ホーム / Japanese products /

Best Japanese knives Recommended by Chefs

2/14/2025

Japanese chef Techniques Japanese products

t f B! P L

Price and stock could change after publish date, and we may make money from these links.


 Which are the world's best Japanese knives?

 Why are chefs around the world so facinated with Japanese kitchen knives? Japanese knives have become a favorite in kitchens around the world due to their unique manufacturing techniques, exceptional performance, and unique characteristics that enhance the pleasure of cooking. In this article, I present some of the best traditional Japanese kitchen knives.

Top Japanese Knife Brands

ARITSUGU（有次）


The kitchen knives of Aritsugu, whose founder was the sword smith Fujiwara Aritsugu, have been cultivated by tradition and technology for more than 400 years, and are always in pursuit of better products. All Aritsugu's knives are handmade and handforged. If you take good care of your knives, they will become easier and easier to use and keep their sharpness until they become thin.
Aritsugu's knife-making techniques, which date back to the time of the "samurai" who producted the Japanese sword known as the "Katana", are highly regarded around the world.


Best ARITSUGU Knife




  • Brade material: Blue steel (Aoko#2) 
  • Use Sushi and Sashimi
  • Brade length: Approx 270mm(10.62")
  • Free Name Engraving




  • Brade material: Blue steel (Aoko#2) 
  • Use Fish and Chicken
  • Brade length: Approx 195mm(7.67")
  • Name Engraving



SAKAI TAKAYUKI（堺孝行）


Sakai's hammered blades have a history of 600 years, and Sakai Takayuki is one of the leading manufacturers of kitchen knives in Sakai. The quality of the detailed finishing is the inherited technique of the craftsmen, and is produced with high quality craftsmanship. Nowadays, their knives are exported to more than 100 countries around the world.


Best SAKAI TAKAYUKI's knife

  • Blade material: Stainless Steel
  • Handle material: Wood
  • Blade edge : Plain
  • Blade length: 190mm(7.5")



  • Blade material: Alloy Steel, Stainless Steel
  • Blade edge: Plain
  • Blade length: 240mm(9.5")
  • Sujibiki knife


MASAMOTO（正本）


Masamoto is one of the most well-known and respected knife makers in Japan. Especially popular with sushi chefs. Founded in the late Edo period, over 150 years, Masamoto knives have been used as the highest-integrity professional chef knife brand in Japan.


Best Masamoto's knife

  • Blade material: Stainless Steel
  • Blade edge: Plain
  • Blade length: 240mm(9.5")
  • Sujibiki knife



Types of Japanese Knives

Chef Knife/Gyuto Knife

Amazon Canada: MASAMOTO VG Gyuto 240mm

The Gyuto, known as the chef's knife or French knife, is a Western all-purpose knife widely used throughout the world. It can be used for a wide variety of foods, but as the name "Gyuto" suggests, it is especially suited for cutting small chunks of meat.


Nakiri Knife

Amazon Canada: Sakai Takayuki Damascus nakiri 160mm

Nakiri knife is a knife designed for cutting vegetables. Unlike ordinary kitchenknives, the blade tip is not sharp. Another feature is that the blade can easily enter the food and cleanly cut vegetables without crushing them. In addition, many nakiri  knives are double-edged, so they can be used by both right-and left-handed people.

In addition, the shape of the blade tip differs between the Kanto type and the Kansai type.
(Kanto: Tokyo side / Kansai: Osaka side)

  • Kanto type: The tip os square like a Chinese knife.
  • Kansai type: The tip is rounded.

Santoku Knife

Amazon Canada: Sakai Takayuki Aogami Kengate 160mm(6.3")

Santoku knives are a combination of the Japanese nakiri and the Western chef knife, and were created as a blade with the characteristics of both. The meaning of santoku is "three uses," indicating that it can be used to cut a wide range of materials, including meat, fish, and vegetables, in a vatiety of ways. 

Sashimi Knife/Yamagiba

Amazon Canada: Sakai Takayuki Yanagiba Sashimi knife260mm(10.23")

Yanagiba knives are characterized by their slender, long, straight blades, which are called "willow blades" because their shape resembles a willow leaf. Although its detailed usage requires a bit of skill, its unique shape does not damage the fish meat and leaves it delicate and smooth to the touch. this knife is highly valued not only by professionals but also by home cooks because of its excellent sharpness and the advantage of being able to cut cleanly with less force.


Deba Knife

Amazon Canada: Sakai Takayuki Deba knife 165mm

A Deba knife is a knife for processing fish. The Deba knife is used to clean fish in water, cut bones, wholesale the meat, crack open the shell, and even dismantle a chicken. The blade is thicker and heavier than other knives to make it easier to work with it.


Honesuki Knife

Amazon Canada: Aritsugu Honesuki 150mm(5.90")

Honesuki Knives are mainly used for separating meat from the bone, such as beef.
The blade is thicker and sharpened with a single-edged blade, which prevents the blade from spilling even if it hits the bone. There are two types of knives used in the Kanto and Kansai regions: square and round.


>>You also may like 

QooQ