Japanese Sliced Raw Fish (Sashimi)

Name: Japanese Sliced Raw Fish (Sashimi)
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) sashimi-grade fish, such as tuna, salmon, or yellowtail, skinless and boneless; 1 small daikon radish (about 8 oz / 225 g); 4 shiso leaves (or 8 small mint leaves); 2 tbsp (30 g) pickled ginger (gari); 2 tsp (10 g) wasabi paste, or freshly grated wasabi; 2 cups (480 ml) ice water, for soaking daikon; 1/4 cup (60 ml) Japanese soy sauce

刺身 SashimiSay it: sah-SHEE-mee

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 10, 2026.

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Sashimi is Japan’s precise art of serving very fresh raw fish in clean, glossy slices. It appears nationwide, from home tables to izakaya and sushi counters, often as a first course with soy sauce, wasabi, and crisp daikon. Good sashimi tastes sweet, clean, and ocean-fresh, with a tender bite that varies by fish. Its simplicity is the point: impeccable freshness, careful slicing, and a few traditional garnishes let the fish’s natural flavor and texture speak.

Japanese Sliced Raw Fish (Sashimi)

刺身, Sashimi

Pronounced sah-SHEE-mee

Serves: 4
Prep: 25 min
Cook: —
Total: 25 min
Level: Medium

Dairy-free

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains fish, soy, gluten. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

Fish and garnishes

1 lb (450 g)450 g (1 lb) sashimi-grade fish, such as tuna, salmon, or yellowtail, skinless and boneless
1 small daikon radish (about 8 oz / 225 g)
4 shiso leaves (or 8 small mint leaves)
2 tbsp (30 g)30 g (2 tbsp) pickled ginger (gari)
2 tsp (10 g)10 g (2 tsp) wasabi paste, or freshly grated wasabi
2 cups (480 ml)480 ml (2 cups) ice water, for soaking daikon

Dipping sauce

1/4 cup (60 ml)60 ml (1/4 cup) Japanese soy sauce

Method

Keep the fish wrapped and very cold in the refrigerator until ready to slice, about 20 minutes; do not freeze it. Pat the surface dry with paper towels and set it on a clean cutting board.
Peel the daikon and cut it into very fine julienne. Soak in the 2 cups (480 ml) ice water for 10 minutes, until crisp and lightly translucent, then drain well and pat dry.
Separate the shiso leaves and arrange them on a chilled plate with the pickled ginger and wasabi. Put the soy sauce in small dipping dishes.
Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice the fish against the grain into pieces about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, wiping the blade between cuts. The slices should be even, glossy, and hold their shape.
Fan the fish slices over the shiso, keeping them slightly overlapping. Mound the daikon beside the fish and serve immediately with the soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger.

Regional variant: Katsuo no Tataki (Seared Bonito Sashimi)

Use a thick bonito fillet instead of raw fish. Skewer the fillet, sear the outside over a hot flame or in a very hot pan until browned and lightly charred, then plunge it into ice water, dry, and slice thickly. Serve with ponzu, grated ginger, and garlic chips.

Cook's notes

Buy fish labeled sashimi-grade from a trusted fishmonger and keep it refrigerated until the moment you slice it; freshness is the whole dish.
A very sharp, long knife and one clean pull per slice give clean edges; sawing back and forth bruises the fish.
Slice only what you will eat immediately; sashimi does not improve with resting.

Serve with

Steamed rice, miso soup, and green tea or sake.

Make ahead and storage

Best made and eaten immediately; keep fish refrigerated and slice just before serving.

Japanese Sliced Raw Fish (Sashimi)