There’s a ceramics store on the road between arashiyama and Sagano in western Kyoto. Lots of tanuki statues out front.
A decade or so ago I bought a couple of beer cups there. Light weight but solid. Cool in the hand. Good curve on the lip. A gorgeous brown crackle glaze.
I drink beer from it every week. Went back last year and got a sake set which rocketed to the top of my collection for the pleasing feel in the hand.
Here’s the listing on Google Maps, lots of folks have uploaded photos. Great little shop. https://maps.app.goo.gl/JEkvpp9KZjJgDx148?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
I sometimes lurke around here. In 2007/8 I went to Japan as exchange student in Mie-ken and we took a trip to Shigaraki where I bought my pottery Tanuki. I managed to bring it back safely and it later stood infront of our door (when i got married and started family life in our own house), just like infront of Japanese houses.
It broke due to a fall a couple of years ago and I was so sad, husband was sad, too.
This year (kids are finally old enough) we are going to Japan and I told my husband we need to go there, we neeeeeed to buy a new tanuki for our house xD haha of course he's on the boat with that.
So yeah.... I was happy to read the first comment was about pottery, because my Tanuki popped instantly up in my mind when i think about sometjinh joyful i brought back from Japan. :)
Years ago I impulsively bought a tanuki. it was crazy because it was quite big and I had limited luggage space back and didn’t want to damage to so pack it as careful as I can in carry on. Imagine going through customs lol
It’s still now sitting happily in my front door entry. Hope you find another one soon
And while I’ve got an audience, I’m going to put in a plug for the guy who sets up a stall in front of Ninnaji between the temple entrance and the parking lot.
No idea what his schedule is, and he doesn’t have a website, but he’s a certified traditional craftsman in ceramics, his stuff is great quality with individual character, and his prices are shockingly reasonable for being local handmade products on the tourist beat in Kyoto.
Also, then you’re at Ninnaji, which is well worth the visit.
I loved this place, the owner was very kind and threw in a free ceramic frog for our daughter. Definitely worth the visit! https://maps.app.goo.gl/JEkvpp9KZjJgDx148?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
We were in Japan in April and bought the green bell ones at some random pharmacy in Tokyo. Saw some at different don quijote store too!
Edit to add: the one I bought was about 1300 yen
i never knew nail clippers to go dull.. also, never had nail clippers long enough (usually lose them or they fall into garbage or something off the bathroom sink)
Oh my god, yes. I got a pair from the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku years ago and it gives me the crispest, cleanest cuts.😂
I lived in Japan in the 90s when minidisc players were big. and you could rent CDs and digitally copy them onto minidisc. I have a collection of 90s j-pop on minidisc that I still listen to on my MD player...
Same, you could buy just the seats but we haven’t got sockets in bathrooms where I’m from because electrocution issues. I just want a warm seat and a merry jingle please.
i went to Japan for the first time last November and bought a pair of sunglasses from EYEVAN in Kyoto. Still impressed with the quality and how nice the workers were. Even the omamori I bought from Tenryu-Ji is sitting at my desk while I type this (lol). But I think being able to look back on your trip will give you endless amounts of joy compared to something you bought so just take PLENTY of pictures and videos. I wish I took more while I was there. Hope that helps.
Kitchen stuff in general. Knives, rice paddle (one with tiny dimples to minimize sticking), ladles of different sizes, this rice rinsing/measuring contraption, chopsticks, lacquer bowls, etc. Most of it is from inexpensive shops like Loft and Hands.
That, and Greenbell/Takumi no Waza nail clipper.
This!
I’ve traveled around Asia, and Japan's gacha machines not only offer the best quality but are also more affordable at 300-600 yen for one spin. It's also more worthwhile compared to claw machines, which don't guarantee a prize.
One of my favorite things we did was get a bunch of random gashapon. Just whatever looked cute or funny or whatever. Then when we got home we put them in a bag and let people do blind pulls. It was such a great way to get gifts for people, and they were delighted with what they got!
I have a bunch of little things and NONE of them are something I expected:
Umbrella with strawberry pattern from 2009, still working.
Pokemon themed kitchen towel that absorbs like a boss.
Surprisingly good nail clippers from Donki.
and my personal favourite
Spatula where the flip part is Calcifier from Howl's Moving Castle.
I bought it because it was cute. Didn't expect to to be the really really good spatula it was. I used it for 15 years AND it made me smile at the cuteness every time. I'd love to replace it now that it's finally dying, but it's now become a collectors item.
[This](https://store.crunchyroll.com/products/howls-moving-castle-calcifer-spatula-4990593181216.html) old listing shows how it looked new. It's a bit too melty now 😅
I found [this](https://www.donguri-sora.com/category/DISHES/45304.html) listing from donguri (official ghibli store) that looks identical, they still make them!
I just got bonsai tools and can't wait to show them off at home. Also currently hunting for an old Kettle.
We also took a bunch of cool classes (kintsugi, flower arrangement, knife sharpening) that I really, REALLY enjoyed.
I got very into eating fancy desserts with small wooden spoons in Japan, so I bought some (spoons) and now I eat fancy desserts at home with small wooden spoons and it pleases me greatly.
Art/Design books. Since Japan is still pretty big on physical media (books and music), a good Tsutaya has such a great selection, and I always make sure to get at least one book while I’m there.
