We’ll cut to the chase: Finding the best Japanese chef’s knife is an overwhelming task. So we collected the best Japanese kitchen knives that you, a first-, second-, maybe third-time buyer should be interested in. Best Japanese Chef’s Knife: ​​ Best Budget Japanese Knife: ​​ Best Japanese Knife Block Upgrade: ​Before we start, though, a word on what makes Japanese knives different from Western ones. And Japanese knives are not as abusable as Western knives. That said, these are the best Japanese knives.