![\"A](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Unique-Souvenirs-You-Should-Get-in-Tokyo.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGoing to Japan, especially Tokyo, is all\nabout the culture, the food, and the overall experience. That\u2019s not to say you\ncan\u2019t get some really cool things on your travels, because you definitely can.\nI\u2019m talking about items such as souvenirs for yourself, friends, and family.\nJust what kinds of gifts and merch can you find in Tokyo?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tokyo has its fair share of unique\nsouvenirs you should add to your shopping list, such as:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Did any of the above items catch your\nfancy or make you curious (or hungry)? I\u2019m sure they did. You\u2019ll want to keep\nreading then, as in this article, I\u2019ll talk more about each of these awesome\nsouvenirs, even sharing where you can find them. Your fun shopping day awaits!\nLet\u2019s get started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, so on the surface, kitchen supplies\nmight not sound super unique, but wait until you visit the store in which you\ncan find them. It\u2019s known as Kappabashi<\/a>\nand it\u2019s a fun little slice of Japanese culture and cookware all rolled into\none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can\u2019t really miss this shop on Dougu\nStreet, trust me. The building features a giant chef\u2019s head protruding from the\nroof. If that doesn\u2019t make you inclined to go inside, then I don\u2019t know what\nwill. (Take a look at the shop\nhere<\/a>. How can you pass up a place like\nthis?) <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking\nfor kitchenware like bowls, cups, and other supplies that are authentically\nJapanese, this is the spot to find them. Just make sure you choose your\nkitchenware carefully before trying to get it through customs! You also want to\ngently pack anything made of glass or ceramic so it doesn\u2019t break. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s absolutely no shortage of skincare\nand makeup shops in Tokyo, but I thought Makanai\nCosme’s<\/a> array of products certainly fit the\nbill for a unique pick. Created in 1999, before Makanai Cosme came to be, the\nfemale founders had started the Yoshitaka Gold-Leaf Foundry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their products include gold-flecked soaps\nand skincare made with the cocoons of silkworms as well as konnyaku<\/em>, a\nJello-like food that comes from yams and potatoes. Now, silkworms may sound\nlike a strange pick to put anywhere near your face, and that\u2019s fair. It turns\nout the insect produces sericin, a type of protein packed with amino acids.\nSeriously, there are 18 such acids in sericin. These include glycine, aspartic\nacid, and serine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the texture of sericin is sort of\ngross (it\u2019s gummy and sticky), it can improve your nails, skin, and hair, says Science\nBeauty Gal<\/a>. Also, it can moisturize\nthe skin, boosting its elasticity and reducing wrinkles. So yeah, it\u2019s not all\nbad, not at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone is pretty familiar with Washi\ntape, which has made a big splash here in the United States over the past\ncouple of years. Over in Japan, you\u2019ll find what\u2019s known as washi paper. This\nthin, crepe-like paper is almost like the tissue paper you\u2019d find here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Washi comes from the kozo <\/em>bush\n(also known as paper mulberry), the Edgeworthia chrysantha <\/em>or mitsumata\nshrub, as well as the gampi tree\u2019s inner bark. The word translates to mean\nJapanese paper, so it\u2019s quite fitting. Although it looks flimsy, it has more\ndurability compared to other wood pulp papers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While sure, you could always get washi\npaper online at any arts and supply store, you\u2019re in Tokyo, so you might as\nwell pop into a shop and pick up some of this lovely paper in person. One such\nshop in which you can do that is Kyukodo Ginza Honten. Not only can you find\nwashi there, but crafting items and lots of washi products, including origami\nanimals. It\u2019s a quaint, beautiful shop in which you can get lost in for hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you get back to your hotel, why not\ntry making an origami animal or two yourself. It\u2019s lots of fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Never heard of tenugui <\/em>before?\nThese are Japanese cotton hand towels. They\u2019re not very thick, nor are they\nlarge, about 35 centimeters by 90 centimeters. That\u2019s 13.78 by 35.43 inches. These\ntowels are woven and then colored with a pattern through dying. They\u2019re\nintentionally frayed on the shorter ends to give them a specific appeal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t just have to use a tenugui <\/em>to\ndry your hands. They\u2019re also favored for covering bottles, decorating homes,\nand used fashionably in the form of scarves or headbands. One of these towels\nwould make a wonderful gift for any of your loved ones. What\u2019s even better is you\ncan easily pack a tenugui <\/em>in your luggage since they\u2019re lightweight and\nvery foldable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One such store I\u2019d recommend for getting\nyour own tenugui <\/em>is Kamawanu<\/a>.\nYou\u2019ll find a countless selection of these towels here in all the patterns,\nstyles, and colors you could imagine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dating back to the Edo period, Ukiyo-e\nfolk art has bright, rich colors and vivid designs sure to leave you in awe. If\nyou want to get your hands on some authentic art yourself, I suggest you visit Ibasen<\/a>.