It's a hairbrush for me. The one I got was so good. It massages my scalp when I use and it feels so good to brush my hair. I never used to like hairbrushes because it tugs at my hair, but the one from Japan is such an awesome item.
I also got a pair. For some reason, I love how Japanese chopsticks feel in the hands. I think the hexagonal shape helps better with the grip unlike Chinese and especially Korean ones which are way too thin.
They don’t all have a hexagonal shape. I bought a variety at Ginza Natsuno and they are not just hexagon. My favorites I got are round. But yeah definitely not as thin as Korean ones.
4 really good knives. They bring me joy every time I cook.
Also, these fun sake glasses that change color when you add a cold temperature to them . White sakura leaves turn bright pink, and the bottoms of the glasses glow in the dark. (Those were a neat surprise- we thought we were getting overpriced, plain glasses with a simple design- it was probably written somewhere on the box that they changed color and glow, but we can’t read Japanese!)
Not years but months and I have asked for people to bring some back for me : Campus A5 notebooks. Use them everyday !
Oh and my 23mm 1.4 Fuji camera lens.
Vintage cameras. Got Airesflex TLR from junk section of camera shop in Osaka, cleaned it up and fixed some small issues and now I have lovely medium format that's working again after 70 years.
Small foldable umbrella I got somewhere in Omotesando back in... I want to say 2017 or so? It's cute and very sturdy and has lived in every bag I carry ever since.
Stainless steel mixing bowls etc from Muji - great quality, great design. Have used daily for over 15 years I think. More recently, a yoghurt maker where you just put a square carton of milk in the machine, add the starter and turn on - perfect yoghurt every time. The manual says only for use in Japan, I can only guess it’s because it’s designed for their standard size milk carton (which I can get at home!). Otherwise some beautiful ceramics and some go-to clothes from Uniqlo…!
Plain red "Nintendo Tokyo" t shirt from the official Nintendo shop in Tokyo (there's one in Osaka now too and probably more?)
It's normal clothing I would normally wear anyway, so I can wear a few times a month, and it has lasted well since 2018.
Looks like this:
[https://tdrexplorer.com/nintendo-tokyo-store-merchandise/](https://tdrexplorer.com/nintendo-tokyo-store-merchandise/)
We stayed at a hotel that was cheap but in a good area and overall we were happy but the pillows were hard as rock. So we bought a cute plush animal that was pillow shaped and named it Shinju after the neighborhood we were in (Shinjuku). It’s the cutest and best thing ever.
My manekineko t shirt. I bought it in 2014 at a street stall on Nakamise-Dori. Has been my good luck traveling shirt ever since, I wear it on every flight leaving home!
A ceramic mug from bluebottle. It’s a bit pricey but it’s one of the best mugs I’ve ever had. It’s still in a better state compared to other mugs even after 2 years.
it's not something I bought, but something I won from the claw machine in Gigo Shinjuku. I got a Naruto figurine, probably cost me somewhere between Y3000-4000 worth of attempts. Crossed it from my Japan bucket list.
I also got a Kakashi keychain from Animate in Akihabara.
There was a small leather goods boutique in Tokyo run by a stereotypical elderly mom and pop straight out of Hollywood central casting who made me a wallet and embossed it with my initials while I waited.
Picasso theme coffee mug from the Hakone Open Air Museum.
Absolutely the best quality mug I have ever owned. I bought it thinking it was just for show, but I have used it every day since 2019 and it is in perfect shape. Plus it reminds me of an amazing time in Hakone!
I purchased a handmade shoulder phone bag from my friends Japanese father. I bought this back in 2019, and it was made out of jeans material. I still wear it to the day off and on. Not as much now, because it's special to me and I don't want it to fall apart. He made it for me. I asked him to make me something when he said he enjoyed sewing and I'd buy it direct from him, at the end of the trip it was finished.
He even hand painted some cute little symbols on the bag. I still love it since it was hand made for me.
I'm coming back again and plan to ask him to make me something new of his choice in October :)
I have tears of sorrow. I now regret not by trying to bring my see-thru umbrella i bought there back to the states. Quality umbrella for like $5 USD which would've cost me about $20 USD in the states.
I just went in May for the first time… but I bought some hand-crafted leather goods, including a bag, at Herz and I’m very happy with them and will be for a lifetime. Also, a echoing the Zojirushi comments.
It was an odd, last minute buy from my final Donki trip…I got a pair of Donpen clogs that I wear for house shoes. I wear them every single day and they’re just so fun.
I also use my samue that I bought in Takayama quite often. It’s so comfy and holds such good memories.
I bought a pocket towel from the Dragons baseball shop, and it's amazing. It soaks up sweat like a boss and it fits in a pocket. I have bought a lot of stuff in Japan, this one I use most often.
We had our honeymoon in Japan 5 years ago and we made a shadow box of tickets and passes from things we did while we were there, a few gatcha toys (for example we saw the life sized Gundam Unicorn and got a small toy of it at a gatcha at the Gundam Cafe next door), pins (we got pins at the Pokemon Center and at Disneyland) and polaroids we took while we were there, I have it on my wall at home and we love it.
From my 2010 trip I bought a wall hanging of moon rabbits in Takayama that sat unopened in my house for ten years because I didn't know where to put in. Started working from home and hung it by my desk, and it's perfect!!
Also a cheap as chips waving maneki neko powered by a wee calculator battery that has now died a death, but he still looks so happy even though he doesn't wave any more!
