Bring Japan into your everyday life. Japanese tools, explained from Japan.
Comparison Gyuto or santoku: which Japanese knife should you buy first? Two everyday Japanese knives, one decision. How they differ, which one Japanese homes actually use, and what is in stock right now. The short answer Start with a stainless santoku. It is the knife almost every Japanese home uses, for meat, fish and vegetables alike. Choose a gyuto instead if you already cook with a Western chef's knife, or if you cook a lot and want a longer, sturdier blade. Read the guide →Start here
All guides- Explainer Carbon or stainless: choosing the steel for a Japanese knife For most people, stainless: VG-10, Ginsan or SG2 take a fine edge and forgive being left wet, and stainless is what most Japanese homes use. Choose carbon steel such as Shirogami or Aogami only if you enjoy sharpening and will dry the blade after every use.
- Buying guide Do you need a whetstone? How Japanese home cooks really sharpen Not to get started. Most Japanese households use a simple pull-through sharpener, take their knives to a sharpening service, or don't sharpen at all. Whetstones belong to keen cooks. A stainless santoku and a basic sharpener are enough for everyday cooking.
Stories from Japan
Compare in the catalog
Open the catalog308 knives from 34 makers, in stock at 5 stores that ship to the US and UK (checked 12 Oct 2026). Sort any shape by steel, hardness and care.
How we work
Written from Japan
Every guide carries notes from our editor in Japan: how knives are used, sold and talked about here.
Specs with sources
Each spec in the catalog links to the store page it came from, with the date we read it.
Picked by rule
Shortlists follow a published rule. Stores do not pay to be listed. How this site works