When Japanese carpenter Makoto Imai made his way to the Bay Area in 1978, other area carpenters began requesting the sort of tools he was using to build tea houses and temples. What distinguished the Japanese hand tools he was using from the ones common in America was strength and precision. In 1982, Imai-san’s brother-in-law Osamu Hiroyama and author and owner of a then-closed Japanese tool store in Berkeley Kip Mesirow opened Hida Tool Co. in San Rafael. Just two years later, the store moved to its current location in Berkeley, stocking gardening, kitchen, and woodworking tools. Current owner Max Minamizaki estimates that more than half the store’s business is from local customers who walk into the San Pablo Avenue store. Whether you’re looking for a bamboo saw or an upgrade to your kitchen knives, Hida will likely have something precisely for your needs.
1333 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, HidaTools.com.
Best Place to Find Sharp Tools: Hida Tools and Hardware Co.
