Celebrating Our Tongs on Tongs Day
October 9, 2026 – Sachi Uchimaru
One of our best selling non-knife products that we get from Japan is an unassuming tong made by AUX in Tsubame-Sanjo, the city ubiquitous for stainless steel tools. The company’s motto is creating tools that bring “a little bit of joy and awe.” We certainly find that their products accomplish just that, with customers coming back to buy them repeatedly for themselves or for gifts once they experience the “tong magic.”
The Japan Anniversary Association has recognized October 9th as Tokimeku (Joyful) Tongs Day, as a word play on readings of the numbers 10 and 9; 10 can be read ‘ton’ and 9 ‘gu,’ so 10/9 sounds like tongu, Japanese for tongs. Fun fact, November 11th is Pocky Day as the four 1s look like Pocky sticks.
Over the years AUX has designed and created an impressive collection of tongs and other kitchen tools, but their flagship model is the “fingertip tong.” 1.7 million out of their total 3 million tong sales have in fact been the fingertip tongs.
While tongs are usually 9 to 16 inches long, the fingertip tong is noticeably shorter at 6 inches. When you hold them, you will notice that your thumb and index finger are aligned to be in the same direction as the tip of the tongs. This allows you to pinch, grasp, and hold food with a natural, fingertip-like sensation. They truly feel like an extension of your own hand.
The fingertip tongs were created to minimize the need to touch foods you don’t really want to touch. (Think raw meat or fish, chopped garlic, etc.). The idea came to be when an AUX employee was cooking at home and realized each time she cooked her kitchen towel became drenched. She realized she was washing her hands frequently during prep, and set out to make a tool that would cut down on the need to wash her hands every few minutes.
The first goal was creating a shape that fits naturally into your hands. Way before 3D printing was common, the designers created the prototypes by carving styrofoam. They aimed for one that needed minimal strength so that even a child could comfortably use it. This required a spring that was “just right,” and ultimately a factory that had a patented spring technology was able to create this mythical spring. Despite the spring requiring minimal strength, the strength of the spring does not fade.
Besides the patented spring technology, a few things are consistent across all of their tongs—they are made from one sheet of stainless steel, making them easier to clean, with no crevices for debris to get stuck in. They are also designed so that the tips can be turned upward when not in use, therefore keeping countertops clean and not contaminated by raw meat or fish juice.
See how they’re made:
Tongs from AUX Japan
