As a product tester, I’ve tested hundreds of products, particularly gardening tools. In all the thousands of hours I’ve clocked up digging my way through different products, one nation’s manufacturing output has stood out among all the rest: Japan.
I don’t want to give the wrong impression. The notion of Japanese gardening tools is something of a marketing gimmick, and many brands will tell you that their tools are ‘artisanal’ or ‘traditional’ when they’ve really just been mass-produced in a factory. There’s a lot of Japanese tools out there that aren’t worth your money. However, several of my favorite essential gardening tools just so happen to be Japanese-made.
I’ve collected together the very best Japanese gardening tools from my years of testing, so you can evaluate for yourself if these tools are worth your money.
You can trust Homes & Gardens.
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, helping you choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
ARS HS-KR1000 Hedge Shears
Jitsuyou Tabi Gardening Shoes
Hounen Kouzansaku Weeding Sickle
Japanese gardening tool FAQs
It’s not so much a question of ‘better’, but Japanese tools use high-quality Japanese steel, and unlike many other countries’ tools, they tend to use wood or metal handles rather than plastic and TPR rubber. This tends to mean that Japanese tools are harder wearing.
Some of the marketing copy you’ll see out there will claim that these tools are ‘handmade’, or ‘artisan‘, which is often untrue, but the reality is that many Japanese-made gardening tools are better than their mass-produced equivalents manufactured in China, America, and India.
For more help with gardening tools, take a look at our guides to deadheading mistakes, or how to use a pruning saw.
