Japanese gardening tools are worth the investment – and I've put hundreds to the test to find the best ones

First up, in my humble opinion, the best pruners ever made. Other gardeners will disagree, but I have yet to use a better set than these. They're remarkably robust, incredibly comfortable, and the safety catch is secure but easy to open. While the red and white handles look great, they also make it easy to spot these prunes if you drop them into a shrub or onto a lawn on accident.

Next, my favorite hedge shears. At just under two pounds, they're one of the lightest shears I've ever used, so you never get tired while you use them. Best of all, the blade is absurdly sharp, so they're perfect for topiary and precise trimming. They're not always great for tackling thick branches, but they excel at almost every task I've tested them on.

I'm not entirely convinced by hori hori knives (I am a die-hard partisan of the Capability Trowel, available at Amazon) but this is hard to beat. Niwaki's hori hori is incredibly high-quality and well-conceived and easily cuts through tough roots. It's great for precise sowing and saves you from carrying around a dibber and a hand trowel and saw all at once, but you may struggle with tougher digging.

ARS also make one of my favorite pruning saws. It was the last saw I tested on a long day of pruning rhododendron branches and this saw felt like a miracle. It's like pulling a saw through melted butter. It's a little awkward to strap the holster to your leg, but I can't fault it's performance for heavy-duty pruning.

A golden shovel seems a little fancy, but this is a solid, hard-wearing tool. It's lightweight but tough, and does a great job at powering through compacted dirt. While it's nice that it comes with a canvas bag, the issue is the price - it's a lot to spend on a work tool.

Tabis are best known in America as Maison Margiela's classic boot (available at Net-A-Porter, for those interested). However, that design is based on a classic Japanese shoe which has also been repurposed for gardening. While I personally don't love the sensation of a split toe shoe, I've worked with a few gardeners who swear by these. The split toe and shallow sole mean it's much less clumsy than an outdoor boot, and it also makes it much easier to climb trees if you need to.

My favorite hand hoe has been discontinued but this looks pretty similar. The heavy metal head makes this a great tool for turning over tough soil to get it ready for planting.

Long hours on my knees weeding have taught me that a sickle like this is one of the best tools. You can dig weeds up right at the roots and cut straight them, eliminating the chance that the plant will grow back again. The only drawback with weeding sickles is that they can be incredibly sharp, so you need to handle them with care.

While it's not exactly a Japanese invention, this Japanese-designed kneeler is my favorite I've ever used. The canvas is waterproof, so it's great for winter work or for gardening on morning dew, and unlike other kneelers, it's soft without totally giving way, offering excellent support to tired knees.