As I was leaving Two Ladies Kitchen, I was moseying to the car when this cute little cartoon cat caught my attention. Now let me tell you that I am FAR from being a cat person, but I fell in love with the little guy and decided he had to go home with me. I talked to the owner and found out that he used to specialize in custom framing, but recently decided to stop production and focus on the artwork. He was in the middle of working with the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo because they were interested in carrying his artwork! I love the motto for the Dharma cat, Wabi-Sabi, meaning, life is not perfect. read more

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I really enjoy this shop. It has very beautiful signs with profound sayings. I always visit and talk with the owner when I'm in town getting mochi. He is so friendly and helpful. I love the cat drawings that his daughter made too. read more

Just a couple shops down the street from Two Ladies Kitchen is a little frame shop/art gallery full of Asian inspired art. They have been a frame shop for the past 25 years, and have more recently started producing and selling original art. If you find yourself in Hilo town be sure to stop by and check it out! Some of the smaller items in the shop make some great non-food omiyage! read more

Tanimoto Dharma Designs - Gift Shops Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I love love love their Wabi-Sabi line! If you like cute, inspirational things this is the place! Especially if you like cats! It's right by Two Ladies Kitchen so stop by after picking up your mochi! I ended up getting a picture with the words Ichigo Ichie, which means to treasure each meeting for it may never happen again. #Deep read more

Saw this store on Yelp and convinced my husband to take me to pick up some gifts for friends on our last day in Hilo! The owner was so kind and helpful! We picked up cute wabi-sabi cat and powerful zen message magnets, a boko art piece and a re-useable wabi- sabi bag. Got home and put names on all my gifts then found I needed more! Thank goodness they have an online website!! More magnets ordered!! Even if you don't like cats, these wabi-sabi themed goods are SO cute you can't resist!! I think I'm needing a stuffed wabi-sabi cat too! read more

The framing at Tanimotos is outstanding. I have never been disappointed in their work. Anyone could put a frame together and some matt board. But at Tanimotos you will get quality. Not only do they perform museum quality archival framing but their are artists and create a beautiful showcase for your piece. If you have important documents or certificates that you need preserved Brian and his crew will take good care of you. They were also able to match the previous job they had done for me and ship it to me with no problems. I do not trust my important framing to anyone else. read more

Brian was very friendly and very informative on all his products. Great atmosphere and alot to see especially if you LOVE cats. Would highly recommend him if you want something done special, he is the person to see. read more

Tanimoto Dharma Designs - calico cat - Gift Shops Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The purrr-fect impect kitty cat mascot is super cute! It was hard for me not to pick up a few trinkets and souvenirs from this quaint little shop. My friends picked up a good number of magnets with awesome cat graphics and we also chatted with the owner who told us that the cat was created by his young daughter and it just took off! He even made us an out-of-stock magnet on the spot when we asked! Best wishes to this little shop and a definite recommend if you are in the area. read more

One of the things I like to do as a Yelper, is to wander into businesses and check out how they operate. If I'm lucky, I'll get to talk to the owner to get a better idea of how their business philosophy. I was waiting for the rest of my order from Two Ladies Kitchen (the best place in Hilo for mochi) and noticed this store was next door. Yoshi, the owner, was there and we had a delightful discussion on the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi. My wife and daughters love the little black cat drawing (which Yoshi's daughter did at 13) as well as the whimsical sayings. Yoshi explained Wabi-Sabi is a Japanese expression to remind one to enjoy the imperfections in perfection. Or a more Westernized phraselogy is to enjoy the road and not worry about the potholes or speedbumps you encounter. He laughed and said the phrase "Life is purr-fectly imperfect was an attempt to convey that thought to those unfamiliar with the expression Wabi-sabi. I was impressed by his philosophical frame of mind and noticed a wall full of wonderful quotes and photos. I didn't recognize any of the quotations from other authors and Yoshi said he was the creator. Needless to say I was impressed by the matching of the quote to the photos. Before leaving, my wife wandered in and we purchased more items for her growing wabi-sabi collection which is more valued since we know the philosophy behind it. I really enjoyed the visit and would encourage my fellow Yelpers to visit the store as well! read more

