Start with Shirogami #2 or Aogami #2
Beginners should avoid the extremes. Shirogami #1 and Aogami Super are extraordinary steels — too extraordinary. Their narrow hardening windows, brittle behavior at high hardness, and extreme sensitivity to sharpening technique make them punishing for newcomers. Shirogami #2 is the logical start: it takes a beautiful edge, sharpens with remarkable ease, and tells you exactly when you've made an error. Aogami #2 is slightly more forgiving of heavy use. Both are available from every major workshop.
Buy a set, not a single chisel
Japanese chisels are sold in sets of 3 (typically 6, 9, 12mm), 5 (3, 6, 9, 12, 18mm), and full sets up to 15 pieces. A set of 3 is the sensible starting point — enough to do real work without breaking the budget. The 6mm, 9mm, and 12mm cover approximately 80% of joinery tasks you'll encounter in the first year. Avoid buying a single chisel to 'test the water' — the price-per-chisel ratio on sets is significantly better.
Oire Nomi vs Tsuki Nomi
For a first chisel, Oire Nomi (bench chisels with hooped handles for hammer use) is the correct choice. Tsuki Nomi (paring chisels) are specialized tools for hand-guided cutting — beautiful but their long, delicate blades require significant sharpening skill and are not meant to be struck. Every beginner should own Oire Nomi first.
What to budget
Under $150 for a 3-piece set: SK Steel or entry-level Shirogami #2 from volume producers. Perfectly functional, good entry tools. $150–$300: Workshop-grade Shirogami #2 or Aogami #2 from named regional producers (Sanjo, Miki). This is the sweet spot — real craftsman-quality tools that will last decades. $300–$600: Named blacksmith tools (Iyoroi, Konobu, Nagahiro). These are investment-grade instruments. Above $600: Tasai, Nakaya Takashi, and equivalent master-smith work. Buy these when you've been sharpening Japanese chisels for at least two years.
Don't neglect sharpening
A Japanese chisel arrives from the smith in a sharpened state, but with a protective coat of lacquer on the blade and often a slightly thicker-than-optimal bevel. Before first use, remove the lacquer with mineral spirits, flatten the back (ura) on a 1000-grit stone, and re-establish the bevel. Skipping this step is the single most common beginner mistake. Budget at least as much on a 1000-grit and finishing stone as on the chisel itself.
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