Sashimi Knife Technique Hira-Zukuri Sogi-Zukuri Usu-Zukuri

Japan (Edo-period sushi and sashimi knife culture; Sakai, Osaka as yanagiba production centre)

Sashimi cutting technique is the most technically demanding area of Japanese knife work — not merely slicing fish, but choosing the appropriate cut style for each fish type to optimise texture, flavour expression, and visual presentation. The three primary cuts are: hira-zukuri (平造り, flat cut) — the most common, a bold 5–7mm vertical slice drawn straight across the fillet using the full length of the yanagiba blade in a single smooth pull; sogi-zukuri (そぎ造り, diagonal slice) — the blade angled 30–45 degrees during the cut, producing thinner, wider slices that expose more surface area for delicate white fish like flounder and sea bream; and usu-zukuri (薄造り, paper-thin cut) — extremely thin, near-translucent slices cut on the extreme diagonal, typically of firm white fish like fugu (puffer fish), arranged in overlapping fans on the plate through which the plate pattern should be visible. Beyond these core styles: tataki (rough-chopped for tuna belly sashimi), kaku-zukuri (cube cuts for tuna donburi), ito-zukuri (thin julienne for ikura and shirako garnish), and katsura-muki (continuous thin sheet for daikon garnish). The yanagiba's single bevel and extreme length enable the critical single-pull cutting motion — never sawing back and forth — which preserves cell structure for clean flavour and appearance.

Technique determines texture and flavour expression: usu-zukuri creates melt-on-tongue delicacy; hira-zukuri produces satisfying chew; proper cutting preserves pristine flavour