Japanese Kitchen Knives
Cut like you mean it.
Hocho Journal is an independent English-language guide to Japanese kitchen knives. We field-research in Kappabashi, Sakai and Seki, cut with the knives ourselves, and publish buying advice that actually helps you choose the right blade.
Featured Guides
Santoku Knife: Complete Buyer's Guide
The all-purpose Japanese home knife — what makes it different from a Western chef's knife and how to pick your first one.
Knife TypeDamascus Knife Guide
Understand what damascus steel really means, why it looks so striking, and whether it cuts better than solid steel.
Knife TypeNakiri: The Japanese Vegetable Knife
The flat, rectangular blade that makes onions, cabbage, and cucumbers faster and cleaner than any Western knife.
Why Hocho Journal
We're a Tokyo-based editorial team that has spent years walking Kappabashi's 16 specialist shops, visiting the forges of Sakai and Seki, and putting dozens of knives through the kind of use home cooks and working chefs actually do. We write for an English-speaking reader who wants more than a "top 10 list" — we explain what steel, geometry and tradition really mean for your kitchen.