Here is an ultimate list of where to buy Japanese knives online.
The list currently includes 30 stores, and I will continue to add to it in the future.
Full List of Online Japanese Knife Shops
Each of these shops only sell authentic Japanese knives. You won’t find any weird knock-offs here.
Many of these shops also have physical brick & mortar locations or “showrooms”, so that you can go and hold the knife before actually buying (if you happen to be nearby).
The list is ordered in terms of popularity (i.e. how much web traffic they get). You can also search and sort by location / alphabetically if you prefer.
The list currently includes stores based in Japan, USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Germany and Slovenia!
Disclaimer: Hocho Knife, SharpEdge and Yoshimune are affiliate partners of The Chef Dojo. If you purchase through these links, The Chef Dojo receives a small commission. It helps support the site!
| Name | Location(s) | Type | Note | Traffic (US monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Chefs Knife | Seki, Japan | Online only | $10 off | 465000 |
| Hocho Knife | Kyoto, Japan | Online only | Affiliate partner | 115600 |
| Knifewear | Canada | Online / Brick & Mortar | 95000 | |
| Korin | New York, USA | Online / Brick & Mortar | 93000 | |
| MTC Kitchen | New York, USA | Online / Brick & Mortar | 82000 | |
| Japanny x Seisuke Knife | Portland, USA / Tokyo, Japan | Online / Brick & Mortar | 80000 | |
| Japanese Knife Company | London, UK | Online / Brick & Mortar | 78000 |
|
| Global Kitchen Japan | Hanno, Japan | Online only | 67000 | |
| Chef Knives to Go | Wisconsin, USA | Online only | 60000 | |
| Sharp Knife Shop | Ontario, Canada | Online / Brick & Mortar | 34500 | |
| Bernal Cutlery | San Francisco, USA | Online / Brick & Mortar | 31000 | |
| Chubo Knives | New York, USA / Tokyo, Japan | Online only | 23500 | |
| Japanese Knife Imports | Beverly Hills, USA | Online / Brick & Mortar | 18000 | |
| Chef Knives Japan | Oita, Japan | Online only | 17000 | |
| SharpEdge | Slovenia, Europe | Online / Brick & Mortar | 16000 | |
| Yoshihiro | Redondo Beach, USA | Online / Brick & Mortar | 15700 | |
| Tosho Knife Arts | Toronto, Canada | Online / Brick & Mortar | 10300 | |
| Carbon | Denver, USA | Online / Brick & Mortar | 8000 | |
| Yuisenri | Sakai City, Japan | Online only | 6000 | |
| Knives and Stones | St Peters, NSW, Australia | Online / Brick & Mortar | 5500 | |
| Burrfection | Hong Kong (? not sure) | Online only | 5500 | |
| Miura Knives | Nagoya, Japan | Online / Brick & Mortar | 5000 | |
| Hitohira | Tokyo, Japan | Online only | 4200 | |
| Strata Portland | Portland, Maine, USA | Online / Brick & Mortar | 3680 | |
| Hasu Seizo | Seattle, USA | Online only | 3300 | |
| Honmamon | Hyogo, Japan | Online only | 2000 | |
| Ai & Om Knives | Vancouver, Canada | Online / Brick & Mortar | 2000 | |
| Chef’s Edge | Perth, Australia | Online / Brick & Mortar | 1400 | |
| Silveback Knives | Germany | Online only | 1100 | |
| Rangelrooij | Netherlands | Online / Brick & Mortar | 1000 | |
| Yoshimune | Kyoto, Japan | Online / Brick & Mortar | Affiliate | 300 |
The Best Place to buy Japanese Knives Online
So many shops; how to choose one?? If you need some recommendations, here are a few of my favorite shops on this list.
Hocho Knife (affiliate)
Hocho Knife is an affiliate partner of The Chef Dojo, so of course I have to recommend them!
They also just happen to have one of the best selection of knives sourced from top brands and blacksmiths across Japan. They carry every knife type, and have something for every budget level. They also sell other knife accessories like whetstones and cutting boards.
Hocho Knife should definitely be one of the first places you look when buying a Japanese knife. They ship worldwide straight from Japan.
Some of their brands: Sakai Takayuki, Iseya, Kanetsune, Fujiwara Kanefusa, Tojiro, Masamoto, Misono, and many more
Chef Knives to Go
Chef Knives to Go is one of the most popular sites for Japanese knife enthusiasts. They have an enormous selection of brands/makers to choose from. You will be overwhelmed by the selection.
The company is run by a husband and wife team out of Wisconsin, USA. They offer great customer service, and also have an old school knife forum where you can ask others for advice.
Orders ship from the USA.