Do you know what a Van Gogh or a vintage Otsuka painting look like? Me, neither. I can spend time in a museum, wandering around and looking at artwork but I don't think I know how to appreciate art for what it is, despite taking rudimentary art courses in school. And, truth be told, I have to wonder how a small gallery makes it in a town like Hilo. Maybe it's the spillover traffic from Two Ladies Kitchen just a few doors down, or the fact that it's on a main street, or maybe nobody else on the East side does framing as expertly as they do here. Or, just maybe, it's because they're a great store. I'd seen Tanimoto's on every trip to Hilo (en route for mochi at Two Ladies Kitchen), but never had a reason to walk in until I'd arrived four hours early for a meeting and found myself with nothing to do. The first thing I saw on entering the store literally mesmerized me. I spent twenty minutes looking at it, but not being a big art guy I left without it. On returning to Hilo months later I made it a point to stop in and told myself that if it was still there I'd have to buy it. Long story short: it now graces my bedroom. The staff here are very knowledgeable, helpful and low key; no sales staff hovering over your shoulder, no sales-y talk trying to get you to buy a lithograph of lehua blossoms or framed kanji. Just competent, friendly service, and a small but beautiful collection of paintings and photographs. They also get bonus points for remembering me years later, and remembering exactly what I bought. read more

They owner is super nice and their products are the cutest. Wanted to buy everything . It is so calming walking in there. Will definitely be returning to visit their shop again. read more

Wabi-sabi has a great story (father-daughter art design; wabi-sabi philosophy for a perfectionist), is thoughtfully executed (printed on rice paper, kamaboko blocks stained w Japanese calligraphy ink), and is very aesthetic. Who can resist Wabi-sabi cat? Purchased framed Momo no aware and Ichigo Ichie boko. Great for meaningful omiyage or a treat for yourself. read more

Tanimoto Dharma Designs - Boko art - Gift Shops Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This is such a cool spot! Little hidden gem in Hilo Town!! Great gifts - inspirational messages - So happy I walked in the door! The owner is very friendly and helpful. I am addicted to this little cat! If you are a tourist and want something fun and unusual to take home for a gift - this is the shop! If you are a local resident and are looking for that special gift for someone (or yourself!!) Please stop in and support this shop! Products are AWESOME! read more

I just love this little shop! Everything I see and buy just brightens my day! Owner Brian Tanimoto shares so much heartfelt wisdom. Pick something for yourself ad buy for friends! read more

This is a team of 3 high-quality framing craftsmen, led by Brian Tanimoto. They have been framing my photographs and other art pieces for over 20 years! Need I say more? The frames are finely-crafted, they are diligent about archival issues, their recommendations for presentation are skilled, and their customer service is unsurpassed anywhere. In addition, they are really nice guys. In East Hawaii, if presentation and preservation of your artwork is important to you, this is the right choice. S Garon read more

Now I've only been here once but I don't believe in accidents so......this place is a true gem. What a sweet, creative, and fun energy this store has. I fell in love with only about a million pieces! I adore the sentiment and love that is in their designs. And I LOVE cats and much of their artwork was very kitty adoring. I didn't purchase anything (although I sure could have!) I am going to come back with my Honey and pick out a few pieces which resonate with both of us. If you have a chance, check this store out! read more

Came to Hilo to visit & stopped by this store. Bought a t-shirt, some bracelets and magnets that I'm saving as Christmas gifts. Brian the owner was so friendly & shared some history behind his products. I absolutely love this place. It has a positive vibe and it's so important to support our local business community. If you haven't checked out this place yet you really should! I will definitely be back! Thanks Brian!! read more

A great shop with a variety of products. Love the Dharma cat series and the kanji designs. Brian is friendly and an interesting person to talk to. Be sure to spend some time with him...don't just browse. read more

If you need custom framing in Hilo, this is the place to go for quality! This shop is a beautiful little gem for unusual originals, to prints, to gifts. It is small, but worth the effort to visit. Unique! read more

Cute place. My wife got a couple gifts. The artist actually works in the gallery. Pretty cool guy. There are many items to choose from, from magnets to actually framed prints. read more