\nThis store carries a slew of fans in the Ukiyo-e style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only are fans more affordable than\nprints or painted works (at least most of the time), but they\u2019re functional,\ntoo. You can make all your friends jealous when you come home and bust out one\nof your Japanese fans with Ukiyo-e artwork. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you break a plate or a bowl at home,\nyou typically just sweep up the glass and throw the whole thing away, right? In\nJapanese culture, it\u2019s different. Sometimes, damaged pottery gets put back\ntogether, even if it cracks. By lacquering the pieces and then covering the\ncracks in powdered gold, you get what\u2019s called kintsugi. <\/em>It\u2019s a lovely\nreminder that even though damaged, it\u2019s always possible to recover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, finding kintsugi for sale around\nTokyo is no easy feat, with TripAdvisor and online forum users asking where to\nbuy it to pretty much no avail. Instead of purchasing kintsugi, <\/em>you can\nalways make your own by signing up for this\nworkshop <\/a>. You certainly won\u2019t regret it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The amazing creation of the textiles known\nas aizome <\/em>involves dying the material in indigo. This rich blue has a\ngreat depth of color that\u2019s so soothing to look at. From home decorations to\nclothing, a dyed item of this nature would certainly put a smile on the face of\na lucky friend who got one. You should pick up an aizome <\/em>item or two\nyourself as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re passing by Roppongi, make it a\npoint to stop by Blue\nand White<\/a>. This appropriately-named shop sells\nlots of aizome <\/em>products, from towels to shirts and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hello Kitty may be a mainstay in US\nculture, but she and all her animal friends come from Japan. If you can\u2019t get\nenough of Sanrio, then you must absolutely spend a day at Sanrio\nPuroland<\/a> in Tama New Town, a part of Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This theme park, which is completely indoors,\nwas founded in 1990. Today, Sanrio Puroland attracts a huge amount of annual\nvisitors, more than 1.5 million. You can check out rides and attractions themed\nto Hello Kitty and all her cute pals. In between all the fun and games, take a\nbreather and pop into the gift shops found at the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter what kind of Hello Kitty merch\nyou want to buy, if you can\u2019t find it here, then you can\u2019t find it anywhere\n(okay, maybe online). I\u2019m talking luggage, purses, shirts, plush dolls, and\nalmost everything else in between. It\u2019s Hello Kitty heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just what is a Tokyo Banana and why should\nyou care? It\u2019s a not fruit if that\u2019s what you\u2019re thinking. Instead, it\u2019s a type\nof sponge cake that has caught on like wildfire in Tokyo and the rest of Japan.\nInside, you\u2019ll find a delicious creamy filling. In that regard, it\u2019s sort of\nlike a Twinkie, but not quite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Called the \u201cofficial souvenir\u201d of Tokyo,\nyou can track down Tokyo Bananas in a slew of flavors. You can even get a Tokyo\nBanana with chocolate printing shaped like a panda, little hearts, leopard\nprint, small otters, and so much. These limited edition, specialty treats often\nhave different flavors of filling than the standard cream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that your mouth is watering, you can\nshop for a Tokyo Banana here<\/a>.\nJust remember to share some with your pals! Or don\u2019t. It\u2019s up to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you use a Japanese cooking knife,\nyou\u2019ll never want to use what\u2019s in your cutlery drawer again. Sure, you could\nfind these knives at Kappabashi and probably many other a shop in Tokyo, but\nI\u2019d point you in the direction of Kiva Knife Shop<\/a>\nfor the top cooking knives in town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The comfort of the handle combined with\nthe efficiency of the knife will transform your cooking experiences for the\nbetter. You can get to Kiya Knife Shop from Tokyo Station by foot, so really,\nyou have no excuse not to stop in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another edible souvenir you can only find\nin Japan (at least the real-deal ones) is hiyoko. <\/em>These cakes come from\nFukuoka, but they\u2019re available all over Tokyo as they\u2019re just so popular. With\na history that dates back more than a hundred years, hiyoko <\/em>is as sweet\nto look at as it is to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, it\u2019s a sponge cake base, but this\ntime, it\u2019s shaped like a little chick. Sometimes hiyoko <\/em>comes in chiffon\ncake form, but it\u2019s delicious either way. When you know what the word hiyoko\n<\/em>means, it\u2019s no surprise that these treats resemble the shape they do. The\nword translates to baby chick. With tiny beaks and black eyes, there\u2019s no\nmistaking that\u2019s what these cakes are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sink your teeth into some authentic hiyoko\n<\/em>at Hiyoko Sweets<\/a>.