The realm of the best Japanese chef knives is expensive. The daily Japanese cook will have a few basic knives while the specific purpose kitchen knives are mainly for professionals and chefs. If you are curious, here is a list of Japanese kitchen knives you may encounter when you visit a Japanese kitchen knife shop. Remember that there are regional varieties when it comes to craftsmanship, Kansai and Kanto styles are the main ones.
Basic Japanese kitchen knives
Nakiribocho
This knife is mainly used for chopping, peeling and slicing vegetables. The blade of the Nakiribocho is straight, thin and double beveled. Kansai knives have a rounded tip while Kanto knives are rectangular. It has a blade of 240-300mm in length. It is easier to sharpen this knife than an Usuba knife.
Usubabocho
This knife is similar to a Nakiri knife but it is single-beveled. The blade edge of this knife is thinner than a Nakiri knife. This makes it an excellent knife for making decorative cuts and paper-thin slices. Chefs prefer the Usuba knife over the Nakiri knife for its precision. However, it is a challenge for beginners to sharpen the delicate blade of the Usubabocho knife.
Debabocho
This knife is for descaling, gutting and breaking down fish. Its blade is chunky to withstand cutting the thick bones of fish. It comes in three sizes for different fish sizes. Hondeba is the standard size that measures around 210mm, the Kodeba measures around 90-120mm, while the MiokoshiDeba measures around 180-270mm.
Santoku bocho
This is one of the most popular Japanese kitchen knives and it is named for being an all-rounder knife for fish, meat and vegetables. It is a versatile knife and was created when western cuisine was popularised among the Japanese people. They are excellent for long cutting strokes and chopping. Nowadays, most Japanese forgo the Usuba and Deba for one Santoku knife.
Specialty Japanese knives
These types of Japanese knives are mainly owned and used by professional chefs in their fields. E.g., a sushi chef prefers several Sashimi knives and not a Menkiri knife. Here are some examples of specialty knives.
Yanagibabocho
This knife has a willow blade and it is mainly for slicing blocks of fish for sashimi. The Yanagibabocho has a slim and long blade and is curved at the tip of the blade. It is used mainly in the Kansai region. It is generally referred to as Sashimi Bocho
Takohikibocho
This knife is also used for slicing sashimi. However, it is rectangular in shape and used mainly in the Kanto region. It is also referred to as Sashimi bocho.
Fugu hiki
The fugu hiki knife is similar to a Yanagiba knife but it has a thinner and narrower blade. It is used specifically for slicing pufferfish.
Honekiribocho
This is a type of the best Japanese chef knives that is mainly used to cut the sharp and long bones of pike conger without cutting through the skin. It is heavy and has a straight edge for crushing bones and cutting precisely.
