Types of Japanese Knives | Used by the Best Japanese Chefs

 

There's no denying that Japanese knives are amongst some of the most highly renowned and highest quality knives available. 

The craftsmanship and level of detail that goes into a Japanese knife are almost unrivalled. Their manufacturing focuses on appealing to all of the human senses rather than just making something that can simply cut food.

When looking into Japanese knives, you might feel overwhelmed at first, the types and functions seem to be never-ending and it can often be difficult knowing where to start.

Popular Japanese knives can be more easily categorized by single and double bevel blades with certain popular types being more common in each category. Some of the most popular Japanese knives are Santoku, Gyuto, Nakiri, Usuba, Deba and Yanagiba.

While there are many types of Japanese knives, there are a select few (though few certainly means more than one or two in this instance) that the best Japanese chefs will have as an absolute staple in their knife collection.

In this article, we are going to cover some of the most popular Japanese knives that are not only used by Japanese chefs but also chefs worldwide as Japanese knives continue to rise in popularity in the Western world.

Table of contents

Single Bevel or Double Bevel

Before getting into the different types of Japanese knives and the Japanese knife names, it’s important to point out one of the key differences between a Japanese knife and those made in the Western world like French or German knives and that is the bevel and blade edge.

The bevel is a taper on the knife blade that forms the edge and is what gives a knife its degree of sharpness. Traditional Japanese knives will have a single bevel which means that one side of the knife is flat while the other will have a slight taper to form the edge.

The reason this is common with Japanese knives is so that you can form and hone a sharper edge (typically 10 - 15 degrees) which is incredibly sharp. The flat side of the knife also helps to maintain the food's cell structure and ultimately retain the intended flavor of the item. A single bevel can also be more precise which comes in handy with a Damascus boning knife for example.

A double bevel edge is more popular in Western culture and a number of Japanese knives have taken on this feature as they grow in popularity. A double bevel means that the knife is tapered on both sides to form an edge with typical Western knives forming a V-shaped edge.

Types of Japanese Knives

In Japanese cuisine, there is a strong focus on food preparation, precise cuts, and overall presentation of the dish meaning that most Japanese chefs will have between three and six knives that they will utilize depending on the dish they are making.

A sushi or sashimi chef for example could easily have four specific knives that they use daily to handle the different cutting requirements for their dish.

To elaborate, one knife would be used to fillet and cut a large fish (particularly through bone and cartilage), a second knife is then used to slice the fish and another knife is then used to prepare the vegetables.

The level of precision with Japanese knives is always the key priority as the chefs aim to utilize extremely sharp knives in order to not only get precise cuts but also to retain the food's flavor by cutting through the food cells as cleanly as possible.

With all this being said, we are now going to get into some of the different types of Japanese knife styles and different Japanese knife shapes and why they are used by some of the best Japanese chefs.

Single Bevel Knives

 

The following single bevel knives are the most popular and three specific knives are typically used to make up a collection for sushi or sashimi, arguably Japan's most popular dishes.

These three knives are often considered to be essential for Japanese cuisine.

Unagisaki

The Unagisaki knife is a type of Japanese kitchen knife that is specifically designed for filleting eel. It is characterized by its long, thin blade, which is well-suited for slicing through the bones and skin of eel.

The word "unagisaki" is made up of two Japanese characters: "unagi," which means "eel," and "saki," which means "head." Together, the word "unagisaki" refers to the head of an eel.

Sushikiri

 

The sushikiri knife is a type of Japanese kitchen knife that is specifically designed for cutting sashimi, which is raw fish that is sliced into thin slices and served as a delicacy in Japan.

The word "sushikiri" is made up of two Japanese characters: "sushi," which refers to the dish of raw fish and rice, and "kiri," which means "to cut."

A sushikiri knife is characterized by its long, thin blade, which is designed to easily slice through the delicate flesh of raw fish.

It is typically made with a curved single bevel, meaning that only one side of the blade is sharpened, which allows for a more precise cut. Sushikiri knives are commonly used by professional chefs in Japan, but are not as well known outside of Japan.

Kamagata usuba

The word "Kamagata Usuba" refers to a type of Japanese kitchen knife that is used for cutting vegetables. "Kamagata" refers to the pointed tip and slightly curved blade of the knife, which is a characteristic feature of this type of Usuba knife.

"Usuba" means "thin blade," and refers to the thin, sharp blade of the knife, which is well-suited for precise cutting tasks such as creating thin slices or intricate garnishes.

