Japanology Plus 2016-04-21 - Bladed Tools

The image of Japan portrayed in overseas media often amounts to a somewhat contradictory blend of the traditional and the futuristic. The excitement of first-time visitors about their upcoming trip is fuelled in equal parts by images of samurai and robots, tea ceremonies and capsule hotels, and so some new arrivals may initially be surprised at how otherworldly the country doesn’t seem.



Little do many of these holidaymakers realize that all they need do in order to glimpse a unique aspect of Japan that at once harkens back to the weaponry of samurai warlords, and represents (in more ways than one) the cutting edge of technology, is step into a sushi restaurant.



There they will see an array of knives that, while superficially familiar, have evolved to fit the very specific needs of Japanese cuisine, where presentation is of paramount importance. A typical sushi chef will use as many as seven different types of knife on a daily basis for such tasks as skinning, deboning and slicing raw fish, as well as cutting and peeling vegetables and more. And the more demanding the task, the more specific the blade to match.