A traditional Japanese Yanagiba is also called a “sashimi knife” or “sushi knife”. It’s used to slice through large slabs of salmon, tuna, and other raw fish to make sashimi, a mainstay of Japanese cuisine.Unlike Western-style chef's knives, yanagiba knives are long, thin, and sharpened on only one side. This is usually the right-hand side, but left-handed versions are also available. The yanagiba's unique design evolved from the need to slice through fish without damaging any delicate muscle fibers and thereby ruining the flavor and mouthfeel.The yanagiba's name originated from the shape of the knife being like a willow leaf (Yanagiba) or iris leaf (Shobu). The Yanagiba is one of the most common Japanese Knives in restaurants across Japan. If a restaurant sells sushi, you'll likely see one of these!