Kamagata Usuba knives are typically made with a single bevel, meaning that only one side of the blade is sharpened.

The Kamagata Usuba knife is traditionally used in the Kanto region of Japan, which includes the city of Tokyo.

It is a specialized tool that is used for a specific type of cutting task, and is not as versatile as other types of kitchen knives. It is known for its precision and ability to create thin, precise cuts in vegetables.

Mukimono

It has a small blade with a single bevel with a tapered blade and is used for Mukimono and Kazari-giri which is a Japanese culinary technique that involves creating decorative cuts or shapes in fruits and vegetables. It is similar to fruit carving, and can be used to create intricate garnishes or decorations for dishes. The word "mukimono" is made up of two Japanese characters: "muki," which means "to peel," and "mono," which means "thing." This refers to the fact that the decorative cuts or shapes are created by peeling the skin or outer layer of the fruit or vegetable.

Kurimuki

Kurimuki is a Japanese kitchen knife that is specifically designed for peeling vegetables and fruits. The word "kurimuki" is made up of two Japanese characters: "kuri," which means "chestnut," and "muki," which means "to peel."

The name of the knife is derived from the way that it is used to peel chestnuts, which requires a thin, sharp blade to easily remove the tough outer shell.

A Kurimuki knife is characterized by its thin, sharp blade, which is typically made with a single bevel, meaning that only one side of the blade is sharpened.

This design allows for precise, controlled cuts, which are necessary for tasks such as peeling thin-skinned fruits and vegetables.

Chukabocho

A Chukabocho is a type of Japanese kitchen knife that is similar to a cleaver. It is a large knife with a rectangular blade, which is typically used for tasks such as chopping, dicing, and mincing vegetables and meats.

The word "Chukabocho" is made up of two Japanese characters: "chukabocho," which means "middle-sized kitchen knife," and "hocho," which means "knife."

The blade of a Chukabocho is typically thicker and heavier than that of a cleaver, and is made with a single bevel, meaning that only one side of the blade is sharpened.

This design allows for a more precise cut, and also allows the blade to easily glide through denser ingredients such as bone or root vegetables. Chukabocho knives are a common choice for professional chefs in Japan, and are also used by home cooks for a variety of tasks in the kitchen.

Yanagiba or Yanagi

 

The Yanagiba knife (Yanagi meaning willow blade) is one of the most traditional knives for Japanese cuisine and is most commonly used for sushi and sashimi-based dishes. This knife typically has a long and thin blade with an angled tip to finely slice blocks or raw fish. A typical Yanagiba knife will have a blade length of 10” - 12”.

Usuba bōchō

 

Usuba (meaning thin blade) might look like a large meat cleaver however these knives are typically used to produce cuts for fruit and vegetables. But how to use a Usuba knife? The thin blade is well-suited to making thin and clean cuts and you’ll find they are often used to provide the decorative finish to Japanese dishes.

Usuba blades are often 7” - 10” in length and the fine edge is often difficult for beginners to sharpen which is why these knives are used more by a professional Japanese chef.

Deba bocho

 

The Deba knife is the final knife of the three general knives and is the thickest of the three, used primarily for cutting and filleting of fish. The thick spine of this knife and slightly heavier weight allow for cutting through bone and cartilage, though the fine edge means this knife is much more fragile than a Western butcher's knife.

The Deba can come in three common sizes (Kodeba, Hondeba, and Miokishi Deba) with various sizes from 3” - 10” depending on the type of fish and cut being done.

Kiritsuke

 

The Kiritsuke is a versatile knife that is typically used to perform a variety of cutting functions that are usually performed by a Yanagiba and Usuba knife making this a specialty purpose knife for cutting vegetables and slicing raw fish.

Due to the blade profile having a flat heel yet long blade length (10” - 12” on average) this knife is utilized for long drawing cuts but can be very difficult to control. This specialty knife is therefore usually only handled by the head chef and its use is seen as a symbol of skill and reputation for Japanese chefs.

The Kiritsuke can also come with a double bevel edge and is better known as a Kiritsuke Gyuto which offers the versatility of a Kiritsuke whilst being adapted for Western users.

Takohiki

 

The Takohiki knife is a fish-slicing knife similar to the Yanagiba that is commonly used in Eastern regions of Japan. The word ‘Hiki’ can be translated to 'pull' and is a reflection of the cutting technique used with this knife.

This knife can be distinguished from the popular Yanagiba by its square-tipped end that is well suited to scooping food (mainly sashimi) from the chopping board and arranging it for presentation on the serving plate.

