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Sushi, sumo wrestlers, kimonos, and geishas – these stereotypical images adorn merchandise that caters to tourists in Japan. Perhaps your friends back home are expecting you to bring them back satin happi coats or candy sushi but if you prefer to get authentic souvenirs that are made by Japanese, for Japanese, you have to look beyond the stalls full of trinkets at major tourist destinations.
Unique Japanese Gift Ideas
A tea cup with pictures of sushi may be cute but let’s face it… it is kitschy and far from being an authentic Japanese item. If you go to a Japanese person’s home, you won’t find anything of the like. Authentic Japanese items that make memorable gifts can be found at local department stores, mom and pop shops, and artisan goods stores.
If you visit areas that are popular with Japanese tourists, you will find plenty of shops that sell “meibutsu”, or famous regional specialties. For example, Kagoshima City in Kyushu is famous for its regional products made with “kurobuta”, or black pig, while Oshima island in Tokyo prefecture is famous for hair oil made out of the camellia flowers that are abundant there.
A Japanese Tea Gift
Know any tea lovers? Consider buying them authentic Japanese green tea. Shizuoka prefecture is known for producing excellent green tea. Due to its reported health benefits, green tea has become popular all over the world. However, most of the green tea sold in tea bags outside if Japan is of low quality.
If you go down to the basement of large Japanese department stores like Sogo, you will find bustling, modern marketplaces that sell a variety of different foods. At one of these marketplaces, which are known as “depa chika”, or department store basements, you are likely to find high quality, aromatic green tea and other types of gourmet teas to boot.
To make your tea gift to a friend back home complete, add a handmade Japanese tea pot and cup set. You can spot quality Japanese tea cups by looking for kanji, or Chinese characters, painted on the underside of the cups.
Non-Cheesy Japan-Themed Goods
If you would like to find Japan-themed goods that aren’t adorned with cheesy images of sumo wrestlers and sushi, browse local department stores to see what you find. In many modern department stores, you can find stores that sell posh, Japanese-themed items like tea pots, bento boxes, chopsticks, and plates.
Although these products are available in just about any grocery store, at department stores you can find stores that specialize in selling one-of-a-kind, artisan goods. Beautiful plates, natural wooden chopsticks, cloth chopstick holders and fashionable bento boxes are just a few of the items these stores carry. The majority of Japanese stores offer complimentary gift wrapping services so any souvenirs you buy will be good to go for gift giving.
To find items that are really out there, consider browsing flea markets for antique and used trinkets. There are several flea markets worth visiting in Tokyo. Some charge small admission fees. Many flea markets in Tokyo are located on sightseeing routes so you can make convenient stops during your travels to browse through all of the stalls for souvenirs. At flea markets in Tokyo, you can find everything from brand name fashion bags to Japanese dolls.
Budget Shoppers
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If you want to take home loads of Japanese souvenirs but don’t have much money, check out the 100 yen shop. There are a variety of different 100 yen shop chains, but the largest of them all is undoubtedly Daiso.
The 100 yen store is the Japanese equivalent to the dollar store. You can find everything from socks to suitcases at the 100 yen shop. Although the majority of items there are not made in Japan, they are of very high quality.
On Takeshita Dori in Harajuku, Tokyo, tourists are known to frequent the Daiso 100 yen shop to score cheap gifts for friends and family back home. Popular items include erasers, stationery, and Japanese eating utensils. In Machida-ku, Tokyo, there is a large, five-story Daiso store that sells a vast range of products including gardening utensils, cosmetics, and books.
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