Non-beauty Japan Haul

~ stashy

Here’s a bit of a throw back Thursday post. It’s been nearly 2 months since I returned from Japan!  Here are some non-beauty bits I picked up from Japan.

I didn’t do much clothing shopping in Japan. There wasn’t a ton there that I couldn’t get here at home. Although, I was a big fan of their style: the standard outfit consisted of elastic waist a-line skirt and a loose boxy top, worn with platform wedge sandals or Birkenstocks. It was all about comfort! 🙂

Uniqlo

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I was so excited to stumble on the Liberty of London x Uniqlo while I was there! I ended up buying 2 items from the collection:

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“Relaco” culottes – these are so comfy! (culottes are very popular in Japan, I noticed)

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Canvas tote – mine has navy handles and base instead of the white.

And this was from Uniqlo’s regularly line:
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V-neck overalls (this is what the Google Translate spits out when I translated this “Vネックサロペット”) – I’d call this a romper. I got this because it looks like the quintessential “Japanese” fashion. Here are typical Japanese women’s outfits:
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I aim to emulate these looks when I wear the romper! 😆
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Clothes shopping is a pleasant experience in Japan – they provide shoes of various heights to try on with your items. I experienced something similar at higher end stores in Hong Kong as well.
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They also provide these disposable face cover sheets so you don’t soil the clothes with your makeup – smart!  Uniqlo is planning to open a location in Toronto this October – it will be interesting to see how the pricing will be for the Canadian market.

Daiso and Can⋆Do

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These are the Japanese version of a dollar store. Things are priced by increments of ¥100 – the most expensive things I’ve seen are ¥500 (~C$6.30)
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Pencil holders – I don’t know how they are able to sell these for only ¥200 each (~C$2.50) and they’re made in Japan!
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I plan to use these to hold eyeliners and shorter brushes.
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Hello Kitty pouch – not sure what I’m going to use this for but it’s an authentic Sanrio product for ¥100 (~C$1.25). This was the only Hello Kitty item I bought on the whole trip, even though the selection was extensive:
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SHOCKER! 😮
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Foaming net, and cotton buds – if you look up articles of what to buy in Japanese drugstores, more often than not you’ll see them recommend Japanese cotton buds. They’re supposed to be superior to what we get here.
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I saw some for sale that were made in China so I made sure to buy ones made in Japan!
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Clear plastic earrings and hair elastics – I have nickel allergies and so far, I’ve only been able to wear earrings with titanium posts. But, I find titanium very heavy to wear for an extended period of time. I’ve heard of these little plastic earrings before but they’re not available locally.  I hope these work for me! And the hair elastics are just like the Invisibobbles, which retails $10 for 3pcs. This cost me ¥100 (~C$1.25) for 6pcs!

Randoms

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Japanese socks – 2 of them have the toe separation meant to be worn with Geta “下駄” (traditional Japanese sandals). The one on the right has a cat design at the heel. They’re so cute!
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Bracelet kit, coin purse frame, and Liberty of London fabric – I stumbled upon a crafting section inside a department store:
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I felt up some of the knitting yarns but ultimately decided not to buy any.
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But I did find some Marimekko and Liberty of London fabric (I think these were quilting squares).
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And a vast selection of frames to make coin purses.
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Here’s something you don’t know about me – I love old-fashioned coin purses with the twist clasps. I just find them so precious. I’ve never made my own so I’m excited to try!
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Nanoblocks in Pikachu and Giant Panda – I’ve been interested in getting Nanoblocks for ages but they’re overpriced online. Funny that I bought the Pikachu way before the whole Pokémon GO thing started!  I wanted things that were “Japanesey”, hence also the panda. 😛

