Buying souvenirs when visiting another country is a tangible way to remember your trip, and they also make great gifts for friends and family. There are many things you can buy in Japan that are “uniquely Japanese”. From traditional handcrafted goods to modern paper products and stationery, here is a list of 10 things to buy when visiting the country!
1. Kitchen knives
Japanese knives are world-famous for their high quality and extreme sharpness. With the use of higher-carbon steel and traditional forging techniques, the blades of Japanese knives are ground thinner than usual, resulting in a superior cutting edge and a lighter instrument.
The high carbon content in the steel results in a harder blade that can be honed to a finer and sharper edge. To protect the blade from breaking, many knives employ a sanmai construction technique, where the hard, high-carbon steel is sandwiched between softer, more protective layers, preventing the thin and delicate edge from chipping. Crafted using the same ancient techniques used to craft samurai swords, the process of creation here involves meticulous attention to detail and precise craftsmanship.
When bringing Japanese knives home from Japan, make sure you pack them into your checked baggage!
2. Ceramic Tableware
Japanese ceramicwares have gained global popularity due to their diverse styles, intricate design, and high level of craftsmanship and quality. Using different types of clays fired at different temperatures, Japanese ceramics have distinct textures and appearances that differ from European ceramic styles. With a long tradition of over 130,000 years, many styles of pottery in Japan are even named after their regions of origin!
Japanese design aesthetics are often incorporated into their ceramics. Embracing wabi-sabi, where beauty is found in imperfection, some ceramic pieces are created intentionally asymmetrical. Many pieces also feature glazes and designs that reflect the changing of seasons and natural elements, reflecting Japan’s culture of appreciating and being close to nature. With beautiful pieces of intricate design, special pieces are often chosen for culturally significant settings such as tea ceremonies or kaiseki dining!
3. Chopstick rests
Hashi-oki are chopstick rests that can often be seen when dining at Japanese restaurants all over the country. These functional little dining accessories are extremely cute and useful, and not only look good, but help keep your chopsticks off the messy table during a meal. Traditionally made from wood or ceramic, these days you can find hashi-oki made from all sorts of materials, such as glass, resin, or metal. They are often inspired by nature but come in a variety of shapes and sizes – making them fine souvenirs or gifts when travelling to Japan!
Also read: Traditional Japanese Crafts to Try When Visiting Tokyo
4. Pig-shaped lantern
A kayaributa is a pig-shaped lantern, a unique Japanese invention designed to hold incense. Used traditionally to burn mosquito-repelling coils, the smoke from the incense escapes from the pig’s mouth to ward off mosquitoes from the vicinity. You might have seen this icon of the Japanese summer in anime or games, and they can be found in a wide variety of designs. With its cute form and interesting functionality, a kayaributa makes for an interesting display item on shelves and mantles, as a tealight holder, or as an incense and room fragrance holder in your home!
5. Paper products
Japanese paper products come in many shapes and sizes, from delicate centuries-old crafts to high-quality, modern-day stationery—guaranteeing something for everyone when buying souvenirs in this category. Traditional paper products like washi are often made from native Japanese plants, and are used in ryokan sliding doors, lanterns, and even certain fabrics! Modern and commercial paper product companies in Japan prioritise sustainability, and so their products are made from over 60% recycled materials. From notebooks to notepads to cute, printed stickers and stationery, paper products are definitely a cute and functional souvenir to buy!
6. Japanese Liquor
Whether it’s sake, Japanese whisky , or craft beer, Japan has a sizeable range of alcoholic beverages that you can shop from. Japan boasts an impressive range and variety of sake types, a wide range of rare and delicious whiskies, and even regional specialties from small-batch beer breweries, making this the perfect gift for someone who enjoys the finer things in life.
7. Japanese Snacks
It would probably not surprise you that every region in Japan has its own unique snack or food item. Omiyage is the Japanese tradition of bringing back local specialties or snacks as gifts for loved ones and colleagues after a vacation. These gifts are edible and can be bought at specialty shops near or inside all major train stations in the country. Beautifully packaged, the food item itself is sometimes even embellished with aesthetically pleasing designs! The snacks are also almost always individually wrapped, making them easy to distribute.
Tokyo Banana is an extremely popular omiyage from Tokyo, featuring a small, banana-shaped sponge cake that has a variety of fillings, including ones with a custard made with real bananas. Regions around Japan have their own unique and famous omiyage items, including uniquely flavored Kit-Kats, making it a great way to tailor your gifts based on your friends’ and family’s preferences!
8. Daruma dolls
Daruma dolls are hollow, round, traditional dolls that are modelled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism. These dolls are typically red and white, and they serve as a talisman of good luck and a grantor of wishes in Japanese culture. When you buy a Daruma doll, its eyes are both blank. After making a wish, you color in the left eye, and after the wish is fulfilled, you fill in the right eye. At the end of the year in Japan, people usually bring their Daruma to a temple for a traditional burning ceremony that takes place after New Year’s Day. During the ceremony, people express gratitude to their Daruma dolls for fulfilling their wishes and place them on a special altar. The monks of the temple typically perform ceremonial rituals, and the tens of thousands of Daruma dolls collected from the community are set aflame. If they choose not to burn their Daruma doll, the doll is usually kept as a small protective amulet that watches over the household.
If you’re looking to purchase something uniquely Japanese as a souvenir, a Daruma doll will make for a good story – and you can skip out on the burning bit!
9. Maneki Neko dolls
A maneki-neko is a figurine of a cat with its paw raised in a beckoning gesture, which is believed to bring good luck and fortune. When visiting Japan, you often see these little figures at the entrance of shops and businesses, or near cash registers. A raised left paw is said to beckon customers, and a raised right paw beckons wealth or fortune. If both paws are raised, it is said to beckon divine protection over the business or household. While these cat figurines are typically a calico (tri-colored) cat, they do come in a variety of colors and shapes, making them cute decorative items for your shelves and entryways back home!
10. Gachapon Capsule Toys
Gachapon are Japanese vending machine-dispensed capsule toys that contain a small, random collectible. Its name comes from the sounds made by the machine, “gacha” for the sound of the crank mechanism, and “pon” for the sound it makes when the capsule prize falls out! Gachapon are everywhere in Japan and are a perfect little treat for yourself if you’re a fan of anime or Japanese pop culture! You’ll be able to find a lot of cute, whimsical items in the form of keychains, stickers, or decorative figures, for just the price of a few coins!
Shopping for souvenirs in Japan is an exciting way to remember your trip, or to bring back something for friends and loved ones in your life. Whether you’re in search of high-end Japanese knives and ceramics or cute-but-functional everyday items, Japan has a plethora of shopping options that guarantee something for everyone!