Some of their brands: Kurosaki, Kotetsu, MAC, Tojiro, Masamoto, Takamura, and many more
SharpEdge (affiliate)
SharpEdge is great Japanese knife store based out of Slovenia. They are also an affiliate partner, so make sure you visit them!
SharpEdge has an excellent selection of knives, from large brands like Tojiro and MAC, to many individual makers like Takeshi Saji, and Shigeki Tanaka.
You can get every possible knife type at Sharp edge from the typical santoku, gyuto and nakiri to the more specialized yanagiba, deba, and even soba/udon-kiri (i.e. noodle knives).
SharpEdge also sells sharpening stones and other accessories.
If you’re in Europe, and want some quick shipping, then SharpEdge is definitely your best bet. They also have a showroom in Slovenia if you happen to be in the area.
Some of their brands: Tojiro, Sakai Takayuki, MAC, Takeshi Saji, and more…
Knifewear
Knifewear is the top Japanese knives store based in Canada. They have multiple physical locations across the country including Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Toronto.
Excellent selection of knives from top Japanese brands, as well as the very cool option to search knives by blacksmith.
Also have a great selection of cutting boards, and other cooking accessories.
Definitely recommend buying from Knifewear (especially if you’re in Canada).
Some of their brands: Fujimoto, Miyabi, Sakai Takayuki, Seki Kanetsugu, Tojiro, Shun, and more…
Japanese Knife Imports
Japanese Knife Imports is another go to choice for hardcore knife enthusiasts. The company is based out of Beverly Hill, California, and was also started by a husband and wife team (similar to Chef Knives to Go).
They sell mainly higher end Japanese knives (e.g. no gyuto costs less than $100), from smaller makers and brands. They have their own brand called Gesshin which they produce in collaboration with Japanese craftsmen. The Gesshin whetstones are some of the best sharpening stones on the market.
KORIN
Located in New York, Korin is one of the best known Japanese knife retailers in the world. They have been around since 1982, and are one of the first companies to introduce Japanese knives to North America.
They carry a variety of major brands, and also produce their own line of knives. Apart from knives, they also sell all sorts of professional Japanese kitchenware like rice cookers, charcoal grills, and ramen making machines!
Some of their brands: Suisin, Misono, Masamoto, Glestain, and more..
MTC Kitchen
MTC (Mutal Trading Company) Kitchen is another company based out of New York. They have been around since 1926 (over 90 years!), and started as a simple Japanese food import company. They have grown a lot since then.
They have a huge selection of knives from budget friendly to super premium. They also have a great selection of sharpening stones, and cutting boards (one of few places to get Hasegawa cutting boards online).
You can basically find anything you want related to Japanese cooking, food, or knives at MTC Kitchen…even sushi robots.
Some of their brands: Takamura, Tsukiji Masamoto, Sakai Takayuki, Misono, Ikkaku Donryu, and more…
Did I miss any?
That’s my list of 30+ online shops to buy authentic Japanese knives.
Now it’s your turn:
Which of these is your favorite place to buy Japanese kitchen knives?
Or, did I leave one out?
In any case, let me know in the comments below!
Please could you add some more stores within the EU? E.g. I bought 3 japanese knives at Silverback Knives, Germany (EU) http://www.silverback-knives.com and I can recommend them.
The costs add up with all the great stores from Japan, USA and Canada: VAT (you have to pay from 1 Euro Cent on) and if the knife is above € 150.-: plus customs & a handling fee! Usualy you have to add about 40% e.g. from Japan, when above € 150.-. E.g. a Yanagiba for EUR 400.- is around EUR 700.-.
I’ve got 2 HAP40 knives from Silverback (Santoku + Nakiri); Kohetsu is behind their branding). My ultra sharp “working horses”.
I also bought an Aogami 2 Petty Knife from them – just great: from Yoshimitsu Hamono, near Nagasaki. The Aogami 2 got a nice silvergrey patina within 3 weeks, as expected and HAP40 (a Hitachi powder steel) does not change at all (with “only” 6% chrome: this was unexpected) – as long as you whipe the blade(s) sometimes between and after usage. This PS is much more easy to sharpen than I thought after “reading the knives internet forums”. HAP40 stays ultra-sharp “forever” – about 2-3 times longer than Aogami 2 and roughly 4-5 times longer than my Global (Yosikin) Cromova 18 steel G-46 Santoku. My first Japanese knive encounter. I still use it for cutting lemons and oranges, pumpkins and watermelons. Very forgiving, but never rasor sharp +++ as you need it, e.g. for cutting sashimi.
Hi Rod,
Thanks for the tip. I have added Silverback knives to the list!
If you need another store in the EU, make sure to also check out SharpEdge