ハイチュウ Hi-Chew

This is my favourite candy! We discovered the Japanese-made Hi-Chews in a local Japanese market in Toronto a few years ago and have been buying them every time we come across them. There are also “Hi-Chew” which are made in Taiwan and we don’t like those as much. The Japanese-made ones have only the Japanese name “ハイチュウ” on the package, whereas the Taiwanese made ones show the English name. Read more about the differences here.  So naturally we had to stock up:
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These are the regular flavours that you can find at most convenient stores (top to bottom): Strawberry, Green Apple, Grape, and Lemon.
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These are some special ones we came across at random places like train stations and Daiso (top to bottom): Cola, Bitter Orange (omg I want to marry this flavour), Kagoshima Yuzu Fruit (which is a citrus fruit similar to grapefruit), and Rich Mango. I am just gutted that I didn’t buy more than 1 of the Bitter Orange flavour – there’s nothing bitter about it, it’s just an intense orange flavour with bits of orange rind (like marmalade) inside. As you can see we dug into the package already. We’re about half way through these flavours now and I’m trying to find online sources to secure more!
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The SO found this at the airport – they’re a special regional flavour with special images from the region of Hokkaido. The flavour is cantaloupe and it tastes so much like the real fruit!

That is all the candies we got. We came across a lot of interesting flavours of Kit Kat (strawberry, red apple, green tea etc) but we’re just not big fans of Kit Kats so we passed on them.

Gashapon

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These are vending machine capsule toys, which I didn’t know there was a term for until I saw it on RCubed’s blog.  I was quite amused by the rows of these machines at the Akihabara District. For ¥200, you can walk away with anything from a key chain to a mini kit to grow a plant!  I had a difficult time narrowing my decision but was quite happy to walk away with this little squid like creature key chain:
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Then at the Narita airport, we were trying to get rid of the last our of cash, so I had some change to spare and blew them on these:
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😛 The middle key chain is fake potato chips that looks real enough to eat! That one on the right is apparently from Gudetama. I saw lots of Gudetama merchandise in Hello Kitty / Sanrio stores but at the time I did not understand what the egg-like blob was about. I’ve since been schooled about Gudetama from Cutepretybeauty on IG. All I knew at the time was that the vending machine showed the possibility of getting one of these:
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I really wanted the one with Gudetama in the frying pan but I got the bowling pin looking thing instead, which turns out is actually Japanese mayonnaise. 😆

I was also hoping to get the dog in the hot dog bun, or the bacon-wrapped dachshund:
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What is up with the Japanese putting animal characters inside food? 😆  Advice to the Narita airport – you need to install way more of these vending machines. Think of how many tourists are trying to get rid of their leftover coins. You’d make a killing! You’re welcome. 🙂

While I was at the airport waiting to board the flight home, a girl came up to me to ask me to fill in a survey for visitors to Tokyo. It asked questions about what districts we visited, and how much on average we spent on hotels and food.  When I handed her back the survey, she gave me this as a token of appreciation:
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It’s a sushi eraser!  😛  So sweet! I’ve taken surveys before and never got a thank you gift like this!

And those are my non-beauty haul from Japan!  What do you normally buy as souvenirs when you travel?

PS. My header image shows a bunch of Monchichi dolls. I was itching to get one but they were so pricey – I couldn’t in good conscience buy a $50 stuffed toy.

61 thoughts on “Non-beauty Japan Haul”

      1. Damn luggage weight. I nearly tipped mine over after Germany last year. I didn’t take too much stuff as it was only a few nights. Came back with a tonne of stuff! The shopping looks great as it’s that bit different. I felt like I was there buying bits through your posts haha x

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    1. It’s bigger than a coin purse but smaller than a cosmetics pouch. I’m thinking it would be perfect to put feminine products in – except that it’s see-through! 😛

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    1. I don’t recall, actually. I was under the limit, that’s all I remember. Granted, I did shift heavier items into my carry on luggage which doesn’t count toward the weight! 😛 I only have 4 pieces of the Bitter Orange Hi-Chew left and I’m trying to order more online! 😀

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  9. They seem to have a lot of strange but really cute things! All that Hello Kitty stuff at the dollar store there is blowing my mind though… that stuff is SOOOO expensive in the US! Also the dog in food things… very odd, but cute!!!

