11 Unique Souvenirs To Bring Home From Tokyo

Although traditional Japanese cuisine doesn’t typically feature dessert, many people do eat wagashi sweets as snacks. Wagashi include red bean paste-filled mochi rice balls, fish-shaped taiyaki waffles, chewy rice dumplings slathered in sweet sauce, and other delights that may be unusual to Western palates.

It’s common in Japan to give wagashi or other edible omiyage (souvenirs) to friends and co-workers after a trip, so you can find beautifully packaged boxes all over the city, wrapped and ready to be gifted. Some cooking classes even focus on traditional sweet-making, so you can make your own edible Japanese souvenirs in Tokyo.

Best for: Kids, friends, colleagues

Where: Ginza, Asakusa, Shinjuku, airports

It’s impossible to spend any time in Tokyo (or the rest of Japan) without noticing the waving cat figurines that are often placed near shop doorways, beckoning you inside. These are maneki neko (literally, beckoning cats), good-luck charms that are said to originate at the Gotokuji Temple in Setagaya, southwest Tokyo—and they’re a great gift idea. You can visit that temple for a full cultural experience alongside your maneki neko purchasing, or find them for sale in many other places, including Kappabashi, which sells everything you might need to set up a Japanese catering business, including maneki neko.

Best for: Business owners, animal lovers

Where: Gotokuji Temple, Kappabashi

Heavy decorative kimonos are typically worn during important life events and milestones in Japan, such as weddings, while lightweight cotton yukata are an easier-to-wear version favored for summer festivals and by young people. Despite these garments’ ubiquity in traditional culture, many Japanese people wouldn’t choose to wear a second-hand kimono or yukata, meaning you can find a second-hand garment for a fraction of the cost of new ones—perfect if you’re looking for an inexpensive and beautiful souvenir. A shopping tour that includes vintage stores around Harajuku and Omotesando can help you seek out some bargains.

Best for: Fashionistas, teens

Where: Harajuku, Omotesando, Nippori Fabric Town

Insider tip: If you plan to wear a kimono or yukata in Tokyo, make sure you wear it correctly to avoid offending anyone. Fold the left side over the right; the opposite way around is how dead bodies are dressed.

Kanzashi hairpieces are just one accessory that Japanese women often wear with a kimono or yukata outfit. These are decorative hairpins, sticks, barettes, or combs that can be added to updos or behind the ear. Shop for these at markets, where they’re often inexpensive but quite different from the types of hair accessories you’d find at home. The Asakusa neighborhood has a particularly good selection on Nakamise Shopping Street, which leads to the popular Senso-ji Temple. You can even buy or rent a whole Japanese outfit, with a yukata and kanzashi, and pose for a photoshoot.

Best for: Fashionistas, kids/teens

Where: Asakusa, Harajuku, Ueno

If you happen to visit Tokyo in summer, you’ll soon see why folding fans (sensu) are a seasonal staple: you need every bit of help you can get with the sky-high humidity. It’s a good thing they can be so darn pretty. Whether you want a fan for practical use or to display at home, they come in many colors and designs, and you’ll easily find one to suit your taste. They’re an essential element of traditional Japanese dress, especially in summer, or an ideal option if you don’t want the whole kimono get-up. The best souvenirs to buy in Tokyo are easy to pack, and fans fold up really small.

Best for: Friends, relatives

Where: Asakusa, Shibuya

Insider tip: If you’re heading to Kyoto or Nagoya on your tour of Japan, look out for the sensu fans made in these cities: Kyoto-sensu are made especially for women, and Nagoya-sensu are designed for men (although fashion “rules” are made to be broken).

Origami, the art of paper folding, embodies a typically Japanese aesthetic: it might look simple, but it’s deceptively hard and requires precision and focus. Japan’s most poignant origami display may be in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, where thousands of paper cranes are strung together in memory of the children affected by the atomic bombing of the city in 1945. But even if you can’t make it to Hiroshima, consider stocking up on beautiful origami paper in Tokyo. Many craft and department stores sell it, as well as decorative washi paper, which is similar but not specifically intended for folding origami. And, if you'd like a crash course before you buy, try out an origami class to learn the ropes.

Best for: Crafty friends, kids

Where: Shinjuku, Ginza

Japanese animation (anime) has a cult following within Japan and beyond, from the whimsical, mythology-inspired fantasies of Studio Ghibli to the futuristic, robotic Gundam franchise. Anime fans of all persuasions will love visiting Tokyo, which is full of theme parks and monuments dedicated to these parallel universes (just make sure you secure tickets to uber-popular attractions such as the Ghibli Museum well in advance, as they typically sell out quickly). If you’re not shopping for souvenirs for yourself but an anime fan in your life, make sure to ask them what they’re into, because Dragon Ball is not the same as Fire Force. Odaiba is a great place to shop for anime-related souvenirs.

Best for: Kids, teens

Where: Odaiba, Ghibli Museum

Eating at a Japanese restaurant—whether in Japan or anywhere else in the world—is not just about the food, but the full cultural experience and ambience. From the maneki neko at the door and the plastic food models that save you struggling over Japanese menus to the chopsticks, tatami mat flooring, and lacquered bento boxes, Japanese restaurants are just set up differently. Whether you have a passing interest in Japanese food or want to perfect your techniques, head to Kappabashi (aptly nicknamed Kitchen Town), where Tokyo’s chefs and restaurateurs stock up. The famous Tsukiji Fish Market also sells a good range of kitchenware.

Best for: Foodies, home cooks, parents

Where: Kappabashi, Tsukiji

Just like you wouldn’t down an Italian red wine from a Champagne flute, you shouldn’t really chug matcha from a mug or sake from a beer glass. Japanese liquor and tea (ocha or matcha) are served in and drunk from their own traditional vessels, which make beautiful souvenirs. To learn more about traditions around drinking—whether alcoholic or not—it’s a good idea to take a tasting tour or workshop.

You can find nice drinking vessels in the homeware sections of many department stores, such as Loft or Isetan, or seek out specialist potters in Kappabashi, Nakameguro, and hidden in backstreets.

Best for: Friends, romantic partners

Where: Kappabashi, Nakameguro

Insider tip: If you want to try rice wine (sake) in Japan, don’t actually ask for sake: Sake just means “liquor” in Japanese, so asking for this can confuse the server. The Japanese name for what English speakers call sake is actually Nihonshu, meaning “Japanese liquor.”

Woodblock printing has been a popular art in Japan for many centuries, and even people who don’t know much about art are likely familiar with the work of some Japanese woodblock artists, especially 18th–19th century ukiyo-e artists Hiroshige and Hokusai (famous for The Wave). Although an original ukiyo-e print is likely not in your budget—head to one of Tokyo’s top museums to see some, such as the Tokyo National Museum—you can find reproductions all over the place, from postcards to frameable posters.

Best for: Art lovers, parents

Where: Ginza, Ueno Park’s museums

Kawaii means “cute” in Japanese, but it’s more than just an adjective: it’s an aesthetic, and certainly not restricted to under-10s. Head to Harajuku or Yoyogi Park on a weekend, and you’ll see people embodying this style. If you’re not into cosplay yourself but want to add a touch of kawaii to someone’s life, buy some cute stationery. Notebooks, pens, pencils, pencil cases, erasers, stickers, magnets; you name a school or office supply, and you can probably find it adorned with a Sanrio character, such as Hello Kitty. Shop for cute stationery at any department store, or treat the kids to a visit to Sanrio Puroland.

Best for: Kids, teens, teachers, the young-at-heart

Where: Shinjuku, Ginza