The squared tip is the only real distinguishing feature and otherwise, the blade length of 10” - 12” and single bevel design is the same as what you would find with a standard Yanagiba knife.

Honesuki

 

The Honesuki is a traditional Japanese boning knife that features a straight edge and pointed tip for precise de-boning and filleting work with meat (mainly poultry) and more recently fish.

Honesuki vs boning knife? The thick heel of this knife is used for scraping meat from bones while the sharp and pointed tip is easy to maneuver and is suited to filleting, piercing skin, and cutting cartilage and ligaments around joints.

This knife is specifically for de-boning or filleting work and should not be used for carving large meat or cutting through bone as the blade profile is not dense enough for this kind of heavy-duty cutting.

Hankotsu

 

A Hankotsu knife is a specially designed boning knife used primarily for butchering hanging carcasses. The blade design, therefore, reflects this cutting purpose and is designed to cut in a downward motion with a reverse knife grip.

The edge is typically designed to be asymmetrically ground with the heel being blunter as a safety feature to accommodate a reverse grip cutting technique alongside being protective of slips when cutting in a downward direction.

The rest of the edge is sharper and leads to a pointed tip which, like the Honesuki, is used for filleting and de-boning meat, poultry, and fish.

Double Bevel Knives

Santoku

 

The Santoku, meaning “three virtues” or “three purposes” is a general-purpose knife that is closely related to a Western chef's knife. It’s well suited to mincing, dicing, slicing, and chopping meat, fish, and vegetables which is why it derives its name.

Santoku knives have become the most common knives in Japanese kitchens due to their multi-purpose uses and are used in place of an Usuba and Deba.

Gyuto

 

The Gyuto knife, similar to the Santoku, is an all-purpose Japanese chef’s knife with a longer (8” - 12”) curved blade that can be used in a rocking chopping motion and is well suited to cutting meat as well as fish and vegetables.

Due to the longer blade, Gyuto knives are popular for those that cook for a large number of customers.

Nakiri

 

The Nakiri is a double beveled version of the Usuba knife and is used for chopping, peeling, and slicing vegetables. The blade has a thin profile with a rounded or flat tip to cater to more push-style chopping. But nakiri vs usuba? The key reason for preferring the nakiri would be that it is easier to sharpen than the single bevel Usuba.

Kaisaki Paring/Petty knife

The word "kaisaki" is actually a term that refers to a specific cutting technique that is used with this type of knife, rather than the knife itself.

Kaisaki involves making thin, precise cuts through the bones of fish in order to create sashimi, which is raw fish that is sliced into thin slices and served as a delicacy in Japan. This technique is often used with bluefin tuna, which has particularly large and sturdy bones. The Kanto-style kaisaki knife is characterized by its long, thin blade, which is designed to easily navigate through the bones of the fish.

It is worth noting that there are different styles of kaisaki knives, and they are not all used exclusively for cutting fish. Some variations of the kaisaki knife may be used for other types of cutting tasks as well.

They are also used is for peeling, and slicing vegetables. These knives are similar to a chef’s knife and are used for a variety of smaller, more intricate cutting tasks.

Pankiri

 

A Pankiri knife is the Japanese equivalent of a Western bread knife. The Pankiri, unlike some Japanese knives, does not differ too much from the Western equivalent with its serrated edge and 7” - 10” blade length being most common.

The only noticeable difference is that a Pankiri can often also be used for roughly cutting braised meats alongside its primary use as a bread knife.

Sujihiki

 

The Sujihiki knife is a long and thin knife that is mainly used for slicing and trimming meat. It’s well suited to trimming, filleting, and slicing meat and can also be used with equal precision and functionality on fish.

The word "sujihiki" is made up of two Japanese characters: "suji," which means "muscle fibers," and "hiki," which means "to pull." This refers to the long, smooth cuts that can be made with a Sujihiki knife.

Sujihiki knives are also commonly used for slicing sashimi, which is raw fish that is cut into thin slices and served as a delicacy in Japan. The long, thin blade of a Sujihiki knife allows for precise cuts through the delicate flesh of the fish, and is particularly useful for slicing larger fish such as tuna or salmon.

Many people draw comparisons between this knife and a Yanagiba which has resulted in this being considered the Western equivalent of a Yanagiba as a result of the similarities of use but utilizing a Western-style double bevel edge.

Other Key Features

While there are many types of Japanese knives, there are certain features that help to distinguish them from other Western-style knives. The first, as mentioned earlier, is that traditional Japanese knives will have a single bevel to produce an incredibly sharp edge for precision-focused cuts.