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  11. Great purchases! You bought less than I thought you would, haha.
    Are those culottes meant to be worn out, or just used as lounging/pajama pants? The romper is so stylish yet looks so comfy!
    Haha, you should do an American vs Japanese cotton bud comparison post. I’m curious as to why they are superior! 😛
    Does it feel weird to have your big toe in its own little compartment when you wear those socks?
    I had no idea that there was a Hi-Chew from Japan and one from Taiwan! My mind is blown, and now I don’t know which ones we’ve been eating (most likely the Taiwanese ones since I think the name is in English). Those special flavours sound amazing!
    Lol! When I saw the first keychain, I was like “…is that a dog…sitting on top of a bed of lettuce…with a bun on its back…?” Sooo strange. Although the dog in the hot dog bun and the bacon-wrapped dachshund are super cute, and I totally get why you wanted either of those!

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    1. I intended the culottes to be worn at home, but when I put them on, they honestly just look like a flowy skirt. So they could be worn out I think. I was thinking that romper would look cute with a simple t-shirt underneath too!
      LMAO, ok I’ll schedule a post to compare the North American vs Japanese cotton buds! 😛
      No, the socks aren’t that weird feeling once you put them on. If you wear flip flops, they feel like that.
      Oh yes, most places here sell the Taiwanese version of Hi-Chews. They’re ok, but we just prefer the juicy flavour of the Japanese ones! They cost more though. I saw them side by side at an Asian market downtown. The Taiwanese ones were $1.99 whereas the Japanese ones were $2.99 per tube!
      The animal in food thing is so common there. I saw some cats in pastries, lol. No regard for scale either – is that a really small dog or a giant bun? 😛

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      1. I like both of your choices! They look so flowy and relaxed!
        I may be the only one interested in a Japanese/American cotton bud comparison, LOL!
        Will have to look around and see if I can find the Japanese ones anywhere here. Worth a try at least once, even if they’re more expensive!
        How strange and random, I wonder what the hype is with animals in food, lol.

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    1. I wish those vending machines are available here! I would spend all of my disposable income on them LOL.
      I sure hope Uniqlo will live up to the hype! MUJI has so far… fingers crossed!

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  14. I would fill out such a long survey for a sushi eraser!!

    So much fun stuff – I love the fabrics, the Liberty stuff you got, the socks! I am also allergic to nickel and I just stopped wearing earrings all together in my early 20s. Even good gold and silver earrings would be bad – I think one of my ear piercings is partly healed up now, lol. The plastic earrings seem like a good idea. I hope they work!

    Also a lover of twist clasp coin purses! I used one all the time as a teen, then when it broke I couldn’t find one I liked to replace it, and stopped using them. I eventually got a really cute corduroy Hayden Harnett purse, but old habits die hard so I don’t use it for coins now.

    Hope the Uniqlo here will be good!

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    1. I remember you mentioning your love of twist clasp purses! Are you going to make one?!
      Yes, silver and gold earrings irritate my ears too – they still have trace nickel. And those nickel free ones are usually just coating that wears away and eventually irritate my ears anyway. I used to have 3 holes on one side and 2 on the other. All of them have closed up except for 3. LOL. At least the main ones are still ok. 😛

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  15. Just wondering if the Daiso store is the same as the one in Richmond, BC or does it have more stock? I have so much fun at Daiso :).

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    1. Yes the Japanese ones are very similar to the ones in North America. But I think their selection of Hello Kitty and Disney stuff are much better. The Richmond one is so out of the way for visitors… I forced my SO to trek there with me! I’ve also been to Daiso in Hong Kong and San Fran! 🙂

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  16. Those capsule machines in Japan have the craziest things. I got one that was from a machine at a zoo/amusement park there that shows the cuts of various meats on animals. I got a chicken one but there’s also pigs & cows. Hilarious!

    They just opened a Uniqlo at Disney Springs in Orlando. I’ll be checking it out next month.

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    1. I probably could have easily spent $100 on those vending machines! I capped it at $10! I see that they sell them online too – not as much fun as getting them from the machines. 🙂
      Oooh I hope Uniqlo will be good!