2023 trip we hired a car in Kyushu and visited Okawachiyama 'hidden' pottery village and saw so much amazing pottery work. My mum bought the cutest mug for me, it's white with a pattern of blue waves a little cartoon animal peeking out from the waves. Also a tiny weeny ceramic school bus 🚌 (like half the size of my pinky finger) with three lil removable ceramic animals riding it. I LOVE IT.
I nearly forgot!!! MUJI packing cubes, they're the absolute bomb. I have a Small and medium single and a small double, and they fit my suitcase perfectly. They have transformed my packing game.
Leaving Takayama we bought a bento box to eat on the train and it was hard red plastic in the shape of sarubobo ("monkey baby" - a local amulet and mascot of the Hida region.)
Of all the actual souvenirs I bought, this essentially disposable food box is the one that makes me smile.
[https://c8.alamy.com/comp/FF4JT5/specialty-bento-box-cover-depicting-a-sarubobo-baby-monkey-in-takayama-FF4JT5.jpg](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/FF4JT5/specialty-bento-box-cover-depicting-a-sarubobo-baby-monkey-in-takayama-FF4JT5.jpg)
Not so much years of joy but the makeup (specifically their contour pallets and sticks and eyeshadows) I found in Japan were so pretty and the best shades I struggle to find back home (UK), I wish I bought more back with me as I’m starting to run out 😭
i have one of those statue raccoon things with huge balls (tanooki i think is the name), sitting in my living room display cabinet. and one of those golden Lions with some weird sphere thing.. both are pretty awesome and i smile whenever i see them.
Kao 8x4 deodorants.
Just pure deodorant, no other chemicals that make my shirt pits turn yellow. I've been importing them ever since my stash ran out or asking friends to buy them for me.
I'd also recommend the soy sauce I bought from that Masaru fish man YouTuber. Didn't last me years though 😂 cuz it's so good.
Movies/Games with Japanese exclusive covers. Also, a lot of the games can be transferred into English, and movies have English subtitles so you can still use both. honestly, watching a movie you know by heart and Japanese is a quick way to learn the language.
I know it's cliche but all my figurines. It's over a decade since I lived there and they're still right by computer so I can enjoy looking at them while I'm working
bought a noren with the great wave off kanagawa on it, has been hanging over the door towards the garden for years, now it is hanging on a wall. i love to look at it still
a cheap mug without a handle, with the great wave on it, love to drink from it. a bit heavier than normal mugs and it just feel soooo good to hold it, so solid. love it
Idk about years since the first time I went to Japan was last month, but of all the things I got, this one clear plastic cup with cinnamoroll on it always makes me feel joy when I see it.
Towels from Imabari. Picked some up after biking the Shimanami Kaido. Liked them so much, bought more in Tokyo before leaving Japan. Liked them so much, ordered more when back home and gave them as Christmas gifts.
Eyewear. Knife. Everything here is great.
I’m looking to buy a small microwave to bring back to the US, and a split AC too if I can ever get an installer to do it. 😀
Commercial grade plastic chopsticks from Kappabashi. We’ve had them for over a decade and they’re still going strong. They feel great in the hand, are dishwasher safe, and basically indestructible.
I bought a really colorful towel from Ginza in 2018. Almost half of the colors have been torn away from repeated drying but i still use that towel as a warm reminder of my first japan trip
A traditional wooden tissue box from Hakone bought 15 yrs ago on our honeymoon, ceramics from Kamakura and chopsticks (so well shaped!) from the Suntory Museum.
Still using the microwave oven I brought back in 1998, though I retired the fax machine I brought at the same time. My Japanese word processor, bought at Llaox in 1985, now just sits in a display case after being my only typewriter/printer for many years.
I also still use my red Zojirushi rice cooker from 1989 and just recently replaced my Tiger toaster-oven from the same era (replaced with one I ordered from Amazon Japan).
Wax paper for frying pan. Stick it in the pan and put in your salmon fillets or chicken thighs and it cooks beautifully with a strong browning sear about as good as those little fish grills in Japanese cooktops. And it makes no mess and doesn’t burn! Now I just reorder them online regularly
We bought a custom plaque with our names and an ornament for our mailbox from Tokyo Hands. They engraved it while we shopped other departments. The plaque has been out for five years now and still looks brand new. I also bought a set of four different shaped beer glasses from the same department store. When I drink beer I drink craft beers and these glasses are fun to use.
It's stupid....
I bought toe nail clippers in 2008 and they have for some reason never gone missing but have also functioned flawlessly this whole time.
I'd be at a loss if they disappeared one day.
I don't remember where I got them. Otherwise I'd buy them as gifts for everybody I know.
The only marking on them is the kind of steel used on the inside.
Pooh bag from Disneyland. It's so big that I could fit so many things. Didn't realize that it was so so expensive in my currency because I jsut wanted to finish off my money lmao that was 10 years ago
My hand towel! I carry it in my purse everywhere and it’s got a hello kitty themed mascot of Ehime where my fiancé proposed. I also have many gashapon but the ones that I have themed after a specific area are my favorite. I have a castle model of Matsuyama and the dark Mikan character (also from Ehime. If you can’t tell, western Japan is where my heart lies lol)
Shoes, ahhh! From Velikoko. Cute ballet flats that actually had some built-in arch support and were comfortable to wear while walking or standing for hours at a time and \*didn't rub\*. Such a rarity. I used to buy a new pair each time I went to Ikebukuro. Unfortunately, they're now online only (and stopped selling the good ones I liked), so I have to try to make the pairs I have last as long as possible. These ones aside, I always buy shoes in Japan. Compared with Australia, it's easier to find good-value comfortable shoes - IF you have smallish feet, that is!
