen, an Australian kitchenware chain with physical stores
- Shun Cutlery - Wikipedia · search the archive · Shun is a KAI Group brand
Published by Shun or its owner
- KAI Factories' profiles · search the archive · KAI's own factories: Yamato Tsurugi kitchen knife factory in Japan, plus Vietnam, Shanghai, USA and India factories
- KAI Company Overview · search the archive · KAI Group founded 1908, HQ Tokyo, KAI Industries in Seki; 2,740 group employees (April 2023)
- KAI SDGs and stakeholder engagement · search the archive · Joined Sedex in 2021; Basic Rules cover human rights, labour and safety; plans supplier evaluations
- Shun Cutlery (KAI USA) home page · search the archive · 'In Seki City, each Shun knife is crafted through more than 100 steps'; site run by KAI USA Ltd
Company details
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Employees
- About 2,740
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Shun ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/shun, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Shun.