Japanese souvenirs
Whether you’re visiting Japan for a holiday, or you’re just looking for something to send to a friend, Japan is full of options when it comes to souvenirs. Here are some souvenirs that I’ve personally bought for friends (and for myself) that I found thoughtful, and truly represented Japan.
Kit Kats
Food-wise, you can’t go wrong with Kit Kats. The abundant amount of flavours (many that I have never tried before) is exciting for both the person choosing which flavour to buy, and also for the person that is going to try it. I personally love the green tea flavour, and the wasabi kit kat was pretty exciting to try.
Jagarico
Whenever I get asked what snack to buy in Japan, I always suggest Jagarico. It’s a nothing-special potato snack in a cylindrical container – until you try it. It’s strangely addictive, and just like the kit kats, there are unique limited edition flavours. The flavours in the pictures are the main ones, that are out throughout the year. The flavour is vegetable, cheese and boiled potato with butter, respectively.
Face Masks
Face masks of different characters and animals have suddenly gained popularity in recent years, however, nothing screams Japan more than kabuki masks. If you didn’t know, kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese art, usually involving stage actors with their face covered with art, just like these masks.
Sample making kits
Another form of art Japan is known and popular for is, sample food. This kit allows you to create your own fake, sample food. There are also places around Japan where you can buy these already made samples, which would also be great souvenirs. The intricate details that are displayed by these samples are a true work of Japanese art.
DIY Food kit
If the sample food is unsatisfying, I suggest you try these DIY food kit. These kits able you to assemble food simply from powders and water. The food is in a form of edible candy that you will be able to eat in the end. These have gained popularity pretty recently, mainly amongst foreigners, as they are small yet quite realistic. It’s also a lot of fun because you get to make it and eat it, so you get to enjoy a lot from these kits!
Out of options? Go to the 100-yen store!
The Japanese 100 yen store is a place full of mystical goodies you wouldn’t believe are 100 yen. Although the quality cant be guaranteed for every single product in there, most of them are very acceptable. My personal favourites growing up were nail accessories and cute interior decorations.