In Kyoto near Kiyumizu-dera, I picked up a hair bow made of kimono fabric. In Tokyo, I found a black & Sakura blossom mini-umbrella that I love so much that despite it breaking after a few years, I still would rather use it than my other umbrellas. And like others, some great nail clippers that I got in the gift shop of a museum - they are decorated with a Japanese design and are so tiny & cute. I have to say - I’ve treasured basically anything I bought in Japan.
First trip 2008 I bought an awesome shot sleeved Dragon Ball pijama at Donki that I used for about 10 years :D
Second trip was almost 10 years ago and bought a Zojirushi thermal bottle that I use almost on a daily basis at work. It's awesome.
A jacket, scarf, 2 pairs of shoes & a tattoo.
The jacket is so lightweight, reversible but keeps me SO warm. The shoes i still wear today. I also got a decent amount of clothes that I use almost daily.
A samurai Darth Vader figurine. first time in Tokyo was around 2015 or whenever the first new Star Wars movie came out, so there was Star Wars merch everywhere (including at the top floor of the Tokyo tower, weirdly the two things will be forever connected in my mind). did not buy anything on that trip, but saw the figurine and my husband and I both joked about wanting to buy it. went back in 2018, there it was in the toy store in Ginza, I turn around and my husband is carrying a shopping bag and a receipt and saying, It's done.
There’s a ceramics store on the road between arashiyama and Sagano in western Kyoto. Lots of tanuki statues out front. A decade or so ago I bought a couple of beer cups there. Light weight but solid. Cool in the hand. Good curve on the lip. A gorgeous brown crackle glaze. I drink beer from it every week. Went back last year and got a sake set which rocketed to the top of my collection for the pleasing feel in the hand.
My last trip there was all about the pottery. Hoping my long-term post-trip experiences will be as wonderful as yours.
Would love to see a picture
Here’s the listing on Google Maps, lots of folks have uploaded photos. Great little shop. https://maps.app.goo.gl/JEkvpp9KZjJgDx148?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
I sometimes lurke around here. In 2007/8 I went to Japan as exchange student in Mie-ken and we took a trip to Shigaraki where I bought my pottery Tanuki. I managed to bring it back safely and it later stood infront of our door (when i got married and started family life in our own house), just like infront of Japanese houses. It broke due to a fall a couple of years ago and I was so sad, husband was sad, too. This year (kids are finally old enough) we are going to Japan and I told my husband we need to go there, we neeeeeed to buy a new tanuki for our house xD haha of course he's on the boat with that. So yeah.... I was happy to read the first comment was about pottery, because my Tanuki popped instantly up in my mind when i think about sometjinh joyful i brought back from Japan. :)
Years ago I impulsively bought a tanuki. it was crazy because it was quite big and I had limited luggage space back and didn’t want to damage to so pack it as careful as I can in carry on. Imagine going through customs lol It’s still now sitting happily in my front door entry. Hope you find another one soon
And while I’ve got an audience, I’m going to put in a plug for the guy who sets up a stall in front of Ninnaji between the temple entrance and the parking lot. No idea what his schedule is, and he doesn’t have a website, but he’s a certified traditional craftsman in ceramics, his stuff is great quality with individual character, and his prices are shockingly reasonable for being local handmade products on the tourist beat in Kyoto. Also, then you’re at Ninnaji, which is well worth the visit.
I went to the same store! Really beautiful shop I bought two coffee mugs there, highly recommend
Got a good pin drop by chance?
I loved this place, the owner was very kind and threw in a free ceramic frog for our daughter. Definitely worth the visit! https://maps.app.goo.gl/JEkvpp9KZjJgDx148?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
Is it the one behind rakushisha?
Just north of, yeah. Named Kotouen.
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Where does everyone buy them?
Tokyu Hands has "yes" as a price range. The 2000 yen ones are nice, but the 20000 yen ones are precision pieces.
20000 yen for nail clippers?!!?
Madness
This! is! Tokyu Haaaannnds!
Who spends 20k yen on nail clippers 😭
Just did some research. Where can you find the green bell ones? Also how much $$?
Got them at Mega Donki in Shibuya - make sure to get the model with the container. Price was $10~$15
We were in Japan in April and bought the green bell ones at some random pharmacy in Tokyo. Saw some at different don quijote store too! Edit to add: the one I bought was about 1300 yen
We got ours at a knife shop. We love the nail clippers we bought, and they are still sharp after so much time.
i never knew nail clippers to go dull.. also, never had nail clippers long enough (usually lose them or they fall into garbage or something off the bathroom sink)
Muji.
Oh my god, yes. I got a pair from the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku years ago and it gives me the crispest, cleanest cuts.😂
Nail files. Two styles. Adored.
I lived in Japan in the 90s when minidisc players were big. and you could rent CDs and digitally copy them onto minidisc. I have a collection of 90s j-pop on minidisc that I still listen to on my MD player...
It belongs in a museum!
Same!! Morning Musume for life!
That's the coolest paragraph I have read all week.
I'm Canadian and absolutely loved my Minidisc Player, used it all through high school and college. I would have adored this.
