Finding souvenirs for friends and family isn’t always easy, especially when you only have a few days ! So I made you a list of Japan souvenir ideas that are easy to find and bring home with you ! There is an idea for every budget, and each gift can bring a small piece of Japanese culture home with you !
- Matcha Powder
- Incense
- Snacks
- Ceramics
- Whiskey and Sake
- Chopsticks
- Pokémon and Hello Kitty
- Stationery
- Manga
- Gachapons
Matcha Powder & Bowl 🍵
Japan has a long history with matcha, these ground tea leaves have been part of its culture for years. Recently, matcha has become a worldwide phenomenon so you won’t have to go far to find a cup !
So, if you have a matcha lover at home, buying matcha will be the perfect present for them ! You can find matcha in a lot of touristy shops. But, you need to be careful, matcha quality can vary a lot. Since I am not a macha expert, I’d recommend doing your research beforehand ! One tip I learnt, though is, if the whole packaging is in english, it is made for tourists so maybe not worth the price.
If you want to add on, you can also buy a matcha bowl ! Matcha is not prepared like your usual cup of tea. The powder needs to be whisked with hot water in a bowl. So, what is so special with a matcha bowl ? Usually, it comes with a spout to pour matcha directly into your cup !
Incense 🎇
With the expansion of Buddhism, Japan has been producing incense for centuries. In every temple you visit, you will be surrounded by the smell, creating a relaxing atmosphere around you. So bringing some home with you can help recreate this peaceful ambiance in your living room !
My sister and I had a really good experience in Kyungyokudo in Kyoto. The 2-storey building has an extensive collection of incense. The selection of scents is impressive and offers many ideas of souvenirs to bring back home ! We were able to smell every single scent and to ask the staff to light up some of them to give us an idea how they smell when burnt !
Snacks 🍬🍫
This category seems like it could fit many different countries. But, I feel like it fits Japan the best. A few years ago, Japan was famous for its “wtf” objects and food. But, I am not here to talk about that, it could be fun but not parent-friendly. Here are some that are perfect Japan souvenir ideas that I think are perfect for everyone:
- Kit Kat : Kit Kats in Japan are a completely different game than what you find overseas. The number of flavors seems endless, so you can have fun and choose very original ones.
- Sugar Butter Tree : recommended by my colleagues, these sweet, crispy biscuits are usually bought in pretty boxes, perfect for giving !
- Pocky : this brand of chocolate biscuits are cheap and can be found in all convenience stores. Available in different variants, they are the easiest to bring home !
- Seaweed : this one might be a bit of a stretch because not everyone is a fan of seaweed. But, for a quick introduction to Japanese snacks I feel like these are easy to bring home as they are very light in your suitcase !
Of course there are many other snacks you can find while on your trip to Japan, let me know if you have any favourites below !
Ceramics 🫖
You might think that you can only find Japanese ceramics in museums behind a glass. But if you like how pretty they look in fancy restaurants and cafes, you will know that you can actually buy them and bring them home !
In Tokyo, there is even a street dedicated to these ceramics. Kappabashi street is lined with shops selling ceramics in many different shapes and colours ! The owners usually know you will be packing them into your suitcase so they offer extra packaging to protect your purchases !
Sake and Whisky 🍶
Sake is a tradtionnal Japanese alcohol made from rice. The price range varies depending on the quality, so you have a large panel to choose from. If you have never tried it before, some places offer sake tastings as well as a few historical facts to help you understand its history !
Whisky might be surprising to you since it is not a Japanese drink. But in the last century, Japan has been producing more and more whiskey, becoming a high-end producer. So if you have a whisky fan at home, you can find a Japanese whisky that could fit their taste ! If you don’t know anything about whiskey, just like I did, you can bring a picture of the whisky they usually drink so the staff can help you find something similar !
Chopsticks 🥢
To go along with your ceramics, you might need some chopsticks ! Japanese chopsticks can be found in all shapes and colours. The easiest present is to find some cute ones in a souvenir shop, with a Japanese-themed design. But if you want something more meaningful, you can get personnalized chopsticks or even make them yourself from scratch ! This will give them a whole different meaning for the person receiving them or you can keep them for yourself !
In Kawagoe, we found a shop where you can make them yourself,. From choosing the wood, to deciding the shape and details, everything is up to you. We didn’t have enough time to make them, but you can find the address here, if you are interested !
Pokemon and Hello Kitty😸
Travelling to Japan without seeing anything Pokémon or Hello Kitty-related is impossible. These two brands are everywhere and can be found on so many products. So you can find something realted to either of them at almost any price point !
Pokémon stores can be found in most big cities, with several outlets each time. The selection can differ depending on the city and store so check the selection before assuming another store will have the same item. Of course, Pikachu will be there in every store but that will not be the case for every single one. The checkout queue can get long but usually the staff is very efficient.
Hello Kitty and Sanrio-related shops are also quite common. So just like Pokémon, you can find stickers, plushies and all kins of Sanrio character-themed gifts to bring home !
Stationery 📒
Japan has a real love for stationery. Every year, there seem to be new pens, erasers, pencil cases with new features and improvements ! So, stationery could also be a good Japan souvenir idea as stationery is usually quite cheap and easy to bring home ! There are several multi-storey stationery shops in Tokyo, so you can have a see which one is the closest to you !
Manga 📚
Just like Pokémon, manga has to be on a list of Japan souvenir ideas. With the huge number of stories and characters to choose from, the souvenir possibilites are endless. You will find Dragon Ball and One Piece merchandise almost everywhere. But you can find more niche stores if you are looking for more specific series. Most stores sell books, posters and figurines giving you a wide range to choose from !
Gachapon 🎰
Gachapon are both a game and a gift. These small capsule toy vending machines can be found everywhere ! From subway stations to convenience stores and even dedicated gachapons stores, you always have an opportunity to play ! You will usually need coins to use gachapon machines. Some machines let you exchange banknotes into coins, which is very convenient. Since there are gachapon for almost every game, manga or cute character imaginable, you can find the best one to bring home while having a fun time selecting them !
Be carfeul though, they can be surprisingly addicitve, especially when you want one specific item. So be sure to set up some rules first on how much you want to spend ! The rule I dediced with a friend, was to choose only machines where we liked 90% of the possible outputs. Hasn’t failed me so far !
If you liked these Japan souvenir ideas, check out my other Japan posts here, and let me know if you have other suggestions below !
