some are some aren't but with limited info we don't know what your buying. If they are they wont be for long so you will still need to sharpen them at some point. Buy your cutting tools on the quality of their steel and workmanship, sharpness is inconsequential and adds to the price work you will be doing anyway. IMO. That being said i have one Japanese made knife it was sharp out of the box. i don't think the Japanese folks send out dull tools the one i have wasn't, but Chinese copies may be a different story, you see them marketed as "Japanese style".