10 Best Things to Buy in Japan

In addition to visiting local scenic spots, selecting special souvenirs for memories, family, and friends is also a meaningful travel experience. From unique souvenirs to traditional Japanese handicrafts, there is always much to choose from, and this article may help you find some inspiration to clear your shopping list. Let's start with the best things to buy during your Japan tour!

Yosegi - Parquet Work

Yosegi is a kind of Japanese handicraft made of different patterns with a history of more than two hundred years. There are more than 100 types of patterns with different meanings, such as tortoiseshell texture representing longevity, and hemp leaf texture symbolizing good luck.

Keyrings and ornaments with warm colors and lovely designs are very common goods of Yosegi. Another typical product is the "secret box", which requires some complicated steps to open.

Japanese people would choose secret boxes when they wanted to preserve valuable jewelry, especially in the era without password boxes, as only the owner of the secret boxes could open them. Such small boxes can be used not only for decoration but also for storage making them both mysterious and interesting gifts.

Uji Matcha

During the Nara period in the 1300s, a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk traveled to China and returned with tea seedlings and the technology to process them into powdered green tea, now known as matcha. Sen no Rikyu, the Japanese tea maker, pushed the Japanese tea ceremony to the extreme and developed the world-famous Uji Matcha.

As a result, Kyoto Uji has become a must-visit place if you want to experience the traditional matcha culture and taste the unique flavor of Japanese matcha, with traditional old shops with a history of more than 300 years of history, such as Ito Kyuemon, which is a tea supplier to many temples and shrines.

As a cost-effective souvenir, Uji Matcha powder is very suitable for giving to relatives and friends. The famous Ito Kyuemon and Nakamura Tokichi Honten shops offer a wide variety of matcha food and matcha souvenirs.

Match Pudding

Hokkaido White Lover Cookies

When it comes to White Lovers, you may think of the beautiful snow scenery of Hokkaido and the symbol of sweet love, as well as a type of famous cookie.

White Lover is a chocolate biscuit produced by Ishiya, located in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It is the most famous souvenir in Hokkaido, ranking as one of the most popular souvenirs in the country.

To achieve the best combination of cookie and chocolate flavors, Ishiya combines a thin, light, and creamy French cookie with white chocolate made from Hokkaido milk. A line of dark chocolate cookies followed. With continuous research and development, White Lovers has won the love of people all over the world with its unique flavor.

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Japanese Wind Chimes

In Japan, wind chimes symbolize "coolness" and are often referred to as "summer poetry" in Japanese literature. They're frequently featured in movies and TV shows to evoke a romantic atmosphere.

During summer, it's common for Japanese people to hang wind chimes as decorations to create a cooling effect, with their gentle sounds capturing the breeze. The clear, soothing tones of wind chimes are believed to calm the mind.

Besides home decoration, wind chimes are also used in temples during rituals, where they are hung to pray for peace. They come in various materials, including metal, glass, pottery, and crystal. In Japanese tradition, the sound of a wind chime is said to carry a special meaning, often associated with longing or nostalgia, especially when it rings without wind.

Daruma Doll

The Daruma doll is a kind of traditional Japanese doll that is both spherical and hollow. It is quite easy to buy since it can be found everywhere in temples or souvenir shops. Its most distinctive features are its two large eyes and whiskers resembling Bodhidharma, Zen Buddhism's founder.

The Daruma doll is trendy among locals and tourists as a souvenir and a symbol of good fortune. People will make wishes and pray for good luck with this round, multi-colored doll, and each color represents a different meaning. Yellow stands for money; light blue for study, green for health and pink for love. You can choose different colors of Daruma dolls according to their needs.

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Japanese Chopsticks

A pair of chopsticks is usually the top thing to buy. In Japanese, chopsticks, and bridges are spelled the same way. Therefore, the Japanese believe that chopsticks are like building bridges with each other, which can convey one's mind and build a good relationship.

Among them, Ishikawa's Wajima-painted chopsticks are very popular. In addition to the beauty and quality of the Wajima-painted chopsticks, the durability of their paint is also one of their charms.

If you have time to visit the painting workshop, trying your hand at making Wajima hand-painted chopsticks is an experience not to be missed. You may carve your favorite patterns on the board, and then color them in gold powder. Hand-painted wooden chopsticks have a special commemorative significance and are ideal for storing or giving away.

Plum Wine

For those who like to drink, it is great to enjoy a cup of sweet and sour plum wine during the meal. Plum wine is made from Japanese plums, which are widely used in the Japanese diet.

Wakayama, Japan's top plum production region, often attracts many visitors to buy plum wine every year. Among them, the Yoshimura Hideo Shoten in Wakayama is a traditional brewery with over 100 years of history and perfect brewing techniques.

One of the factory's representative plum wines is Nanko-Ume, a plum wine made with honey and local plums, which has a strong flesh and delicious sweetness. In addition, Gold Leaf plum wine from Ishigamimura is also well worth buying. Gold Leaf plum wine is a premium plum wine with no additives or preservatives. It has won the highest accolade in the World Food Quality Awards.

Japanese Wine

Shigaraki Ware - Stoneware Pottery

Shigaraki ware is one of six ancient kilns in Japan. Its origins date back to the Nara period, when ancient kilns were used to make tiles for the roofs of imperial palaces. Shigaraki ware produces a wide range of products, including tableware, vases, umbrella pots, ornaments, flower pots, and other items.

As the representative decoration of Shigaraki ware, the tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) is definitely the top one to buy. In Shiga Prefecture, the birthplace of Shigaraki ware, the statue of Tanuki can be seen everywhere. In addition, the name "tanuki" has a good meaning in Japanese. It can mean surpassing others and getting ahead.

The tanuki pottery of Shigaraki ware not only has a unique shape but also has a certain special meaning, which is very suitable for home decoration or gift to others.

Tanuki Pottery

Vintage Clothes

In Japan, vintage refers to old clothes found in second-hand markets, most of which are no longer in production. The fabric, workmanship, pattern, and even the use are old. Nowadays, people will give these old clothes to professionals to handle, and specialized vintage shops buy them to summarize, organize, renovate, clean, disinfect, and put them on sale, forming the unique style of the store.

The atmosphere of nostalgia, retro, alternative, and personality is contained in Japanese vintage culture, as well as the fun of shopping and discovering surprises. Various vintage shops can be found in Japan, such as the famous Shimokitazawa, Nakameguro, and Shibuya, well-known places to buy vintage. If you're visiting Japan and want a unique shopping experience, head to vintage shops to experience the popular vintage culture and pick out the unique clothes on the market.

Japanese Cosmetic Products

Japanese cosmetic products have enjoyed a high reputation in the beauty market worldwide. Most Japanese cosmetics are extracted from natural ingredients and are strictly tested by dermatologists, making them a great worthwhile to buy.

Cosmeceutical stores offer everything from high-end brands like Shiseido and SK-II to well-known brands like Kanebo and Shu Uemura. Don Quijote and Matsumoto Kiyoshi, the most famous cosmeceutical chain stores in Japan, are the shopping places tourists must visit.

These cosmeceutical stores sell cosmetic products, daily groceries, and so on. With their affordable price, diverse styles, and superior quality, Japanese cosmeceuticals have become a shopping trademark in Japan.

Japanese Cosmetic Store

Pick Your Ideal Souvenirs & Top Things to Buy

Various Japanese-style and interesting souvenirs are waiting for you to explore. The above suggestions are just some of our top ideas when traveling to Japan. If you're planning to take a Japan tour, please don't hesitate to contact us, and one of our travel experts will create a tailor-made itinerary based on your interests and needs within 24hrs.