If I could choose one Souvenier to bring home from Japan, what should it be?

Question

Actually, one of my friends is going over to Japan. She would like to bring something back for me. What should I ask for? Is there something uniquely Japanese I can ask for? Something Cultural and meaningful? What would you suggest?

Answer 1

She could try going to a temple/shrine and getting a charm from there. Or going to a festival - they always have wonderful things there as well. Bonsai trees are good. A kendo outfit if you'd like to learn. Authentic scrolls and calligraphy. Kokeshi Dolls. Figurines of the chinese zodiacs and the story behind it [yes, chinese, but you'll see]. Daruma Dolls. Ornamental swords. Japanese Yukatas, Kimonos, Smaue and happi coats. There's so much things you can get. Just make sure they don't cost her a lot ok.

Answer 2

You could have her get you something touristy (and usually low-quality) such as a kimono, fan or sword. If you like art or calligraphy, she could get something for you from a gift shop or temple (some temples do calligraphy of prayers.) Alcohol and food are an important part of Japanese culture; each region has its specialty. If you are into pop culture, there are lots of cute character items (stuffed animals, stationary, household goods) you could have her get for you. All of these suggestions are relatively inexpensive.

Answer 3

shouchuu（焼酎）. It's an alcohol like a sake. Both of sake and shouchuu are very famous in Japan but only sake is known in other countries. I'm Japanese and Japanese friends around me more like shouchuu than sake. there is thousand kind of shouchuu so ask the liquor store staff which is the best.

Answer 4

Ceramics, olive oil, wine, music (either Spanish guitar or flamenco), if any of them are soccer fans you can bring them some memorabilia for the local team, leather goods, scarves, if anyone likes art maybe a coffee table book from Madrid's Museo del Prado or Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

Answer 5

A tea bowl or a nambu tetsu kettle-totally unbreakable unlike the tea bowl. With a tea bowl if it looks good, it is good-therefore it's simple to buy. An ink-stone is nice too, but I actually use my kettle. A hana-fuda card deck is 100 yen at the 100 yen store, but a karuta deck is worth about 5000. I have a shogi set I paid about 1500 yen for that is actually pretty nice, but I can't play shogi to save my life. Go is my game so I brought back a inexpensive (but regulation) set of ceramic go stones that will go through customs OK, unlike the ivory ones.

Answer 6

Cellphone

Japanese made CDMA cellphones are the best in world, but too bad most of them are not for sale outside of Japan. You want to impress your friends or keep it as a collector's item, can't go wrong here. They're definitively Japanese. there's a catch though, you can't use it outside of Japan either. but you know that right?

Answer 7

If you can't secure yourself mini Koto, then I would at least get a ramune it has a neat shape bottle and really tastes good. Of course an uchiwa or hand fan is affordable and folds up nicely to take home .

Answer 8

Well something very cool is Habu sake(from Okinawa) -wait, or is it awamori? Anyway its a rice wine that has a poisonous snake coiled inside of the bottle, but she might have to mail it , that's if they sell it Japan.

Answer 9

A pencil and pen. Notebook and eraser as well. You will notice they are nice quality.
Especially ask her to buy Mechanical pencil. It is called as "SHARP pencil" or "SHARPEN" in Japan.

Because Mr. Tokuji Hayakawa, founder of SHAPR corp, improved the quality of Mechanical pencil and it has got big success in Japan.

Answer 10

Good anime; electronics; sake; tea set; kimono; Japanese music; windchimes; Chinsko