Name: A Typical Workday at a Japanese Hardware Tool Store
Uploaded: 2025-06-18T10:54:52.000Z
Duration: 15 min 15 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

This is a typical workday at a local Japanese hardware tool shop

Adverbs of frequency

So this morning i'm just outside of Tokyo in the Chiba area and i've always wondered what a shop like this behind me

To-infinitive

So that's what we're gonna find out today and all I have to do is wait for them to open up the shop

So this is a typical workday at Kirakuya a local Japanese second-hand tool shop tucked away in the quiet neighborhood of Ichikawa Chiba since 1948 this low-key shop has been a trusted go-to for local construction workers and do-it-yourself

Enthusiasts alike as it's filled from floor to ceiling with every tool imaginable all at reasonable prices

Oh the store manager is here Imazono-san. Good morning

Do you always come to work on your motorcycle?

He usually arrives around 8 30 and is always the first one here

So how many years have you been working at the shop?

After quickly preparing the register he moves on to setting up the storefront

Growing up in a home filled with hardware tools

Thanks to his electrician father Imazono-san developed an early fascination with machines as a child

He loved nothing more than taking them apart to see how they work

Cute that's their store mascot Makita-kun

Hey, so are all the items in the store second hand?

Oh, where do you source the new products?

Cool the other workers here. Good morning. How long have you been working here?

Wow, so how has the industry changed over time?

Ah, I see so what do you do when you're not working?

As part of his morning routine he cleans up around the shop in japan

It's common practice for businesses to keep the street in front of their stores neat and tidy even if it's a public road

It's about more than just cleanliness. It reflects a deep-rooted cultural value of community responsibility and pride in one's surroundings

Now at 9 a.m, the store is officially open the morning is slow, huh?

I don't think a lot of people come to the store in the morning except for those who need to buy ingredients

Before it gets busy. He checks emails for inquiries and orders

I guess he's considering purchasing a welding machine

Since the products in the store are secondhand

It's common to let customers test them to see if they're functioning properly before purchasing

In addition to repairing and selling products at the shop

It's also critical that he provides excellent service to his customers in japan

Politeness and sincerity often take precedence over practical friendliness

Which is deeply rooted in the idea that the customer is god ultimately shaping how service is delivered with careful attention to matters tone and even word choice

He says that in japan makita make up about 60% of the market share and since their batteries are interchangeable between their tools

Professionals tend to use it on site so they can share their tools with each other. This one is so cheap

As mentioned earlier the store purchases used tools and equipment and then resells them

But before it can be resold the shop thoroughly cleans and inspects each item before it goes on the sales floor

One of his tasks today is to work on a cement mixer. They purchased the day before

Prior to working at the shop imazono-san worked in interior construction handling major convenience store projects throughout japan

Using a wide range of tools throughout his professional career

This experience provided him with first-hand knowledge on how his customers would use their tools and what's important to them

So he can offer insightful recommendations. Hey, you're not going to clean the side

See he says that he focuses on cleaning the parts essential for the tools functionality

For example, he removed the mortar around the screws because it would interfere with changing the blades

I guess he's moving on to the next item a chainsaw

This one came from a customer who bought it at the store

But it needs repair the shop standard policy includes a one month warranty plus a one week return period for initial defects

Excluding older models. This one though is past its one month warranty, but the shop offered to repair it for a fee

He says that he had a mentor when he first started but since training only happened when there was an actual item to repair

He took it upon himself to study on his own four hours every night after work during his first year that level of

Dedication reflects a strong japanese work ethic a constant drive to improve even beyond working hours

Hey, you gotta make money doing what you love

Hey, what do you think about tools from the 100 yen shop?

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A Typical Workday at a Japanese Hardware Tool Store

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