"Hocho" Knives, Developed and Refined Alongside Japan’s Food Culture

Originally, hocho was written as 「庖丁」, and in Chinese characters, 「庖」 means kitchen and 「丁」 means a man working in the kitchen.
Over time, in Japan this came to refer to a cook, and the tool used by the cook (hocho) came to be called 「庖丁刀」.
Gradually, 「刀」 was dropped, and 「庖丁」 became established as a general term for blades used in cooking.

A legendary cook named Hotei appears in the Chinese classic Zhuangzi.
The cook’s favored kitchen blade, used with such skill that it moved King Hui, came to be called 「庖丁刀」.
When this story was passed on to Japan, the Japanese word 「庖丁」 (hocho) was born and gradually spread.

After the list of commonly used kanji was established, the character 「包」 came to be used in place of 「庖」 in general writing.
Also, in China a kitchen knife is called 「菜刀」, so hocho is a distinctly Japanese name.

The first knives used by humans are said to date back to the Paleolithic period (Approx. 38,000 BC to Approx. 16,000 BC), with chipped stone tools made by breaking and shaping stone considered their origin.
Later, ground stone tools with polished edges appeared, and for some time stone blades continued to evolve.
By the Kofun period (300 to around 600), iron tools began to be used alongside stone tools, but because iron was a valuable material at the time, it was mainly used for making swords and weapons.
In other words, the history of cooking blades is closely tied to the development of ironmaking technology.

Because knives are consumable items, old examples have not been preserved, and it is unclear exactly when iron knives first began to be used.
The oldest surviving examples in Japan are 10 knives preserved in the Shosoin, which are believed to have been made during the Nara period (710 to 794).
These knives are characterized by long handles and slender, slightly curved blades, giving them a shape much like a Japanese sword.
This Japanese sword-style knife was used mainly for fish from the Nara period until the middle of the Edo period (1603 to 1868).

During the Heian period (794 to 1185), two new knife-related cultural developments emerged.
The first was the custom of using different knives for different ingredients.
As Chinese cuisine arrived via the Korean Peninsula, beauty in the cross-sections of ingredients and the arrangement of dishes came to be valued at the imperial court.
As a result, cooks were provided with various kinds of knives, strengthening their role as cooking tools.
The second was the birth of ceremonial knives in the early Heian period (around 860).
As attention began to focus on the knife skills used for fish, chicken, and other ingredients, rituals involving knives emerged, and Emperor Koko, known for his love of cooking, adopted them as court events.
The ritual was called 「庖丁式」, and with a knife in the right hand and long chopsticks in the left, practitioners beautifully cut multiple ingredients without touching them directly by hand.
Gradually, 「庖丁式」 was also practiced among samurai and split into various schools, some of which continue today at shrines and other places.

Japanese knives saw further development from the middle to late Edo period.
At this time, Japan’s food culture was developing remarkably, and specialized cooks such as hochoshi (who cut meat and fish) and kakkoshi (who cut vegetables) also appeared.
Knives were further specialized according to ingredients and cooking methods, and more and more dedicated types were created.
Examples include the nakiri knife, deba knife, and sashimi knife discussed below.
In the Meiji period (1868 to 1912), knives for Western cuisine were also made, but this created difficulties in choosing the right knife for each purpose.
As a result, the bunka knife, combining various characteristics, was born and became the standard household knife used in Japan today.

The deba knife is mainly used for preparing fish, such as filleting into three pieces, cutting off flesh, and processing bones.
It was originally for fish, but today many people also use it to cut meat.
It is common to choose from a wide range of blade lengths depending on the target ingredient. *A blade length of around 15 cm can handle many kinds of fish
Compared with other knives, the deba knife is characterized by its solid weight and thick blade, and its obtuse tip allows ingredients to be cut without damaging them.

The sashimi knife is mainly used to slice raw seafood thinly for sashimi and fillets.
In the Kanto region, it is also called a takohiki knife, while in the Kansai region it is referred to as a yanagiba knife.
It features a sharply made tip, a long blade length (around 25 cm), and a narrow blade width.
Because it can make a pulling cut in one direction, it produces a beautiful cut surface and a pleasant texture while preserving freshness.

The nakiri knife is a vegetable knife mainly used for cutting, chopping, and peeling.
It is a rare double-bevel knife among Japanese knives and was once widely used in ordinary households.
It is characterized by a thin, wide blade, with a square tip in Kanto and a rounded tip in Kansai.
Because the blade enters ingredients easily, even large vegetables such as Chinese cabbage and cabbage can be cut cleanly.
On the other hand, it is not suitable for preparing meat or fish or for delicate work.