What you will also find is that many are made from a very high carbon steel material (known as blue or white steel), this allows the knife’s blade to be lighter, thinner, and hold a much sharper edge.

This does, however, mean that Japanese knives need to be maintained much more as the blade can be prone to rust and corrosion if not properly maintained and the edges also need frequent honing and sharpening.

Finally, Japanese knives will typically have a wooden handle, this is used to encompass the blade's tang and give an even balance and weight distribution to the knife. These handles are often made from Ho wood and are referred to as “wa” handles.

Overview of each knife and its characteristics 

Here is a table with condensed description of each knife:

Knife Name	Description	Uses
Unagisaki	Rounded tip, single bevel	Eel filleting
Sushikiri	Square tip, single bevel	Sushi preparation
Kamagata Usuba	Triangular blade, single bevel	Vegetable chopping
Mukimono	Decorative blade shape, single bevel	Decorative cuts
Kurimuki	Cylindrical blade, single bevel	Skinning and shaping
Chukabocho	Cleaver-style blade, single bevel	Meat and bone chopping
Yanagiba	Long and thin blade, single bevel	Sashimi slicing
Usuba	Rectangular blade, single bevel	Vegetable chopping
Deba	Thick blade, double bevel	Fish filleting and meat chopping
Kiritsuke	Hybrid blade (Yanagiba and Usuba), single or double bevel	Sashimi slicing and vegetable chopping
Takohiki	Long and thin Yanagiba, single bevel	Eel filleting
Honesuki	Pointed blade, double bevel	Poultry and fish butchery
Hankotsu	Thick and heavy blade, double bevel	Meat and bone chopping
Santoku	All-purpose blade, double bevel	Vegetables, fish, and meat preparation
Gyuto	Chef's knife (long and narrow), double bevel	Meat slicing and dicing
Nakiri	Rectangular blade, double bevel	Vegetable chopping and slicing
Kaisaki Paring/Petty knife	Small blade, double bevel	Precision cuts and peeling
Pankiri	Wider Nakiri, double bevel	Vegetable chopping and slicing
Sujihiki	Long and slender slicing blade, double bevel	Meat slicing and carving

Note: This table is not comprehensive, but rather provides a general overview of some of the most commonly used Japanese knives.

 

FAQ

Q- What are traditional Japanese knives?
A- Traditional Japanese knives are knives that are made in the traditional Japanese style. These knives are known for their sharpness and precision and are often used in Japanese cuisine for tasks such as slicing fish and vegetables. Traditional Japanese knives are typically made from high-quality carbon steel, which is hardened and sharpened using a specialized process. The blades of these knives are usually single-edged and have a distinctive curved shape. Some common types of traditional Japanese knives include the santoku knife, the nakiri knife, and the deba knife.

Q- How are traditional Japanese knives made?
A- Traditional Japanese knives are typically made using a combination of modern techniques and traditional hand-forging methods. The process of making a traditional Japanese knife typically begins with the selection of high-quality carbon steel, which is heated and pounded into shape by a blacksmith. The blade is then hardened using a process called quenching, in which the steel is rapidly cooled in oil or water. Once the blade has been hardened, it is sharpened using a series of grinding and honing techniques and may be finished with a protective coating or etching. The handle of the knife is typically made from wood, bone, or other materials, and is attached to the blade using a traditional Japanese binding method. Overall, the process of making a traditional Japanese knife is highly skilled and time-consuming and often involves multiple craftsmen working together to create a single knife.

Q- What should my first Japanese knife be?
A- If you are new to Japanese knives, it is a good idea to start with a santoku knife. This type of knife is similar to a Western chef's knife and is versatile enough to be used for a wide range of tasks, including slicing, dicing, and mincing. The santoku knife has a relatively short and wide blade, which makes it easy to control and maneuver. It is also generally lightweight and well-balanced, which makes it comfortable to use for extended periods of time. As you become more familiar with Japanese knives and develop your skills, you may want to try other types of knives, such as a nakiri knife for vegetables or a deba knife for fish.

Final Thoughts

Just looking at the above list, it’s easy to see that there is a wide range of popular Japanese knives and, if we are being honest, we could have added another five to ten Japanese knives to this list, which can be commonly used by Japanese chefs.

As the popularity of Japanese knives grows, however, those that are listed above are certainly at the forefront of most of the best chefs collections and can also be found in many homes/kitchens, not only in Japan, but in ever-increasing numbers in the Western world.