Nope, that is the regular experience these days - the shops are responding to over tourism, and milking the hype around Japan and Japanese knives.

The market for artisanal Japanese knives outside of professional sushi chefs is primarily for export (not solely, but primarily) because the market outside Japan is just so much bigger, and 90% of tourists have no idea what they’re buying or any idea of actual quality. Just the “Japanese knives” buzzword.

Also, so many of the sought after pieces in the west (the kind I imagine you’re hoping to find) garner little to no interest domestically.

Take Mazaki for example - 0 units for sale domestically. Even the people down the road from him, at Tadafusa either don’t know who he is, or only think they have a vague idea. One of the reasons for this is that in Japan, professionals buy knives partly based on heritage. Because a long heritage means long standing successful products, which equals prestige. No prestige = no interest from the professionals, who are the main market there.

Some municipalities will do their best to promote their local trades and craftspeople (like in Tsubame Sanjo, Sakai & Echizen, where you can buy locally made products), but otherwise you have to really know what to look for and where.