You're planning a vacation in Japan, but wondering what you could bring back to your loved ones without breaking the bank...

Here are some gift ideas that will delight your friends and family, without emptying your vacation budget!

Tokyo Hands Store and Joy Park

In the "Tokyo Hands" store in Shinjuku, you'll find an entire floor dedicated to gadgets, games, costumes... you can discover countless games and toys that will bring joy to your children, nieces & nephews, friends...
In the Joy Park store in Ginza, you'll find more quirky gadgets and souvenirs... Definitely worth a visit!

- Star Wars gadgets: just like in the USA, Star Wars fever has hit Japan, so you'll find gadgets featuring your favorite heroes...

- Japanese fans: fan prices vary widely, you can find "Made in China" fans starting at 650 yen (around €6), but genuine Japanese fans are more in the range of 2,200 yen (around €20).



- Mini robots to build yourself, whether made of wood or paper (around 2,200 yen for the entry-level models).

The Don Quixote chain stores

In the "Don Quixote" stores (a kind of Japanese discount bazaar in Shinjuku, Roppongi Hills...), you'll find an abundance of quirky items to bring back to your friends... and for a reasonable price!

- Exotic fruits and other typically Japanese food products (raw fish, dried meat, seaweed for sushi rolls...).

- Japanese kitchen utensils, such as their expensive fish-cutting knife (from 2,000 yen, or €15), or simply chopsticks for eating rice (count on 500 yen for nice chopsticks, or 1,500 for very beautiful lacquered ones)...

- Completely quirky Japanese costumes... For example, the maid outfits used in maid cafes... But be careful, if you give them to your girlfriend, she might be surprised by this kind of attention, which is quite unusual from a Western perspective (especially schoolgirl costumes...). Basic costumes are around 1,000 yen, but the best ones are closer to 5,000 yen (around €40).
If not, you can always reuse them at Mardi Gras or costume parties!




- If your parents or a friend has a dog or cat, why not splurge on a beautiful red or blue wig for dogs at 1,500 yen? It's up to you to decide if it will really make them happy!

- A small "Happy" character that wiggles from time to time... perfect for your grumpy office colleague across from you!


- If you already have the Eiffel Tower in your living room, why not bring back from Japan the illuminated Tokyo Tower... It's sure to impress your guests!
- Of course, there are plush toys, in particular with the Blue Japanese Cat that has its own animated TV show!


Note that there's an entire store dedicated to this animated character at Roppongi Hills, at the headquarters of the TV station that produces this TV program.


- Japanese Alcohol: you can bring back a bottle of sake or Japanese liqueur to share with your friends. There are even high-quality Japanese whiskies (though quite expensive, around €50 per bottle).

Department Stores

On the top floors of major department stores in Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ginza... you'll find games and toy sections ideal for finding souvenirs to bring back for children.
In particular, there's the large "Loft" department store in Shibuya which offers plenty of products (souvenirs on the top floor, food items in the basement).

- Japanese puzzles, whether featuring anime characters, famous landmarks, or 3D puzzles (like a cup here).


- Cars, robots... and other remote-controlled toys that will delight children! Particularly with some small gadgets that respond to sound or obstacles (like the HexaBug below). Prices range from around €15 to €40 per toy.




- Decorative items: in Japan as in many Western countries, flashy and original items are king... However, be careful as electrical items don't meet the same standards (power outlets in particular) as those back home...

Souvenir shops

When you visit tourist attractions like Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto... you'll find countless shops and stores to buy your vacation souvenirs. Here's a few additional suggestions!

- Gift boxes of cakes: the Japanese make excellent cakes and pastries, which you can bring back to your friends. The prices of these traditional pastries can be quite high as they're really country specialties.
However, there are also "cake sets" for tourists, with beautiful packaging showing the main monuments of Tokyo!

- Japanese Dolls or Kokeshi: these are lovely wooden dolls, very nice for decoration (around 2,000 yen).



- Kimonos and Yukatas: you'll find secondhand mini-kimonos (Yukatas) at markets starting from 4,500 yen (around €30). These aren't the traditional kimonos worn by Japanese women at formal occasions (as they're quite complicated to put on), but more "elegant robes" often made of silk. It's a gift that will please most women (note: pay attention to size, as Japanese sizing tends to be quite small).

- Katanas and other Japanese swords that you'll find in most souvenir shops. You can find them starting from 10,000 yen.


- Japanese pottery: this is truly a must-have gift if you go to Japan, and especially in Kyoto where the pottery craft is still very active.


- Green tea... again, this is a real souvenir you can bring back home to rediscover the taste of green tea served in Japanese restaurants...

Japanese supermarkets

If you want to host a "Japan" evening when you return from vacation, you can, for example, bring back exotic Japanese products and offer a tasting to your friends!
To do this, simply go shopping at Japanese supermarkets (Family Mart, AM PM...), and bring back water with additives, protein supplements, cookies with various flavors, beers and alcoholic beverages... You'll have a great time!

Clothing stores

Japan is truly a shopping paradise: clothing stores are at the cutting edge of fashion (even ahead of it), with clothes that are both luxurious and trendy.

In Ginza, Shibuya, Roppongi Hills... you'll find brand-name stores with modern and fashionable clothing.

If you're more of a fashion enthusiast or ahead of the trend (or simply looking for cheap and trendy clothes), we recommend visiting Harajuku (near Yoyogi Park, north of Shibuya)

In short, if you love fashion, Tokyo will be your paradise... You can even find baby clothes there!

Temple Offerings

If you're not too materialistic, you can also make offerings at temples, or bring back talismans (such as those for safe travel, for success in business...).

Manga Stores in Akihabara

If you love manga, anime, figurines from movies... You'll find what you're looking for in the Akihabara district where there's an entire building dedicated to manga!

Museum gift shops

In museum gift shops you'll find about as much choice as in similar shops back home, mainly postcards, books... but it can be interesting to bring back a souvenir linked to the museum's exhibitions.