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  18. I really the romper! I am obsessed with rompers and the one you got is really cute! Those key chains.. just adorable.. And when in Japan you gotta have some Hello Kitty right?haha How about the green tea Kit-Kat and Wasabe Kit-Kat? did you get one? Those plastic earrings reminds me of my childhood.. I was once allergic too and the only earrings I can wear are the plastic ones and they come in different styles and colors too. And they like to put cutie animals in their food for kids to eat and to collect as well. Your trip was so much fun. 🙂

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    1. I only have 2 rompers so far. They are like dresses – a whole outfit all in one! 🙂
      No, we didn’t get any Kit Kats. We can get Japanese green tea Kit Kats down the street from where we live here in Toronto! It’s not that foreign to us (and yes I’ve tried them, they’re good). I’ve not seen the Wasabi Kit Kat at all. Although, even Lindt chocolate offers a Wasabi chocolate bar:

      And yes, I’ve had it, it’s good too!
      Good to know about the plastic earrings – it seems to be an Asian thing then? It’s impossible to find them here locally!

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      1. Yes, the plastic earrings are probably an asian thing mainly for kids too coz a lot of kids are allergic to gold, silver , etc. and since kids tend to lose things easily I think this is the best way for parents to purchase and well of course super affordable too! 😍 And I agree on the Green Tea they’re everywhere now, I’ve never tried them (not sure if I’ll like them since I’m not a fan of anything “tea” related (yup not me) but I heard the Wasabe is good😬).

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  21. My friend who visited Japan last year got me a Hello Kitty nanoblock set. I’m a fan of Hi-Chew also! I’ll have to have someone track down those uncommon flavors for me.

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    1. I saw the Hello Kitty Nanoblock! It was pricey though, so nice of your friend to have gotten it for you!
      Ooh now this reminds me that there was a McDonald’s Big Mac nanoblock set! Sold only at McDonald’s. Only ¥1100. I wanted to get it but my SO said to wait, we could get it at another location. Well, we didn’t see it again on the rest of the trip! Poo on him.
      I saw this site that sells the Japanese items and they have the Bitter Orange!
      http://napajapan.com/Products.asp?category=1

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      1. yea! Very Cool. My dad shopped for me so I had some specific brands that i wanted but next run, I’m branding out Most of what I got was super expensive which sucks because i LOVE it and I can’t replace it

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  24. First of all, I cannot believe that it’s already been nearly three months since you went to Japan! I seem to have lost a few months somewhere! That whole time flying faster as I get older thing is the pits I tell you!
    I love that romper! And the photos of typical Japanese fashion that you posted. My sense of style (if you can even call it that) looks much less put together than that unfortunately, but I love that chic comfortable look!
    Ok, I’m completely confused by the clear plastic earrings. Are they actually earrings? Or are they something to use to modify existing earrings?
    I know you’re a knitter, but do you sew as well? I keep thinking I want to get into sewing but I just haven’t managed to find the time.
    When you make your coin purse you must do a post showing it off! I love coin purses and I really want to see how yours turns out!
    Do you get the little toy vending machines in grocery stores in Canada? We have them in all stores here but I think they are probably less extensive as the ones in Japan. I’ve never seen one with plants available 🙂

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    1. I know, time flies… I’m now already thinking about CHRISTMAS! 😮
      I finally wore that romper last week and people at work were like WHERE DO I BUY ONE?!! It’s super comfy and looks like I put in a lot of effort (but I didn’t)
      Yes, the plastic earrings are actual earrings. I believe they are popular with kids in Asia because they’re not allowed to wear flashy earrings due to their uniforms. The clear ones look like you’ve got nothing on. What I want with them is for their plastic posts – my ears are sensitive to any trace o nickle. Even 24k gold doesn’t work for me! I might glue on some rhinestones to the plastic posts if they work out!
      Yes we do have vending machines in Canada (although I see them less and less) but the toys they have are so crappy – the Japanese ones are totally worth the money!

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      1. I just started on my Christmas shopping a couple of weeks ago (I like to try to get at least one gift purchased per month starting in August, then I’m left with half of a mad dash at Christmas time as opposed to total insanity/pulling my hair out).
        I need more clothes that actually look like I put effort in. My clothes are all comfy but lack any real style.
        How are the plastic posts working out? You should totally put pictures on Instagram (or do a whole blog post!) if you end up DIY-ing earrings!

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