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Thousand Cranes
Categories: Shopping Fashion Women's Clothing Shopping Fashion Men's Clothing Shopping Fashion Used, Vintage & Consignment Women's Clothing, Men's Clothing, Used, Vintage & Consignment [Edit]
1803 4th St(between Virginia St & Hearst Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94710
Neighborhood: Fourth Street
(510) 849-0501
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
$100 for $150 Certificate
Stu S. said: "I bought a suit here about three years ago, and was very pleased with the service. I was surprised at the large selection and was able to find my size…" read more »
14 reviews for Thousand Cranes
Review Highlights
"...fabric, and some very beautiful futon covers as well."
(in 3 reviews)
"It is Japanese owned and has great selection of materials."
(in 11 reviews)
"...also bought some nifty cotton kimonos there as gifts, too."
(in 4 reviews)
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14 reviews in English
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Review from Denise L.
Walnut Creek, CA
8/29/2011
Very clean and organized and the sales lady was SO nice and sweet! She was almost motherly in explaining to me the differences between cotton and wool cotton blend Futons and the maintenance for the Futons :) I'm really glad I came in to the shop I instead of buying on line. She gave me 10% off of the futon cover for buying it the same time as the mattress. And I forgot to mention that she let me lay down on the two different types of futon in the store. They have a full size 10 layer cotton futon and a full size 12 layer wool cotton blend for you to try out. They also have what must be hundreds of different fabrics and beautiful patterns to choose from for your futon covers and some covers already sewn and ready for use.
They also have a lot of rice bowls, kimonos and Japanese trinkets to look through and buy plus some beautiful haiku books :)
We will definitely be back for the comforter and a futon for our son :$ -
Review from Amanda G.
9/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
We stopped in here while waiting for seats at Bette's, and I ended up with a very cool birthday gift!
I have a real affinity for Japanese tea sets, sake sets, bowls, etc. I'm amassing a bit of a collection too:)
There were many items in this store i really liked. I actually had a tough time narrowing down my choices.
I chose a beautiful set of cups, and I'm loving them on my mantle.
This store filled with great treasures, and most are very affordable. -
Review from Toni M.
12/29/2009
This is a store that has been here for years. I have walked by and admired the merchandise in the windows but have spent little time shopping. As Nina and I walked by our attention was caught by the beautiful ceramic teapots in the window. And the Sale signs. Just after we walked in and were admiring a particularly lovely teapot, another woman walked in. She and the shop owner greeted each other w/ hugs and excited conversation in Japanese. Then she introduced the shop owner to her companions, her daughter and her 97 year old mother. While they visited we wandered the shop admiring the merchandise on display. There were iron teapots, usually black, but here one verdegris and another orange/red, w/ dragonflies embossed on them. I didn't feel neglected as I had no intention of buying anything, more privileged to be a bystander at such a warm and lovely conversational exchange.
As we moved back toward the back of the store we saw a rack of kimonos. There was one that would have been fabulous on Nina but the length was too short for her, so it was easy to resist. One or the other of us saw one of rayon/silk cut velvet in black w/ green and rust highlights. It was gorgeous and on sale for about $89. I tried it on over my heavy sweater and it fit loosely enough that I knew it would fit even better over a black shell. The colors answered the colors in the necklace I had just bought at Bryn Walker. Obviously it was meant to be, so I bought it. I think I'll wear them New Year's Eve. For someone who's not fond of shopping, I cut quite a swath on Fourth Street today. I'm sitting here taking pleasure in thinking about all my "prizes". -
Review from stephy s.
San Francisco, CA
4/28/2008
Good Lord, I'm hot!
I know that might sound arrogant, but if you ever get the chance to see me in the kimono I scored here yesterday, you will have to pick your jaw up off the floor, cuz seriously, I am friggin smokin! Want more deets? Oh alright.
So it's vintage and from the 50's and well, anything vintage is fine with me. The condition is immaculate and apparently the lady that owned it before me never wore it and it sat in her closet. Lucky me. I also purchased another robe that is, well, wow. Yeah, I am in lust with this store and the sweet little lady who runs the joint is adorable, so definitely check it out. Not on the super cheap side, but most of the stores on 4th kinda fall into that category. -
Review from Michael R.
Berkeley, CA
9/7/2007 8 photos
I'm a guy, and I do not live to shop. I'm especially allergic to shopping for cutesy little baby stuff. So when one of my friends or family tells me they're going to be losing sleep and wiping baby barf off their clothes for the next year-long eternity, I run over to Thousand Cranes Futon Shop.
No, I do not buy them a futon. They won't be able to use it much, anyway. I go buy them a really cool Japanese baby comforter. These little treasures are fine woolen baby blankets zipped into stylish Japanese covers.