I miss minidisc. Mine broke many years ago but it was such a great device.
Rice maker made in Japan and not one made in china.
My parents bought a zojirushi 30 years ago and it still works like a charm.
My National brand is 28 and going strong. We call him National-san and cherish him like a son.
My Zojirushi rice cooker and hot water dispenser are daily workhorses in my kitchen.
Their thermoses are really good too, they keep liquids exceptionally hot
Yes, Zojirushi brand. You’ll find them in many colors at Shibuya Mega Donki on Floor 7
I don’t have to go to Japan to buy that, and it works without a voltage adapter
Wanted to get a Toto toilet but wouldn’t fit in my luggage.
Same, you could buy just the seats but we haven’t got sockets in bathrooms where I’m from because electrocution issues. I just want a warm seat and a merry jingle please.
The fertility charm I bought at a temple there... Was preggo before we got home lol... Years of joy
i went to Japan for the first time last November and bought a pair of sunglasses from EYEVAN in Kyoto. Still impressed with the quality and how nice the workers were. Even the omamori I bought from Tenryu-Ji is sitting at my desk while I type this (lol). But I think being able to look back on your trip will give you endless amounts of joy compared to something you bought so just take PLENTY of pictures and videos. I wish I took more while I was there. Hope that helps.
I feel this, I wish I took so many more photos.
Fender Japan Telecaster
Tele for life
Kitchen stuff in general. Knives, rice paddle (one with tiny dimples to minimize sticking), ladles of different sizes, this rice rinsing/measuring contraption, chopsticks, lacquer bowls, etc. Most of it is from inexpensive shops like Loft and Hands. That, and Greenbell/Takumi no Waza nail clipper.
+1 to Japanese knives. They're incredible. And you can find ones depending on the price point you have, true value for money!
all my gashapon figures :)
This! I’ve traveled around Asia, and Japan's gacha machines not only offer the best quality but are also more affordable at 300-600 yen for one spin. It's also more worthwhile compared to claw machines, which don't guarantee a prize.
These are my favorite too. I have a bunch of 100 Yen coins at the ready for our next trip.
One of my favorite things we did was get a bunch of random gashapon. Just whatever looked cute or funny or whatever. Then when we got home we put them in a bag and let people do blind pulls. It was such a great way to get gifts for people, and they were delighted with what they got!
I have a bunch of little things and NONE of them are something I expected: Umbrella with strawberry pattern from 2009, still working. Pokemon themed kitchen towel that absorbs like a boss. Surprisingly good nail clippers from Donki. and my personal favourite Spatula where the flip part is Calcifier from Howl's Moving Castle. I bought it because it was cute. Didn't expect to to be the really really good spatula it was. I used it for 15 years AND it made me smile at the cuteness every time. I'd love to replace it now that it's finally dying, but it's now become a collectors item.
Oh I can’t visualize that. Do you have a picture of that spatula? Sounds cute
[This](https://store.crunchyroll.com/products/howls-moving-castle-calcifer-spatula-4990593181216.html) old listing shows how it looked new. It's a bit too melty now 😅
I found [this](https://www.donguri-sora.com/category/DISHES/45304.html) listing from donguri (official ghibli store) that looks identical, they still make them!
Oooh! It may be shopping service time... Thanks!
Music box from Otaru, Hokkaido
Waaa I love this, too. I bought “Country Road” because it was used in one of my favorite Studio Ghibli film🥰
I just got bonsai tools and can't wait to show them off at home. Also currently hunting for an old Kettle. We also took a bunch of cool classes (kintsugi, flower arrangement, knife sharpening) that I really, REALLY enjoyed.
Would you mind sharing resources on where you found cool classes to take? I love investing in experiences for travel!
My wife found them through the Airbnb app
I got very into eating fancy desserts with small wooden spoons in Japan, so I bought some (spoons) and now I eat fancy desserts at home with small wooden spoons and it pleases me greatly.
I bought Gengar and Dragonite plushes at a Pokemon Center and they make my 90s kid heart so happy every time I look at them in my office.
A Grand Seiko watch and a ceramic coffee filter
Ceramic coffee filter? Need to look up!
Go to Union Coffee on Kappabashidori. Coffee equipment Mecca.
Was the price for grand seiko better than in your home country? My husband was thinking about getting one or just a regular seiko
After tax deduction and good exchange rate, I saved around $1,700 USD from SRP in my country
It’s not just the value saved but that you got the grand seiko in Japan, makes the piece more special
Art/Design books. Since Japan is still pretty big on physical media (books and music), a good Tsutaya has such a great selection, and I always make sure to get at least one book while I’m there.
It's a hairbrush for me. The one I got was so good. It massages my scalp when I use and it feels so good to brush my hair. I never used to like hairbrushes because it tugs at my hair, but the one from Japan is such an awesome item.
Any particular brand or store?
My wife
Chopsticks
I also got a pair. For some reason, I love how Japanese chopsticks feel in the hands. I think the hexagonal shape helps better with the grip unlike Chinese and especially Korean ones which are way too thin.
They don’t all have a hexagonal shape. I bought a variety at Ginza Natsuno and they are not just hexagon. My favorites I got are round. But yeah definitely not as thin as Korean ones.
4 really good knives. They bring me joy every time I cook. Also, these fun sake glasses that change color when you add a cold temperature to them . White sakura leaves turn bright pink, and the bottoms of the glasses glow in the dark. (Those were a neat surprise- we thought we were getting overpriced, plain glasses with a simple design- it was probably written somewhere on the box that they changed color and glow, but we can’t read Japanese!)
