Save Jitensha Studio: Preserve Hiroshi's Craft

Hello friends and community,

As you may know, the Iimura family has had a custom bicycle shop in Berkeley for 43 years. They arrived from Tokyo to New York City in the mid seventies and then moved to Berkeley in 1982 with a dream and set of tools: a dream about weaving beauty and joy into our daily lives with the bicycle. This is something that encompasses so much of their values.

The Jitensha Studio space on Bancroft Way was designed and hand built by Hiroshi, his wife Hiroko, and family friends. They made everything in the space that it is from the hand-cut letters for the front of shop signage, to all of the furniture and displays. He and Hiroko laid every tile on the floor. Those who have visited, know that it feels like a gallery when you walk in.

Within the bicycle community, Jitensha Studio and the bicycles that Hiroshi has designed (sold under the brands Shula, Ebisu, Tonbo and Idaten) are both world renowned and, at the same time, best kept secrets. Hiroshi's designs and aesthetic have long been admired and have had major and often unacknowledged influence across the bicycle industry. His color palette, finishing details, parts spec, tire size, even the curvature of a fork blade, have served as inspiration to or have been wholly copied by other bicycle makers large and small. Long eschewing industry trends and flashy or exotic fads, Hiroshi has maintained an ethos and aesthetic that has transcended time and come back around again and again. Thoughtful design, traditional materials, a focus on light weight balanced with ride quality and durability, all presented with a subtle and sophisticated beauty, are qualities that will never go out of style. Hopefully with a move to a new space, Hiroshi's bicycles will continue to bring joy to new and old customers alike.

Jitensha Studio is one of the very few remaining small family businesses in the growing landscape of small business closure and displacement. The building was recently sold and they are now being forced out: the building is slated for demolition to build luxury apartments.

With this said, Jitensha Studio needs our help. Hiroshi has dedicated his life to creating fine bicycles and he wants to continue to do so. In order to move from the current location, Jitensha Studio needs a financial runway to get into a new space and land on their feet. The moving costs and increasing rents are putting them in a challenging position. With our support, they will be able to continue their dedication to bringing beautiful and expertly crafted custom bicycles to our world. Hiroshi and his family have dedicated countless hours to help the community, and now they need our help. It is more important than ever to help small businesses in the current environment. If you can, please help them reach their goal of $15,000.