The funayuki knife originated as a knife used by fishermen for cooking on boats, and it is useful for a wide range of tasks from preparing fish to slicing sashimi.
Its blade thickness is about midway between a deba knife and a sashimi knife, making it versatile enough to fulfill both roles.
Because it is also convenient enough to handle meat and vegetables with a single knife, it has recently become popular for home use as well.

Seki Magoroku traces its roots to the Seki blacksmiths, swordsmiths who began making Japanese swords in Mino Province (present-day Seki City, Gifu Prefecture) during the Kamakura period (1185 to 1333).
In the late Muromachi period (1336 to 1573), in the midst of a time of constant warfare, the Seki blacksmiths produced highly practical swords to meet demand.
Among them, the second-generation Magoroku Kanemoto created a Japanese sword famed for being “unbreakable, unbending, and razor-sharp,” commonly known as Seki Magoroku.
Loved by many warlords, Seki Magoroku is characterized by its distinctive “three cedar” hamon pattern and beautiful form, and is highly regarded around the world.
Carrying on this traditional craftsmanship and spirit, and combining them with cutting-edge technology, Kai Corporation created the knife brand Seki Magoroku.
Holding the top domestic market share for household use, the brand’s knives are especially known for their beautiful, artistic appearance and striking sharpness that brings out the flavor of ingredients.

Tojiro is a brand of Tojiro Co., Ltd., based in Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture.
When the company was founded in 1953, it was not a knife maker but a farm tool manufacturer.
Because farm tool makers had almost no income in winter when farm work was impossible, the company sensed the risk of this situation and began producing Western tableware.
Making products that met needs by drawing on local strengths and its knowledge of farm tool production, and helped by the growing demand for blades such as fruit knives, the company eventually narrowed its business to knives alone.
Then, after its first appearance at Ambiente, the world’s largest international trade fair held in Germany in 2004, its recognition and sales grew rapidly.
When it presented knives made by artisans with uncompromising attention to quality, Tojiro spread around the world under the TOJIRO brand name.
For this reason, Tojiro still receives many orders from overseas and is now known worldwide.
Tojiro is also one of the few manufacturers that handles the entire knife-making process in-house, and its knives are known for long-lasting sharpness, toughness, and resistance to chipping.
It is also highly regarded for its stylish designs and wide lineup of more than 1,000 products.

Jikko Hamono is the brand of Jikko Co., Ltd., a knife specialty store founded in Sakai, Osaka in 1900.
Sakai prospered as a city of blades, where blacksmithing techniques were cultivated and developed over a long period, and Sakai blades are designated by the Japanese government as traditional crafts.
Jikko’s strength lies in manufacturing knives with a commitment to sharpness, using the skills of artisans who carry on that tradition.
To date, the company has shipped more than 1 million knives in total and is especially highly regarded by Japanese cuisine chefs.
The reason is that its highly refined handmade manufacturing creates a “clear difference,” and its generous maintenance service helps keep the knives in like-new condition for a long time.
Another feature of Jikko Hamono is its name engraving service.
A special one-of-a-kind knife, with a name engraved on the blade by a skilled artisan, is also appreciated as a gift.

Masahiro is a brand of Masahiro Co., Ltd., based in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, the same city as Seki Magoroku.
Dedicated to blade-making since its founding, the company is a long-established knife maker with a history of more than 70 years and carries out integrated production at its own factory.
Rather than chasing design trends or fashions, Masahiro’s strength lies in its commitment to making knives that people will use and cherish for many years.
The know-how of veteran artisans is condensed into every single knife.
Backed by passion and skill devoted to blade-making, its high-quality products can truly be called knives that pursue “true value.”
In addition, all materials used in production are sourced within Japan, and processing is completed domestically, making them literally made-in-Japan knives.

Sakai Takayuki is a brand of Aoki Hamono Seisakusho Co., Ltd., based in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, the same city as Jikko Hamono.
Its history began as a wholesale dealer of Sakai forged blades, founded from the founder’s wish to sell knives best suited to wagashi confectionery artisans.
After working through OEM production and sales of sourced products, the company eventually established the Sakai Takayuki brand.
In this way, the company also inherits the lineage of traditional Sakai blades, and by adopting a division-of-labor system in which specialist artisans handle each stage of the process, it achieves high quality down to the finest details.
Forged and polished without compromise from high-quality materials, its knives are characterized by a sense of luxury and outstanding sharpness worthy of being called the pinnacle of Japanese knives.
They are also appealing for their resistance to chipping and ease of sharpening, and are used by chefs around the world.