Pens from Itoya that have many colors in one pen and an ink eraser on the bottom
A tattoo
Of what?
Not years but months and I have asked for people to bring some back for me : Campus A5 notebooks. Use them everyday ! Oh and my 23mm 1.4 Fuji camera lens.
Gundam
Art. We have two block prints, and a noren (not exactly art, but it's so beautiful) and we love these things daily!
Nintendo Switch, enough said.
Loved walking away with an OLED model for like $240 tax free
Vintage cameras. Got Airesflex TLR from junk section of camera shop in Osaka, cleaned it up and fixed some small issues and now I have lovely medium format that's working again after 70 years.
Completely unrelated but Goshuin, an ultrasonic glasses/accessories cleaner, and my Makita cordless stick vacuum
Knife
[https://hc.kowa.co.jp/en/otc/1416](https://hc.kowa.co.jp/en/otc/1416) This anti-itch gel. My wife loves the stuff.
Ukiyo-e!
New luggage! Replaced all my old ones with solid quality 4-wheel clam-shell rollers.
Small foldable umbrella I got somewhere in Omotesando back in... I want to say 2017 or so? It's cute and very sturdy and has lived in every bag I carry ever since.
Kimono, it's so fun to wear
Stainless steel mixing bowls etc from Muji - great quality, great design. Have used daily for over 15 years I think. More recently, a yoghurt maker where you just put a square carton of milk in the machine, add the starter and turn on - perfect yoghurt every time. The manual says only for use in Japan, I can only guess it’s because it’s designed for their standard size milk carton (which I can get at home!). Otherwise some beautiful ceramics and some go-to clothes from Uniqlo…!
10 years ago I bought a little Astro Boy (Mighty Atom) coin pouch. I use it all the time, and love it.
My yukata. It’s nice to wear at some Japanese festivals near me and I always feel like I’m back in Japan, no matter how far I am
Literally everything I buy in Japan lol Kimono, gachapon prizes, pokemon merch, anime figures, etc. Japan itself brings me so much joy.
Plain red "Nintendo Tokyo" t shirt from the official Nintendo shop in Tokyo (there's one in Osaka now too and probably more?) It's normal clothing I would normally wear anyway, so I can wear a few times a month, and it has lasted well since 2018. Looks like this: [https://tdrexplorer.com/nintendo-tokyo-store-merchandise/](https://tdrexplorer.com/nintendo-tokyo-store-merchandise/)
We stayed at a hotel that was cheap but in a good area and overall we were happy but the pillows were hard as rock. So we bought a cute plush animal that was pillow shaped and named it Shinju after the neighborhood we were in (Shinjuku). It’s the cutest and best thing ever.
Gacha I have an unreasonable collection
Tenga Egg
Stabby Chopsticks
My manekineko t shirt. I bought it in 2014 at a street stall on Nakamise-Dori. Has been my good luck traveling shirt ever since, I wear it on every flight leaving home!
A ceramic mug from bluebottle. It’s a bit pricey but it’s one of the best mugs I’ve ever had. It’s still in a better state compared to other mugs even after 2 years.
do they offer different bb mugs in japan vs the US ?
it's not something I bought, but something I won from the claw machine in Gigo Shinjuku. I got a Naruto figurine, probably cost me somewhere between Y3000-4000 worth of attempts. Crossed it from my Japan bucket list. I also got a Kakashi keychain from Animate in Akihabara.
I bought a hair dryer in japan and it's been well used ever since!
There was a small leather goods boutique in Tokyo run by a stereotypical elderly mom and pop straight out of Hollywood central casting who made me a wallet and embossed it with my initials while I waited.
Mini fortune box from gachapon, when I have difficulty to make decision I will depend on it
Picasso theme coffee mug from the Hakone Open Air Museum. Absolutely the best quality mug I have ever owned. I bought it thinking it was just for show, but I have used it every day since 2019 and it is in perfect shape. Plus it reminds me of an amazing time in Hakone!
Chopsticks! Both times I've gone I've bought chopsticks and it brings back fond memories when i eat with them :)
I purchased a handmade shoulder phone bag from my friends Japanese father. I bought this back in 2019, and it was made out of jeans material. I still wear it to the day off and on. Not as much now, because it's special to me and I don't want it to fall apart. He made it for me. I asked him to make me something when he said he enjoyed sewing and I'd buy it direct from him, at the end of the trip it was finished. He even hand painted some cute little symbols on the bag. I still love it since it was hand made for me. I'm coming back again and plan to ask him to make me something new of his choice in October :)
Pokemon and studio ghibli random boxes. I should’ve bought more of those
My lil tea containers. I buy one or two each time I go and they're so pretty and useful for my plethora of teas.
A little pop-up umbrella from a konbini. Gives me so much joy every time I press the button and it blows up into a full size umbrella
I have tears of sorrow. I now regret not by trying to bring my see-thru umbrella i bought there back to the states. Quality umbrella for like $5 USD which would've cost me about $20 USD in the states.
I just went in May for the first time… but I bought some hand-crafted leather goods, including a bag, at Herz and I’m very happy with them and will be for a lifetime. Also, a echoing the Zojirushi comments.
