The Japanese carpenter plane (kannakanna'), is a type of carpenter plane that cuts by pulling and not by pushing unlike Western planes. They are made of hardwood, usually white or red Japanese oak. The laminated iron and steel blade is thick compared to Western ones. With a trapezoidal shape, thick on the outside and of a reduced thickness until reaching the edge, the blade is at the same time a wedge since it fits into a notch made for that purpose in the body of the guillame. This eliminates the need for an extra wedge to secure the blade, as in most traditional guillames. The chipbreaker is held fixed only by a nail inserted at a distance and perpendicular to the axis of the main blade. The chipbreaker doesn't start thick and end up thin like the blade, instead it has bent ears that hold onto it. Chipbreakers were introduced to Japan relatively recently, during the Meiji period. The bases of Japanese guillames also have different characteristics for various functions. The apparently simple design does not show the high degree of complexity that exists.

The name changes from kanna to ganna are due to rendaku.