\nLike the Tokyo Banana, these chick cakes come in a variety of flavors, some you\ncan only buy for a limited time. Better order them while you still can! <\/p>\n\n\n\n I know, I know, you can get green tea\nanywhere and everywhere. If you want to taste true Japanese green tea, though,\nyou might as well pick some up while you\u2019re in Tokyo. You can start the\nmornings of your trip in a great mood as you sip the stuff, or you can bring\nhome some packets to share with friends and family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Either way, if you want to buy or drink\nsome really great green tea, you have to make it a point to get to Ippodo\nTea Tokyo Marunouchi<\/a>. Not only does the green\ntea here come highly recommended, but you can shop countless other teas should\nyou want to stock up on those as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In their traditional form, the senjafuda\n<\/em>is actually a type of paper that those who went to shrines would leave\nthere. These days, they\u2019re made of a wood and are the perfect souvenir to bring\nhome and remember your amazing times in Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Ikidane Nippon<\/a>,\nyou can get your name translated into Japanese kanji and then carved into a\nwooden senjafuda <\/em>strap. You even get a woven carrying handle for hanging\nyour senjafuda <\/em>anywhere in your home. Kitschy? Maybe a little, but still\na nice token of your vacation nonetheless. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides washi paper, you should also look\nfor some origami paper while on your travels. The Souvenir From Tokyo<\/a>\nshop at the Natural Art Center Tokyo Museum carries staggeringly beautiful\norigami paper in every color imaginable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you fold yours into fun shapes and\ndesigns or you use it for other purposes, authentic Japanese origami is a\nmust-have if you\u2019re looking for unique souvenirs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the oldest incense brands in\nJapan\u2014okay, one of the oldest brands in Japan, period<\/em>\u2014Kyukyodo<\/a>\nhas existed for more than three centuries. In fact, the Imperial Family got\ntheir incense from the brand back in the Edo period. That should give you a\ngood idea of how long Kyukyodo has been around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, you can find modern versions of\nKyukyodo stores in Soramachi, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ginza, so\nthere\u2019s no shortage of \u2018em. This stunning incense looks so appealing you might\nnot want to light it, and I can\u2019t blame you for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For the alcohol connoisseurs in your life\n(and maybe that\u2019s you), some Japanese whiskey would make a great trip memento.\nSure, Japan is known for its sake, but you know other spirits exist, with\nwhiskey a preferred pick of yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shinanoya<\/a>\nwill deliver. You can shop for whiskey from all parts of Japan that make it.\nScotches are abundant here as well, so buy that plentifully if you wish.\nWhether you prefer independent whiskey bottlers or those from distilleries in\nthe form of single casks, you have plenty of choices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, and if you are in a mood for sake or\nwine, check out the food market portion of Shinanoya. You should be able to\nfind both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You know there are more than just\nchocolate KitKats out there, right? Okay, not in America, not really, but in\nparts of the world like Japan, you can find countless varieties. If your sweet\ntooth is driving your souvenir shopping, then visit either the Seibu Ikebukuro\nor the Takashimaya Shinjuku KitKat\nChocolatory<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the flavors you can get acquainted\nwith are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tokyo is a treasure trove of gifts,\nsouvenirs, and trinkets. Sure, you could always get your friends and family a\nkeychain, but why do that when you can buy countless better presents out there?\nThe 17 unique souvenirs I presented in this article would all make for the\nperfect thing to give to your pals after you return from Japan. You know,\nunless you decide to keep them for yourself. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Going to Japan, especially Tokyo, is all about the culture, the food, and the overall experience. That\u2019s not to say you can\u2019t get some really cool things on your travels,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2361"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2364,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361\/revisions\/2364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}17 Unique Souvenirs You Can Find in Tokyo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Kitchen Supplies at Kappabashi <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Skincare with Gold and Silkworm Cocoons at Makanai Cosme <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Washi at Tokyo Kyukyodo Ginza Honten <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Tenugui at Kamawanu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Ukiyo-e Art at Ibasen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Kintsugi at a Tokyo Workshop <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Aizome at Blue and White<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Sanrio Merch at Sanrio Puroland<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Tokyo Banana at Tokyo Banana<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10. Japanese Knives at Kiya Knife Shop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
11. Hiyoko at Hiyoko Sweets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
12. Green Tea at Ippodo Tokyo Store<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
13. Senjafuda Straps at Ikidane Nippon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
14. Origami Paper from the Natural Art Center Tokyo Museum Shop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
15. Japanese Incense at Kyukyodo <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
16. Japanese Whiskey at Shinanoya <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
17. Fun Flavored KitKats at the KitKat Chocolatory <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion <\/h2>\n\n\n\n