What Is a Yanagiba? Japan's Sashimi Slicer, Explained
A yanagiba is the long, narrow, single-bevel knife used to slice raw fish for sashimi and sushi. It is a specialist’s tool, built for one job and one hand, and for most home cooks it is a want rather than a need. This guide covers what a yanagiba is, how it is used, how it compares to the alternatives, and whether you should buy one.
What a yanagiba is
The name (柳刃) means “willow blade,” for the long, slender shape. A yanagiba is single-bevel: ground on one face, with the other face flat or very slightly hollow. It is long, usually 270 to 300mm, and comes to a fine point.
That geometry exists for one reason. Slicing raw fish well means cutting each piece in a single, uninterrupted pull, with no sawing, so the cut face stays smooth and glossy rather than torn. A long blade lets you draw the whole slice in one stroke, and the single bevel releases the fish cleanly and lets the edge get exceptionally keen. The result is a better-looking, better-textured slice of sashimi. Our single-bevel versus double-bevel guide covers the grind in general.
The back of the blade is not perfectly flat. It has a shallow hollow, the urasuki, surrounded by a narrow flat rim, the uraoshi. The hollow reduces friction and suction against the fish; the rim is what you actually flatten and deburr when you sharpen. Getting a feel for that back is most of the single-bevel learning curve.
Regional versions differ. The pointed yanagiba is the Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto) standard. In Kanto (Tokyo) the same knife often has a squared-off tip and is called a takobiki, historically so a crowded counter cook was less likely to catch a neighbour with the point. They do the same job.
How you use one
A yanagiba is a drawing knife, not a chopping or push-cutting one.
- Start with the heel of the blade at the far edge of the fish and pull the knife toward you in one smooth motion, letting the length of the blade do the cutting.
- Finish the slice at the tip. One pull, one slice.
- Your right hand holds the handle; the guiding hand rests lightly on top of the blade, not gripping the fish.
- Let the weight and sharpness work. Pressing or sawing tears the flesh and defeats the point of the knife.
It is not a knife for onions, herbs, or anything that needs a rocking or chopping motion.
Yanagiba or sujihiki?
The yanagiba’s main alternative is the sujihiki, a double-bevel, Western-style slicer. It is sharpened on both sides, so it works in either hand, it is far easier to learn, and it also slices cooked meat and roasts. It gives up a little of the yanagiba’s clean release on raw fish.
For a home cook, the sujihiki is usually the more sensible slicer. You lose a small amount of performance on sashimi and gain an ambidextrous knife with no single-bevel learning curve that also carves the Sunday roast. A yanagiba is the better choice only if raw fish is the main thing you slice and the appearance of the cut matters to you.
You will also see the sakimaru takobiki, a takobiki with a rounded, sword-like tip. It is a stylistic variant of the same single-bevel slicer, priced for collectors more than cooks.
Do you actually need a yanagiba?
Be honest about how often you slice raw fish.
If you prepare sashimi regularly and care about the appearance and texture of the cut, a yanagiba does the job better than anything else, and learning it is part of the craft.
If you slice fish occasionally, a very sharp gyuto or a double-bevel sujihiki gets you most of the way there without the single-bevel technique, the handedness, or, on a carbon blade, the rust care. Our guide to whether Japanese knives are worth it applies here: a yanagiba is a real upgrade for a specific task, and dead weight if that task is rare in your kitchen.
Size, steel, and construction
Size. 270mm is the home standard. Drop to 240mm for a small board or small fish; go to 300mm if you break down whole sides of fish.
Steel. White steel (Shirogami) is the traditional choice and takes the finest edge. Blue steel holds its edge a little longer, and stainless options like Ginsan exist for cooks who want less rust care, at some cost to the ultimate keenness.
Construction. Most yanagiba are kasumi: a hard carbon core forge-welded to a soft iron jacket, which is forgiving to sharpen and keeps the price reasonable. A honyaki yanagiba is a single piece of hardened steel, the hardest knife to make and to sharpen, and priced accordingly. Our carbon versus stainless guide covers the steel trade-off.
Sakai Takayuki White #2 Kurouchi Yanagi 270mm
USD 308 (checked Sep 9, 2026)
- A genuine single-bevel yanagiba forged in Sakai by blacksmith Togashi-san, hand-sharpened
- White #2 carbon takes an extremely fine edge for clean, single-draw slices of raw fish
- Kasumi construction and a soft iron jacket make it more forgiving to sharpen than a mono-steel blade
The yanagiba above is a typical first one: a hand-forged White #2 kasumi blade at 270mm, on a traditional wa-handle. Note that it is right-handed only.
Care and sharpening
A carbon yanagiba needs the full routine: hand wash and dry it the moment you finish, wipe it after contact with fish and acidic marinades, oil it for storage, and keep it in a saya or sheath.
Sharpening a single-bevel knife is different from a double-bevel one. You work almost entirely on the bevelled face, then lightly remove the burr from the flat back. The slightly concave back is only re-flattened occasionally. It is a whetstone-only knife, and the technique takes practice; our knife care and sharpening guide and how to use a whetstone cover the basics, though single-bevel work is a step beyond them.
If you are left-handed
A right-handed yanagiba genuinely does not work in a left hand: the bevel steers the blade away from your cut and you cannot get the clean face that is the whole point. Left-handed yanagiba are made, but to order, typically 20 to 60 per cent more expensive and with a wait of weeks or months. Our guide to left-handed Japanese knives covers the single-bevel problem in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is a yanagiba knife used for?
Slicing raw fish for sashimi and sushi. Its long single-bevel blade cuts each piece in one clean pull, leaving a smooth face. It is not used for vegetables, cooked food, or anything needing a chopping motion.
Do I need a yanagiba as a home cook?
Only if you prepare raw fish often and care about the cut. For occasional fish slicing, a very sharp gyuto or a double-bevel sujihiki does most of the job without the single-bevel technique or the handedness.
What is the difference between a yanagiba and a sujihiki?
A yanagiba is single-bevel, ground for one hand, and optimised for raw fish. A sujihiki is double-bevel, works in either hand, is easier to learn, and also slices cooked meat, at a small cost to raw-fish performance.
Can you use a yanagiba for meat or vegetables?
You can slice cooked meat with one, though a sujihiki does it better. It is a poor choice for vegetables or any job that needs a rocking, chopping, or push cut, because of its length and single bevel.
What size yanagiba should I buy?
270mm for most home kitchens. Choose 240mm for a small board or small fish, or 300mm if you regularly break down whole sides of fish.
The short version
A yanagiba is a long, single-bevel knife made to slice raw fish in one clean draw. It does that one job better than anything else and does almost nothing else, and its single bevel is ground for one hand. For a home cook who slices fish now and then, a sharp gyuto or a double-bevel sujihiki is the more practical buy. If you do want a yanagiba, start with a 270mm White #2 kasumi blade, budget for a whetstone and the carbon-care routine, and, if you are left-handed, order the left-handed version.