5 Japanese Dishes That Are Better with the Right Knife

Japanese cuisine is renowned for its simplicity, beauty, and precision. From delicate sashimi slices to perfectly diced vegetables, every element is thoughtfully crafted — and behind every great dish is the right blade. In this post, we’ll explore five iconic Japanese dishes that shine when prepared with the proper traditional knife.

1. Sashimi – Best with Yanagiba

Dish Profile: Raw fish slices, served with minimal seasoning to emphasize natural flavor and texture.

Recommended Knife: Yanagiba (柳刃包丁)

With its long, narrow, and single-beveled blade, the Yanagiba is designed to slice through raw fish in a single, smooth motion. This helps preserve the cell structure of the fish, maintaining a clean cut and silky texture. Using a Western chef's knife often tears or crushes the flesh, diminishing quality.

2. Sushi Rolls – Best with Sujihiki or Kiritsuke

Dish Profile: Rolled sushi with fillings like vegetables, raw fish, or egg, often wrapped in seaweed (nori).

Recommended Knife: Sujihiki or Kiritsuke

To cleanly cut through a roll without squashing the contents or tearing the seaweed, you need a knife with length, sharpness, and minimal friction. A Sujihiki’s long, thin blade (or a hybrid Kiritsuke with a flat edge and pointed tip) makes it ideal for clean cross-sections of maki or uramaki rolls.

3. Tempura – Best with Santoku

Dish Profile: Lightly battered and deep-fried vegetables or seafood.

Recommended Knife: Santoku (三徳包丁)

The Santoku — literally "three virtues" (meat, fish, and vegetables) — is perfect for prepping uniform tempura ingredients. It handles delicate seafood, firm root vegetables, and leafy greens with ease. Its flat blade profile is especially helpful for push-cutting motions that keep cuts clean and controlled.

4. Katsudon – Best with Gyuto

Dish Profile: Pork cutlet (tonkatsu) served with egg and onion over rice.

Recommended Knife: Gyuto (牛刀)

The Gyuto is Japan’s answer to the Western chef’s knife. It’s versatile enough to slice through crispy breaded cutlets cleanly, dice onions, and even break down meat if you're starting from a whole loin. A well-balanced Gyuto with high-carbon steel ensures the blade won’t crush the crunchy coating or toughen the meat fibers.

5. Miso Soup with Daikon and Tofu – Best with Nakiri

Dish Profile: Traditional soup made with miso paste, seaweed, tofu, and sliced daikon radish.

Recommended Knife: Nakiri (菜切包丁)

The Nakiri, a straight-edged vegetable knife, excels at making clean vertical cuts through vegetables. Its tall blade allows for precision and stability when slicing daikon, scallions, or tofu cubes. Unlike curved blades, it minimizes rocking motion, resulting in more even cuts — a must for balanced soup presentation.

Conclusion: The Knife Shapes the Dish

In Japanese cuisine, preparation is everything — and the knife is the extension of the chef's hand. The right blade doesn't just make cooking easier — it preserves texture, flavor, and authenticity. Whether you're slicing sashimi or preparing vegetable miso, choosing the proper Japanese knife elevates your results from amateur to artisan.

Looking to upgrade your kitchen tools? Discover our handcrafted Shinbu Japanese Knife Collection, featuring premium blades forged with traditional techniques and modern steel technology — designed for precision, built to last.