Everyone raves about them. My nephew and his wife stuck theirs on the wall - yeah, missing the point, but they are beautiful. They go for $80-100 bucks. So you all know what a cheapskate I am now. But they *look* like you dropped a shogun's ransom for the little drooler's present.
Thousand Cranes also wraps them up for you. So lazy slobs such as yours truly don't have to even do that much while keeping an utterly undeserved reputation as a suave and debonair baby gift buyer.
I've also bought some nifty cotton kimonos there as gifts, too. Never mind for whom. And I also snagged a stylish vintage black silk kimono with an almost Escher-like crane motif scooting around the bottom for myself.
There are other things, like netsuke: cool miniature carvings formerly used as clothing accessories, hashioki: chopstick rests (keeps you of dying from embarrassment when your chopsticks roll off the table), and endless yards of beautiful fabrics.
Yeah, they do sell futons, futon furniture, pillows, etc. But I had a bad futon experience, so am sticking with Western beds. The wonderful woman who runs the shop is helpful and kind. She'll help you figure things out, and will give you printed care instructions for your purchase.
Parking sucks around 4th Street, the trendy little yuppie enclave where Thousand Cranes is located, but it's only a short walk from the North Berkeley Bart, and this place is worth the trek. -
Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
8/3/2008
This shop has been around for many years.
It is Japanese owned and has great selection of materials.
I once purchased a couple of chaise type futons and matching large Japanese pillows, all custom covered with a nice Japanese like pattern.
Excellent service and quality, unique materials.Listed in: Wanugee! Shopping, Wanugee! Berkeley
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Review from Berna T.
5/21/2008
Surprisingly, this shop is better than most of the places in SF's Japantown. They have a large selection of vintage silk kimonos and walls of Japanese fabric, and some very beautiful futon covers as well. (My mom would absolutely go ape-shit in this place, for reals.) Lots to look at, so take your time.
I got really distracted by the stickers, of all things.Listed in: I'm Turning Japanese (I Really…
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Review from guavajelly m.
Alameda, CA
4/6/2009
I'm crazy about Japanese indigo textiles. There are not a lot of places that sell high quality indigo noren or tablecloths or zabuton covers. This place does. And the owner has a really good eye for stuff. I went in with one of my favorite books in hand, "Blue and White Japan" by Amy Katoh and showed her a page with a pic of how I wanted to decorate my living room and she gave me a cheaper and more realistic idea about how to do it.
Wish they had a few more antiques and some more steals but this place has been great for me on every visit. -
Review from derik p.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2007
Charming, Authentic, and reasonable...
I don't have a futon - but they do have all kinds of Japanese goods all over the place to put a little Zen in your life. The owner is pictured above...VERY sweet lady. -
Review from Rebecca H.
Dublin, CA
11/10/2008
Beautiful store, lots of little kitschy things as well as gorgeous textiles and futons. Sometimes there are sales, and the service is always gracious. I've bought little things here before, cards and knick knacks, and always enjoy seeing what's new.
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Review from Mary R.
Berkeley, CA
4/6/2009
This is an authentic Japanese gift shop with high quality items. The women that work here are extremely nice and helpful. I came here to buy Japanese Iron Bells (starting at $6.95) as small tokens of appreciation, but I adored their futon covers, tea pots, ceramics, vases and other cute Japanese items.
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Review from Ryan Y.
Berkeley, CA
3/21/2009
I wish I could afford it because I would so buy half the store. They have so many nice things that you would find in a Japanese home from the futon bed with tatami to tansu cabinets, yukata, fabrics, cushions, fine laquerware, and other things. It's fun to just walk in here and look around - I just wish it weren't so expensive, even on Japanese pricing standards. This is 4th street.
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Review from Ali D.
Berkeley, CA
2/6/2010
I just bought a birthday present for my mom here today (a silk shirt-jacket thingy with a nice flower design), which reminded me that I got her a birthday present last year as well (a lacquerd ginko-leaf wooden box). I forgot what a great place this is for presents, they have very reasonable prices and a beautiful selection of all kinds of Japanese items. Their textiles are lovely - I had a had pretty hard time deciding between the silk jacket-shirt thingy that I ended up getting today and one of their awesome cotton kimono bath robes. They also have amazingly priced Tanzu chests, all kinds of cute animal themed table-wear, ceramic tea pots and cups and, of course, futons. Anytime I have a present to get, I shall go here.
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Review from chad H.
San Francisco, CA
10/22/2009
My wife and I came in this early evening Saturday, with the intention of buying a bedframe and mattress. The woman there was so rude, we decided to not bother.