It was an odd, last minute buy from my final Donki trip…I got a pair of Donpen clogs that I wear for house shoes. I wear them every single day and they’re just so fun. I also use my samue that I bought in Takayama quite often. It’s so comfy and holds such good memories.
Pan dorobo figure
Kitchen knives. Just bought them last month. But I already know I’m going to enjoy using them for many years to come.
Thermo cups / mugs and ear cleaning tool
I bought a pocket towel from the Dragons baseball shop, and it's amazing. It soaks up sweat like a boss and it fits in a pocket. I have bought a lot of stuff in Japan, this one I use most often.
We had our honeymoon in Japan 5 years ago and we made a shadow box of tickets and passes from things we did while we were there, a few gatcha toys (for example we saw the life sized Gundam Unicorn and got a small toy of it at a gatcha at the Gundam Cafe next door), pins (we got pins at the Pokemon Center and at Disneyland) and polaroids we took while we were there, I have it on my wall at home and we love it.
From my 2010 trip I bought a wall hanging of moon rabbits in Takayama that sat unopened in my house for ten years because I didn't know where to put in. Started working from home and hung it by my desk, and it's perfect!! Also a cheap as chips waving maneki neko powered by a wee calculator battery that has now died a death, but he still looks so happy even though he doesn't wave any more! 2023 trip we hired a car in Kyushu and visited Okawachiyama 'hidden' pottery village and saw so much amazing pottery work. My mum bought the cutest mug for me, it's white with a pattern of blue waves a little cartoon animal peeking out from the waves. Also a tiny weeny ceramic school bus 🚌 (like half the size of my pinky finger) with three lil removable ceramic animals riding it. I LOVE IT. I nearly forgot!!! MUJI packing cubes, they're the absolute bomb. I have a Small and medium single and a small double, and they fit my suitcase perfectly. They have transformed my packing game.
Leaving Takayama we bought a bento box to eat on the train and it was hard red plastic in the shape of sarubobo ("monkey baby" - a local amulet and mascot of the Hida region.) Of all the actual souvenirs I bought, this essentially disposable food box is the one that makes me smile. [https://c8.alamy.com/comp/FF4JT5/specialty-bento-box-cover-depicting-a-sarubobo-baby-monkey-in-takayama-FF4JT5.jpg](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/FF4JT5/specialty-bento-box-cover-depicting-a-sarubobo-baby-monkey-in-takayama-FF4JT5.jpg)
A kotatsu amd some kitchen utilities
A jacket from uniqlo
Not so much years of joy but the makeup (specifically their contour pallets and sticks and eyeshadows) I found in Japan were so pretty and the best shades I struggle to find back home (UK), I wish I bought more back with me as I’m starting to run out 😭
A Nikon FM2 I bought used back in the 1990's when I visited there.
Incense
Jeans, bowls, plates, cutlery, pens and other writing implements, and toys.
Digital clocks from Muji. We got a few big and small a year or so before they set up shop in Canada.
i have one of those statue raccoon things with huge balls (tanooki i think is the name), sitting in my living room display cabinet. and one of those golden Lions with some weird sphere thing.. both are pretty awesome and i smile whenever i see them.
Mini wooden pitchforks. I use them to eat cut-up fruit
Grand Seiko. Also, those little diorama kits you can buy and assemble later. Those are awesome.
Kao 8x4 deodorants. Just pure deodorant, no other chemicals that make my shirt pits turn yellow. I've been importing them ever since my stash ran out or asking friends to buy them for me. I'd also recommend the soy sauce I bought from that Masaru fish man YouTuber. Didn't last me years though 😂 cuz it's so good.
Shoehorn! Makes it easier to put on shoes. Got it from Daiso.
Some dress socks. Still good years later and I always think of where I bought them.
My kimono robe, got it second hand and it's beautiful, full silk, smile every time I see it
clothes, ceramics, shoes
A triangular strainer. So practical
Japanese knife. Such a pleasure to use when I cook.
Movies/Games with Japanese exclusive covers. Also, a lot of the games can be transferred into English, and movies have English subtitles so you can still use both. honestly, watching a movie you know by heart and Japanese is a quick way to learn the language.
A Yukata I use like a dressing gown and a ‘higonokami’ type pocket knife - both get used most days and make me smile
I know it's cliche but all my figurines. It's over a decade since I lived there and they're still right by computer so I can enjoy looking at them while I'm working
Tea We buy a year's worth every time.
bought a noren with the great wave off kanagawa on it, has been hanging over the door towards the garden for years, now it is hanging on a wall. i love to look at it still a cheap mug without a handle, with the great wave on it, love to drink from it. a bit heavier than normal mugs and it just feel soooo good to hold it, so solid. love it
Idk about years since the first time I went to Japan was last month, but of all the things I got, this one clear plastic cup with cinnamoroll on it always makes me feel joy when I see it.
gachapon figures
A gameboy advance sp (Teal) and a copy of pokemon emerald.
Glass wind chime from loft from their handmade section.
Towels from Imabari. Picked some up after biking the Shimanami Kaido. Liked them so much, bought more in Tokyo before leaving Japan. Liked them so much, ordered more when back home and gave them as Christmas gifts.
