Explainer
A yanagiba is a long, thin, single-bevel Japanese knife for slicing raw fish. Learn what the name means, how the blade is built and who should buy one.
A yanagiba is sharpened on one side only, and that single choice explains most of what it does well and why it frustrates newcomers. It is the Japanese slicer for raw fish, built to cut sashimi and sushi toppings in one clean pull instead of a sawing motion, so the surface of each slice stays smooth and glossy.
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Yanagiba translates as willow blade knife, a nod to the long, pliant look of a willow branch. Chefs often shorten it to yanagi, and it appears in shops as a sashimi knife too. It belongs to washoku, traditional Japanese cooking, where it is the typical blade for slicing fish for sashimi and nigiri.
Blades usually run from about 240 to 330mm, with 270mm the common standard. Strictly speaking, the name belongs to the Kansai (Osaka) style; the Tokyo counterpart is the takohiki, described below.
Each trait serves the same goal: slices with level, glossy faces, because tearing or bruising the flesh spoils both the look and the bite of raw fish.
Listings use several names for long slicers. They are all single-bevel knives built for the same pulling cut, and they differ mainly in tip shape, blade height and thickness. The standard yanagiba is the reference point for the rest.
| Style | Tip | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Yanagiba | Pointed, willow-leaf | Standard all-round sashimi slicing |
| Takohiki | Square | Tokyo-style sashimi, flatter profile |
| Fuguhiki | Varies by maker | Very thin pufferfish slices |
| Kiritsuke yanagiba | Angled, sharply pointed | Detailed and decorative finishing cuts |
| Sakimaru | Rounded | Long draw cuts, heavier blade |
Only if raw fish is a regular job. The knife is a specialist, and a right-handed one cannot simply be swapped into a left hand, because the grind would steer the blade off its line. Left-handed versions exist but are harder to find.
Upkeep matters as well. Traditional blades are carbon steel, which needs regular wiping and oiling to stay free of rust, though stainless versions are sold for cooks who want less fuss. For models that pair these steel and length choices with a handle, see the best yanagiba knives.
Cooks who want one long slicer for both raw fish and cooked meat are usually better served by a sujihiki, a long, slender, double-bevel knife that is easier to sharpen and works in either hand.