In a ceremony dating back to the 8th century, knife master Hideo Dekura carves a 100 kilogram yellow fin tuna into sashimi.

His special knife is made from a soft metal also used for samurai swords.

The sharpening of the knife is also part of the ritual and is performed with great reverence, as the blade must be extremely sharp to carve the fish with a grace and simplicity of movement.

The license to perform ho cho shiki has been passed down through the many generations of master chefs in the Dekura family. Part of the ritual is the wearing of an elaborate flowing kimono (shitatare) and the imposing black hat known as toriboshi (literally 'bird hat'.)

Hideo Dekura is well known in Sydney as a sashimi and sushi expert and conducts cooking classes in several venues, including the Sydney Seafood School.