20 Souvenirs You Should Buy in Tokyo
In Tokyo, where you can buy souvenirs from each region of Japan, here are some souvenirs that are specifically from Tokyo. You can buy some standard items reflecting Japanese culture to items that are currently trendy, so definitely check out this list for some ideas.
tsunagu Japan
Jul 31 2015 (Sep 09 2020)
1. Asakusa Kaminarimon Goods
If you come to Tokyo, one of the must-see landmarks is Asakusa's Kaminarimon. You can find items with Kaminarimon designs like lanterns, figures, tote bags, socks, and other items. If you walk down Nakamise-doori past all the souvenir shops, definitely stop in to look for some.
HP: http://asakusa-nakamise.jp/e-index.html
Address: 2-3 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
2. Items from the Shibuya Souvenir Vending Machines
In the young people's neighborhood of Shibuya, there is a unique spot where you can buy various Japanese souvenirs from vending machines. It's fun just picking which one you're going to buy. Among the popular items are earrings, tenugui handkerchiefs, and phone straps. Also, the store that has all these vending machines also offers various Japanese souvenirs for sale as well.
HP: www.maruara.com/ (Japanese Only)
Address: Shibuya Center Building 1F, 16-8 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
3. Food Sample Items
Japanese food samples look so real they can be mistaken for a dish until you try to touch or smell it. You can find of sushi or tempura keychains, cute earrings that look like dessert, or any other item from the huge variety available throughout Tokyo. There are many people that buy a large amount of them as souvenirs.
HP: http://www.kappabashi.or.jp/en/index.html
Address: 1-1-12 Matsugaya, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
4. Japanese liquor and Kiriko glass
Edo Kiriko glass is a craft that was beloved in the Edo period and remains loved today. Thanks to its characteristic cool-to-the-touch texture, it's often used as to serve Japanese liquor. You should choose a bottle of delicious sake from all over Japan at your favorite store and give it to someone with a set of glasses as a perfect gift.
5. Japanese-style stationery
Itoya is a stationery store that has brought together a wide variety of high-class goods for 111 years. Their stationery is highly valued due to its quality, but you can also find postcards and stamps that are designed using Japanese aesthetics that would be good as souvenirs. It's a souvenir that combines beauty that you'll want to stare at forever along with a reasonable price.
HP: www.ito-ya.co.jp/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 3 Chome-7-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
6. Edo Tsumami Kanzashi
Edo tsumami kanzashi are thin pieces of silk that are worked to become flowers or birds that are then worn as hair accessories. Their elegant beauty is known throughout the world thanks to maiko and geisha using them often. They are registered as a traditional handicraft in Tokyo, so you can find craftsmen who still make high-class versions by hand. Those kinds are definitely something that will last you a lifetime.
HP: http://tsumami-do.com/about/ (Japanese Only)
7. Kabuki face mask
This face mask uses a design that looks like the kumadori makeup specific to Japan's traditional theater art, kabuki. Of course it has moisturizing essences that soak into your skin and make it soft and glowing, so it's a very useful skincare product. How about giving it to someone as a present along with your deep impressions about kabuki theater?
HP: isshin-do.co.jp/facepack.html (Japanese Only)
8. Bulgari chocolates
The Bulgari chocolate shop opened in 2007. The delicate chocolate that is designed prettily enough to look like jewelry is very popular among celebrities, and there are very few shops in the world that sell them. There is also a cafe inside the building, so you should stop by when you're tired from a busy day shopping.
HP: gourmet.bulgari.com/shop/pages/concept_en.aspx
Address: Bulgari Ginza Tower 10F, 2 Chome-7-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
9. Sweets fom the Shiseido Parlor
Shiseido, a cosmetics maker that is also loved overseas, has also managed restaurants and cafes since 1902. They established their brand in Ginza, Tokyo's best-known high-class shopping area, and even today it continues to sell sweets that are well-known and treasured as souvenirs. The cheesecake, which is only moderately sweet, is especially recommended.
HP: parlour.shiseido.co.jp/sc/e/restaurants/list/index.html (English)
Address: Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building 1F, 8 Chome-8-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
10. TV Network shops and character goods
The major TV networks have an assembly of studios in Tokyo, so they also have established shops where you can buy goods from their popular TV shows and anime. There are many rare, regional items, so if you like a particular character, you should stop by their network's shop.
11. Funawa Imo Youkan
Funawa's imo youkan is a popular treat that makes people of all ages happy. Because it's a famous store, on weekends and holidays there is always a line in front. It's a popular souvenir for tourists traveling domestically. If you take this simply-made imo youkan home and bake it before eating it, you can easily enjoy a new texture.
HP: funawa.jp/shop/item_list?category_id=66263 (Japanese Only)
Address: 1 Chome-22-10 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
12. Senjafuda straps
To commemorate your trip to Tokyo, why not get your name etched into a piece of wood of your choosing? Senjafuda are known as papers that were left by visitors at shrines, but thanks to their unique designs, they've become popular among foreign tourists as a souvenir of one's trip.