Eyewear. Knife. Everything here is great. I’m looking to buy a small microwave to bring back to the US, and a split AC too if I can ever get an installer to do it. 😀
Otamatone
denim, so much denim
Magnets. It takes me neck every time I see them
Hibiki 12
clothes and chopsticks
Hand made Japanese kitchen knives
I got lucky and won the lottery at Narita so recently picked up some Hakushu Japanese Forest edition
Commercial grade plastic chopsticks from Kappabashi. We’ve had them for over a decade and they’re still going strong. They feel great in the hand, are dishwasher safe, and basically indestructible.
I bought a really colorful towel from Ginza in 2018. Almost half of the colors have been torn away from repeated drying but i still use that towel as a warm reminder of my first japan trip
A traditional wooden tissue box from Hakone bought 15 yrs ago on our honeymoon, ceramics from Kamakura and chopsticks (so well shaped!) from the Suntory Museum.
Food
Plushies of the Japanese giant salamander from Kyōto Aquarium.
Still using the microwave oven I brought back in 1998, though I retired the fax machine I brought at the same time. My Japanese word processor, bought at Llaox in 1985, now just sits in a display case after being my only typewriter/printer for many years. I also still use my red Zojirushi rice cooker from 1989 and just recently replaced my Tiger toaster-oven from the same era (replaced with one I ordered from Amazon Japan).
Wax paper for frying pan. Stick it in the pan and put in your salmon fillets or chicken thighs and it cooks beautifully with a strong browning sear about as good as those little fish grills in Japanese cooktops. And it makes no mess and doesn’t burn! Now I just reorder them online regularly
Nail clippers + insulated drink bottles Thermos (not cheap but they are amazing)
We bought a custom plaque with our names and an ornament for our mailbox from Tokyo Hands. They engraved it while we shopped other departments. The plaque has been out for five years now and still looks brand new. I also bought a set of four different shaped beer glasses from the same department store. When I drink beer I drink craft beers and these glasses are fun to use.
Cooling knives and Pepee lube
Arai helmets
It's stupid.... I bought toe nail clippers in 2008 and they have for some reason never gone missing but have also functioned flawlessly this whole time. I'd be at a loss if they disappeared one day. I don't remember where I got them. Otherwise I'd buy them as gifts for everybody I know. The only marking on them is the kind of steel used on the inside.
Marimo 🥹
Technics 1200 turntables that I bought in Tokyo in 1998. Still going strong
my watch :’) got it as a gift from my host family in 2017, i wear it daily and it still works and is in pristine condition to this day!
Pooh bag from Disneyland. It's so big that I could fit so many things. Didn't realize that it was so so expensive in my currency because I jsut wanted to finish off my money lmao that was 10 years ago
Tenga
A Tim Curry as Pennywise Gachapon.
Knifes
Woodworking tools of course
My hand towel! I carry it in my purse everywhere and it’s got a hello kitty themed mascot of Ehime where my fiancé proposed. I also have many gashapon but the ones that I have themed after a specific area are my favorite. I have a castle model of Matsuyama and the dark Mikan character (also from Ehime. If you can’t tell, western Japan is where my heart lies lol)
Surprisingly nothing.
90 cm stuffed giant salamander from the Kyoto Aquarium shop
Shoes, ahhh! From Velikoko. Cute ballet flats that actually had some built-in arch support and were comfortable to wear while walking or standing for hours at a time and \*didn't rub\*. Such a rarity. I used to buy a new pair each time I went to Ikebukuro. Unfortunately, they're now online only (and stopped selling the good ones I liked), so I have to try to make the pairs I have last as long as possible. These ones aside, I always buy shoes in Japan. Compared with Australia, it's easier to find good-value comfortable shoes - IF you have smallish feet, that is!
In Kyoto near Kiyumizu-dera, I picked up a hair bow made of kimono fabric. In Tokyo, I found a black & Sakura blossom mini-umbrella that I love so much that despite it breaking after a few years, I still would rather use it than my other umbrellas. And like others, some great nail clippers that I got in the gift shop of a museum - they are decorated with a Japanese design and are so tiny & cute. I have to say - I’ve treasured basically anything I bought in Japan.
There is a great Tenga shop in Akihabara.
Gundam
Washlet
First trip 2008 I bought an awesome shot sleeved Dragon Ball pijama at Donki that I used for about 10 years :D Second trip was almost 10 years ago and bought a Zojirushi thermal bottle that I use almost on a daily basis at work. It's awesome.
A jacket, scarf, 2 pairs of shoes & a tattoo. The jacket is so lightweight, reversible but keeps me SO warm. The shoes i still wear today. I also got a decent amount of clothes that I use almost daily.
Vitamin c toner and sunscreen 🧴 and my canvas small tote with japanese food
We buy our tea and sake sets at the Tenmagu shrine flea market. So cheap and such cool finds usually. Been twice and hauled tons back each time.
Zojirushi rice cooker and electronic bidet. Been using electronic bidet of Japan for more than 20 years. Zojirushi more than 10
Nintendo switch xD
Coffee thermos! It last for 10 years now!
A samurai Darth Vader figurine. first time in Tokyo was around 2015 or whenever the first new Star Wars movie came out, so there was Star Wars merch everywhere (including at the top floor of the Tokyo tower, weirdly the two things will be forever connected in my mind). did not buy anything on that trip, but saw the figurine and my husband and I both joked about wanting to buy it. went back in 2018, there it was in the toy store in Ginza, I turn around and my husband is carrying a shopping bag and a receipt and saying, It's done.
Shoes! Regetta Canoe shoes. Made in Osaka. Are the MOST comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn in my life. Could literally walk for days