For this week’s blog, I will share with you what you can enjoy buying in Japan.

One of the reasons I love strolling around in a market is the feeling of discovering art stores and galleries and peculiar flavored candies and snacks. Traveling makes my discovery more bountiful because of these new things that I am not used to seeing. And when I get distracted by these new things, I tend to buy them as part of my collection or as pasalubong to my family and friends.

[Pasalubong – anything that you buy or make for your family and friends when you go either visit them or back from your travel. I believe every culture has this kind of thoughtful manner, however, I can’t find an exact translation in English. In Philippines, it is a tradition that one [sort of] must do for loved ones either for respect or for fun.

Book Lovers

Manga came from Japan and so is the easy-going ShinChan and savior Doraemon. An average of $4 a book will give you a blast of laughter. You can find a wide selection of mangas in their latest editions in convenience stores. Unique pasalubong, right? Magazines and photo-based technical books are also some of the books you can also read during your downtime. And why not get bookmarks also while you’re visiting theme parks?

KitKat

KitKat has so many flavors to choose from. Below are Matcha, Cinnamon, Tea, Wasabi, Creamcheese, and Sakura Green Tea. The regular size has an average cost of $6.7 but they also sell half of its size at half price. I always tell my friends to choose other flavors but Green Tea because Green Tea is already being sold in japanese stores in Philippines and way too common. Nah! Try Wasabi!

Beauty and Accessories

I was blown away by the wide selection of nail stickers in Japan. Nail stickers! The selection is so freaking cute that I had to go back and forth at the nail section to make sure I get two of the prettiest stickers in the whole nail art section. My friend also spent hours in the perfume section. She was holding two bottles while trying out other perfumes in the shelves. She did not buy any perfume because she was literally torn which one to choose. She regretted not buying even one, though.

Kitchen

Buy big mugs and tea cups and… shell-shaped spoon. Find them in theme parks, old school boutiques and stores situated downtown. When I saw the big red mug with ribbon of Minnie Mouse, I knew right there it was the one I have been looking for. I have always love Minnie Mouse since my childhood days. I use this mug every single day for coffee and cereals. Some people also collect Starbucks mugs and tumblers with names of the cities on them.

Green Tea

Instead Green Tea KitKat, why not get yourself  green tea drinks in sachets. Change your usual coffee time in office with these green tea drinks. I promise you will have a productive day in your work. Hahaha. No. I am not joking.

What I also did before is to give one sachet to each of my closest friends to spend lesser.

Chocolates and Sweets

There are only five selections here but there are thousands of selections you will see in Japan. I just got five because I only need two. Haha! The other three were stashed away by Mame.

Alcoholic and Energy Drinks

Bring sake for your father, brother or boyfriend. They will love it. Alcohol content is ranging from 15% to 20% which can probably knock them down. You can buy them in convenience store or groceries. Another is energy drinks which you can also get from vendo machines but definitely at a higher price. Yep! Need them in bulk, go to groceries. Need them to sustain you while you’re out, get them from vendo.

Collectors Choice

What I have here are bookmarks for my collection. I also started collecting postcard lately. There are keychains and magnets for those who like their collections as simple as they can be. Get yourself origami papers. I am using the origami papers for letters or as envelopes for Christmas and Weddings.

Kids Toys and Candies Choice

You won’t have a hard time finding pasalubong for kids. Wrappers are way too cool and artistic. Doraemon and Shinchan as candies?? Go ahead!

DIY themed candies 

My ultimate favorite pasalubong – DIY themed candies. I know, candies are common. But what is amazing about them is that I can make sushi, beer or takoyaki on my own. One is a jelly butt of Shinchan and the other is takoyaki. There is an instruction drawn on the packaging. My friend had to call me while her nieces were making the Shinchan jelly butt because she was happy seeing the kids laughing hard while making them.

So there! Just be sure to budget everything so you can spend better. =)