HP: sv02.wadax.ne.jp/~stock-plus-com/senjafuda/strup_kifuda-e.html
Nankai Tokyo Building 1F, 5-15-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
13. Retro osuimono
Osuimono has been eaten as the soup course in Japanese-style meals for centuries, and this retro osuimono is definitely a souvenir that will make people happy. The high-class ingredients lock the taste in, so all you do is pour hot water into the bowl. It's a rare dish where you can eat your favorite osuimono ingredients, such as matsutake or fish, outside of a restaurant.
14. Tokyo Banana
Tokyo Banana is a standard Tokyo souvenir that's extremely popular. Recently they've begun to offer not just the regular flavors but also limited-edition products. It's definitely a product that has many repeat buyers. It's rich and creamy, so it's a treat that makes people with sweet teeth very happy.
HP: www.tokyobanana.jp/ (Japanese Only)
15. Ukiyo-e Edo Uchiwa
Ukiyo-e is an type of folk art from the Edo period that has become accepted as one of the traditional types of Japanese art. Ibasen handles uchiwa fans that are printed with designs of real ukiyo-e woodblock prints. If you buy one and use it overseas, the unique color schemes and elegant design will definitely catch people's eyes.
HP: www.ibasen.co.jp/ (Japanese Only)
Address: Ibasen Building 1F, 4-1 Nihonbashi-kobuna-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
16. Limited-edition Tokyo Kit Kats
Nestle's popular product Kit Kat has an abundance of regionally-limited flavors. The Rum Raisin flavor sold in Tokyo is packaged in the style of a refined, stylish snack. If you're traveling around different cities in Japan, enjoying the different flavors in each city is one way to spice up your trip.
HP: nestle.jp/brand/kit/gotouchi/ (Japanese Only)
17. Limited-edition Tokyo instant curry
In Japan, it's said that there are enough instant food products sold that you could eat it every single day. Among them are curries with a wide variety of ingredients and levels of spiciness, as well as region-limited flavors. If you're going to buy it as a souvenir, you should try to get one that's slightly luxurious and not one that you would eat every day.
HP: http://www.t-meat.or.jp/info/view/36 (Japanese Only)
Address: 2-7-9 Konan Minato-ku Tokyo (Google Map)
18. Mamegui
You should definitely stop by the Japanese-style miscellaneous goods store Mamegui before you go up Tokyo Skytree. Inside you can find a many brightly colored items using Japanese designs, and there are many products perfect as cute souvenirs. You can search through items like furoshiki and book covers in order to find the perfect souvenir for you or a loved one.
HP: www.mamegui.jp/index.html (Japanese Only)
Address: Tokyo Skytree Tower Solamachi 4F, 1 Chome-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
19. Makanai Cosme
The cosmetics shop Makanai Cosme was begun in 1899 after women began researching formulas for skincare products in order to protect their own skin. Because they only use natural products like konnyaku (made from yams) and silkworm cocoons, it's a popular skincare line that removes all impurities.
HP: e-makanai.com/ (Japanese Only)
20. Skytree goods
Skytree, the most recent addition to Tokyo's major landmarks, is still continuing to be very popular with visitors. The unique characteristics about souvenirs from Skytree is that a lot of them are really useful in your daily life as well.
Address: 1 Chome-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
Each neighborhood in Tokyo has its own particular atmosphere and flavor, and that means the souvenirs available are immeasurable. You can find products for you to use personally for a long time, but there are also a number of items that you can give as gifts that will definitely be a hit among your friends and family.
Also check these articles!
[Overview]
15 Must-buy Souvenirs From Japan
50 Medicines and Beauty Products from Drug Stores in Japan Picked by Japanese Pharmacists
10 Must-buy Traditional Japanese Accessories For Souvenirs
[Kyoto]
30 Must-Buy Food Souvenirs from Kyoto
20 Kyoto souvenirs you should definitely buy
[Osaka]
10 food souvenirs you can only buy in Osaka
20 Must-Buy Souvenirs from Osaka
[Hokkaido]
11 Sweet Souvenirs To Buy In Hokkaido
[Beauty and Cosmetics]
20 Beauty Products You Can Buy at Drugstores At Japan
11 Affordable Skincare Products to Buy in Japan
11 High-end Skincare Products to Buy in Japan
15 Must-Buy Japanese Cosmetic Brands
10 Japanese beauty appliances that can be used worldwide
20 Japanese Beauty Electronics You Should Check Out
[Fashion]
11 Recommended Japanese Lingerie Brands to Buy in Japan
12 Japanese Lingerie Brands You Need To Check Out
11 Lolita Brands You Should Check Out in Japan
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
About the author
