I learned that in Japan there are things that are very popular not just for kids but adults too! Hello Kitty, Pokemon (still!!), anything Anime (Totoro, Daikomon, Dragon Ballz, etc.), and J-Pop artists and their music and now "idols". As a society I was left with the impression that things Americans would consider immature or childish are widely accepted here among many adults.
On a school visit in Hiroshima, we had
Lunch with the kids, it was so cool. And we exchanged questions. I asked them what I should buy for my kids:
The students said take home to the states: Pancakes, stuffed animals like Totoro and Pokemon, ice cream, and noodles.
When you pay, customarily we've found a small bowl or tray where you put the money down. The cashier takes the tray and leaves it out as they process your change.
Japan shopping list
Dried fish. Husband wasn't believing me when I said a Mini version of this fish was in our rice cakes packet on the plane! (¥298)
Visit/ shop at Furugi (Japanese: old clothes) stores sell a lot of Japanese vintage stuff, such as happy coats, haori jackets, and yes, kimonos. Good presents. (But will they fit us? We are a little bigger then they are?) I loved the used clothes
Store. It looked like the Harahuku district and Hiroshima "Chicago Furugi" stores had clothes imported from our US thrift stores. With hats, patches and Boy Scout uniforms. Many silk scarves by brand name designers and kimonos! So I bought a decorative
Kimono accessory as a thin belt.
Nakamise street in Asakusa is the best place in Tokyo to buy souvenirs. The street leads to Sensoji — Tokyo's oldest and most visited temple. Yes, a great place to shop, and try to haggle. It's not encouraged but I totally did!!
Go to the Uniqlo U.T. Store in Harajuku. It is pretty much the best clothing store in the world. (great for t-shirts and maybe those short women's sox). It's the ubber gap of Japan.
Short women's soxs. Women wear thin short socks under there shoes, so they never have bare feet when they enter the temples, restaurants, etc. there cute and comfy.
Shop in Miyajima!! Near Hiroshima. When we were there everything seems price regulated in Japan. So a hello kitty charm is the same price in every store (¥430 yen). But Miyajima was a little less!! Our translater confirmed this. Best prices around-- better then Asakusa.
Buy food. It's a great memory.
Kids school Pencil pouches are awesome. The ones kids have here are fab.
Seasonings as gifts: seasoned salt is big here, curry salt, seaweed salt, etc. Found on a travel blog I added to my notes::
Kombudashi (kelp broth) is a great seasoning. Gomashio (sesame salt) is a great accompaniment to rice dishes. Dry powder sachets of Poccari sweat are good too. Basically stuff that is compact and easy to carry on the plane. Dry Wasabi, mustard paste, curry, turmeric, etc. yes you can get it at home, but the cans all in Japanese kanji! (See the post / pics on the Hiroshima Grocery Store!)
Rice snacks in every flavor (they are in the convenient stores and sold on the Bullet). Dried fish, dried seaweeds; crazy amounts of variety (I assume these can come back thru US customs? Yes they can!!). Packets were served on the airline and I was hooked.
After dinner on Day 5 in Hiroshima we passed a huge store with bicycles in front but looked like trinkets in back. It was a grocery store! Heaven!! See pics in Hiroshima grocery store tags.
Everywhere coffee is served that have these great mini plastic spoons. More
Like a coffee stir stick then a spoon. I want a bag full for my house :) haven't found them so I am collecting them instead.
Kitkat with wasabi, kitkat with taro, Kitkat with with…. many different varieties of your simple kitkat. I know this is weird but some of the things you can never get anywhere else other than Japan. (At Narita airport these were ¥150 per pack or ¥1,000 for a box of 10.)
For kids::
As we read books about Japan at home with the kids, they'd see images and say "gets that."
Older sons list (age 7)
-A fan! We bought one and are taking the free plastic ones from hotels and restaurants. He will have a collection.
-Japanese bamboo hat
-Pokemon stuff (figureines)
-Kubuki mask
Young Son (age 4)
- sumo wrestler ¥420 keychains.
A Biliken In Osaka was ¥900 and up
-ninja anything - key chains and stuffed animals
-samurai anything - I wouldn't get the made in china plastic ninja swords, but a real wood samurai practice stick runs ¥1,000 (that's a steal!) and up.
Baby girl -- hello kitty and a kimono from the 1,000¥ store - Not ¥100 store!!
Stuffed animals too.
(¥1,000 sore in Kyoto had NEW Geisha dolls for ¥900 - that's a steal! Everywhere else the ran ¥3,500 and up.
These items were all ¥2,780 from Yokohama Chinatown, about $27US. Socks are $4, pens with a charm $6, 4 salt pack $3, and Totoro $4.
Ninja headbands for all the guys in the family ¥250.
The 100 Yen store, ¥100, are large Sake cups with ninja and Samurai pictures - and many other variety. This is compared to Tokyo Asakusa you can get a 5 short cup sake set for ¥900-1,200 (make sure it's made In Japan). That's $1 per cup at the ¥100 store or $4 per cup at the markets.
- buy Bento boxes
- kids wood toy sets
- foods, similar to the Hiroshima grocery store, but a small simgle half aisle with sesame seeds for flavoring rice, rice flavoring packets like salmon, wasabi, and the like, ground green tea and wheat teas (matcha).
- Large and small sake cups, various small bowls or traditional Japanese meal servings or just as decor. (Large bowls and plates cost more, around ¥200-300, and have a bigger breakage factor to pack it for home in our luggage. And honestly we live in Chicsgo and can get these items locally, in expensively.)
- women's hair products, even if just for fun.
- kids coloring books with Japanese Anime.
- at the Hakuru district ¥100 yen store I bought cat statues and those LONG arm fingerless gloves women are wearing as sun protection. Great for myself and as a gift. There unique and you can't get them in the states.
We also picked up as directed: Pancakes
- Porcelain bowls w chopsticks for mom and a traditional paper hat.
- Tea tea tea!!! Japan's known for all sorts of tea.
- Bullet train stuff!! Their was a man on the train handing out a train survey. Every Japanese passenger took one! (And filled it out!!) The pens he had to write with had a bullet logo, and were free.
- Hotel tea bags (for me). We are visiting 7 cities in 15 days, that's a lot of tea. And varieties from many prefectures. Also a the hotel buffet I have a few piece of rice seasoning packets and seaweed singles - they'll accompany some gifts.
-Buy a pretty hand fan (団扇, uchiwa or 扇子, sensu).
Restaurant souvenirs are nice. I took a dried seaweed packet to eat, but after the fresh food I was full. So it'll be someone's gift!
Day 7: Osaka. Husband brought a French cuff dress shirt for our Osaka Sister City Committee meeting, but failed to oak cuff link. I made impromptu cuffs links for him from my turquoise bracelet. A sales associate reeeeally liked them too. We are at Daimaru (the Macy's of Osaka) shopping for cuff links. Takeo Kikuchi (inside joke) won hands down.
Price ranges or cuff links ran ¥31,000 to ¥7,784 ($310 US- $77). While not "cheap," there a lifetime investment and so cool and unique!
Ironically, the next day (!!) he received cuff links as a gift! How cool and ironic is that?
Happy travels!
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