Fun Japanese Finds!
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are in full swing! To share my Japanese culture, here are darling goods and finds from Japan that you can purchase in the USA to get a taste of Nippon! Check out this segment I did for the 3rd Hour of Today!
JAPANESE SNACK SUBSCRIPTION
Bokksu: Summer Fruits-Themed Box!
Japan has the best and most beautiful snacks! Bokksu is a Japanese Snack subscription box founded by CEO Danny Taing when he worked in Japan and realized that he would simply STUFF his suitcase home with Japanese snacks to share with his friends and family back home in the US!
A box, which can be purchased a la carte, provides 20-24 authentic snacks shipped directly from Nippon to your doorstep! You’ll experience everything from real rice crackers to candies, sticky rice sweets, teas and more... along with an informative guide to walk you through flavors, allergens and backstories behind each, authentic snack creator. Per box, $49.95, but buy an annual subscription and make it $39.95 monthly! Get $5 off your first order. Pause, cancel anytime
Japanese Snack Box, from $39.95, bokksu.com
RAMUNE SODA
Ramuné Cider is a classic, carbonated soft drink of Japan, that delights kids of all ages with its marble-sealed bottle. To open, one must flip the plastic cap and press down on the marble, releasing the marble into a carbonated, fizzy pop! Then it is ready to drink. Ramune is named after “lemonade.” The original flavor is light and refreshing and supposed to be lemon-lime--but for me, it’s best described as a Japanese Bubble Gum flavor (I mean, Japanese bubble gum tastes different too!), and the original flavor makes its own mark with ramune flavored everything: candy, popsicles, milkshake! Seasonally it’s available in other flavors such as the ones we will be featuring: lychee, strawberry, orange, melon. Naturally Flavored.
Ramune Soda, $3.66 per bottle, amazon.com
JAPANESE TOY
These Petite Block sets from Daiso, which is the Japanese equivalent of the dollar store, keep kids creatively entertained and are the mini-version to-go of a popular building block that we’re familiar with! Out of a kit you can make a penguin (my son just did!), vehicles, trains, beetles, animals, food and much more! They have 65 types of Petite Blocks to choose from and they are all, equally adorable. Suitable for ages 12 and up.
Petite Block Set, $1.50, daisous.com
JAPANESE PLUSHIES
Hakubundo
Everything from Japan is so cute you just gotta hug something! These adorable Japanese character plushies which include a
Sumo Cat, after the national sport
Daruma Lucky Cat
Shiba Inu (Japanese dog)...
are holding their favorite food: rice balls, leaf-wrapped mochi (sticky rice), etc. While they come in different sizes including a key-chain size, this is the medium size from a Hawaiian purveyor of Japanese books, magazines, stationery and gifts since 1910, Hakubundo, which means “A Place of Knowledge.” Hakubundo’s mission is to help customers find, “the joy in the small things in life!”
Plushies, from $33.50, hakubundo.com
JAPANESE STATIONERY
Kinokuniuya
This is a perfect addition to the American school supply list! From Kinokuniya Bookstore which has 80 stores worldwide, these darling Nekorobi (which roughly translates to “lying down”) pen cases feature sweet animals that open all the way up due to a deep zipper in the back (and thus DON’T rollover) and hold up to 14 pencils/pens! I taught in Japan for a year, and because the kids have required uniforms and backpacks, their supplies are where they can really express themselves & have fun!
Comes in 7 different designs. Fair to say that the pencil case is ubiquitous for a Japanese student or worker! I carry one in my purse at all times!
Nekorobi Pencil Cases, $22.95, usa.kinokuniya.com
JAPANESE “GIFT WRAP”
Daiso
In traditional gift-giving, the Japanese use furoshiki (cloth) or tenugui below (cotton towel for smaller items) to wrap gifts and give to friends and family! These are recyclable cloth wrapping solutions that are environmental.
Also, I’m a Professional Japanese Dancer (my stage name is Hanayagi Suzuran), and we use highly absorbent tenugui for wiping away sweat and, at times, for padding certain parts underneath our kimono! We also of course use tenugui as a hand cloth in the kitchen or bathroom.
Cotton Tenugui Towel, $1.50, daisous.com
JAPANESE “PRINT” FOAM HANDSOAP!
My Kirei by Kao
Since we all need to keep up with our hand-washing skills, why not do so while leaving a...cute impression? Trending on tiktok, this foam “stamping” hand soap by brand MyKirei by Kao (translation my beautiful) leaves a foam impression of a yuzu flower or an animal paw stamp, which debuted this summer--on your hand! It features cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and plant-based formulas that are 95% biodegradable, and in eco-friendly packaging--not to mention cute!
They call it their “bottle for life” for $18, and refillable pouches $12.50.
Foam Stamp Hand Wash, $18 each, MyKirei.com