What Longtime Japan Residents Buy When Traveling in Japan

One of the issues many travelers have in Japan is fitting everything in their suitcases to return home. Japan has so many amazing things to buy, from snacks to cosmetics, clothes to knick knacks and more.

As someone who has over 13 years of experience living in Japan and frequently spends time there, my Japan trip shopping list is probably a bit different from most tourists’.

Here, I’ll share a few items that I often buy to take back to the US with me and continue updating it, so check back before your next trip!

I also made a video as well:

Food

Kijoan sanuki udon

Once you really dive into Japan’s various noodle dishes, you’ll realize that there’s a lot of different levels of noodle quality, and you’ll likely develop your favorites. Kijoan makes delicious udon and is based in one of the country’s udon capitals, Kagawa Prefecture. Their noodles are packed for delivery and are shiny and almost translucent at times, and also have a delicious chew to them.

Brand site: https://www.kijoan.com/ [J]

Find at: Kijoan

Good nori

As with noodles, there are many grades of nori. Especially if you’re a fan of sushi, you probably have begun to care about the quality of the nori. While nori is sold in markets overseas that carry Asian foods, they usually don’t have a large range to choose from, which is why we buy some while in Japan. This one here is a packet of 20 sheets and is from the Ariake Sea in Kumamoto Prefecture, waters that many say create the best nori in Japan.

Brand site: https://seijoishii.com/ [J]

Find at: Seijo Ishii, other higher-end markets like Kinokuniya, specialty shops, etc.

Kakepon ponzu

Known for producing shoyu (soy sauce) and miso after 29 of Nagasaki Prefecture’s breweries came together, Choko became a single brand in 1975. Adding to their shoyu and miso product line, they also make ponzu, the citrus sauce great for dipping meat and for using in salad dressing. Their tasty Kakepon is a fave, and it comes in both glass bottles as well as a squeezable bottle that helps keep freshness.

Brand site: https://choko.co.jp/ [J]

Find at: Supermarkets

Rayu chili oil

There are many different types of rayu chili oil toppings, but ones made by S&B are some of my favorites. Referred to as “okazu rayu” in Japanese meaning something like “side dish chili oil”, these rayu have ingredients like fried garlic, roasted almonds and other crunchy items in it. They may not be as spicy or deep as Chinese chili oils, but these go along great with meals, especially on white rice.

Brand site: https://www.sbfoods.co.jp/ [J]

Find at: Supermarkets

Snacks & sweets

Yuzukosho senbei

Rice cracker snacks such as arare or senbei are delicious and of course, there’s just way more variety in Japan. One that I like is this one with shoyu (soy sauce) and yuzu kosho flavoring. The yuzu kosho gives it a slightly citrus flavor with a bit of a kick.

Brand site: https://seijoishii.com/ [J]

Find at: Seijo Ishii supermarket (Tokyo)

Minimal chocolate

Minimal is a bean-to-bar brand that’s all about the craft of chocolate. They handle everything from bean selection and purchasing to processing, manufacturing, and sales. Being all about the craft, they carefully select cacao beans from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, and pay close attention to the process as they say even a 1/1000 of a millimeter (1 micrometer) difference while crushing the beans changes the texture, aroma, and taste of the finished product.

Their main shop is in Tomigaya, one of Tokyo’s “coolest neighborhoods” and where we have an apartment, and they serve a range of chocolate treats from bars and tablets to drinks.

Brand site: https://mini-mal.tokyo/ [J]

Find at: Minimal

Shigekix

If you’re a fan of really sour candies such as Warheads or Super Lemon and like Haribo gummy bears because of their extreme chewiness, you just may love Shigekix. Extremely hard in texture, these tough gummies come in either circular tablets or rounded pyramids, and are available in several flavors. The packs are small and are resealable, so they’re easy to take with you. These are one of my favorite candies I’ve come across while living in Japan.

Brand site: https://shigekix.com/ [J]

Find at: Convenience stores, Daiso (Japan)

Fettuccine gummi

Alightly chewy gummy coated with a sour sugary layer similar to Sour Patch Kids or Sour Punch. These Fettuccine gummi packs are small and have a resealable bag so you don’t have to eat all at once or deal with trying to fold the package so they don’t spill.

Brand site: https://www.bourbon.co.jp/ [J]

Find at: Convenience stores, supermarkets

Azuma arare - Truffle salt flavor

A light rice cracker snack, arare has been among the favorites for Japanese to snack on from long ago. This particular one combines the traditional snack with Italian truffles to create a tasty and addictive cracker treat.

Brand site: https://www.azuma-arare.co.jp/ [J]

Find at: Seijo Ishii

Cosmetics

Deuxer hair wax

Japanese hair wax for men and women by a company called Number Three. There’s about 9 different types of Deuxer hair wax, each numbered from 1-6 and in different colored containers. There’s about 80g of the vegan and PeTA-certified wax in each container. I began using them after noticing a couple hair salons that I went to in Japan were using this brand. I usually get the 5 and it works pretty well for me.

Brand site: https://www.no3.co.jp/ [J]

Find at: Don Quijote, Loft

Rosa Rugosa milky lotion

Lotion from Machinaka Farm in Urahoro, Hokkaido. This lotion is made from essence from a Japanese-native shrub, Hamanasu, which mainly grows in Hokkaido, and aromatic distilled water. While I don’t have experience with this lotion personally, my friend grew to love it while traveling in Hokkaido and claims that this is the best lotion that he’s ever used.

Brand site: https://www.alexcious.com/

Find at: Online

Medicine & personal care

Botchan sekken soap

Known as a really basic soap, Botchan sekken soap can be found at drugstores throughout Japan. They’re a simple white bar-style of soap, and contains no lotions or scents. I have limited experience with them, however, the first time I used it I was surprised at how smooth my skin felt when I washed my face.

Brand site: https://botchan-sekken.jp/ [J]

Find at: Drugstores (Japan)

Ryukakusan

Find at: A soothing solution for itchy, scratchy and irritated throats. Ryukakusan is a powder that comes in small foil packets. If your throat is bothering you, tear one open, pour it in your mouth and swallow. The powder will turn into an easy-to-swallow cream-like substance and your throat will feel soothed. It was a hot item during Covid as many Chinese residents in Japan who knew about Ryukakusan’s benefits would buy them and ship them home to friends and family. I usually get the pink one which is a peach-mint flavor.

Brand site: https://www.ryukakusan.co.jp/ [J]

Find at: Drugstores (Japan)

Ugai

When going out each day, we tend to breath in all sorts of things. One cleanliness habit that many in Japan have is gargling after returning home. This helps with that and contains an alcohol to help get rid of germs in your mouth and throat. Just pour some in water and gargle.

Brand site: https://hc.kowa.co.jp/ [J]

Find at: Drugstores (Japan)

Nonio toothbrush

While I use an electronic toothbrush normally, I usually don’t pack it when traveling. Japan has great dental products and at reasonable prices. My U.S. dentist even said to look to Japan for items or treatment first as many things are first developed there and they also cost a lot in the U.S. Nonio has simple toothbrushes with small heads so they get around the mouth better, and they’re only a couple dollars at most.

Brand site: https://www.lion.co.jp/ [J]

Find at: Drugstores (Japan)

GUM unwaxed dental floss

Another great dental product in Japan is dental floss. They seem to have a better variety, this unwaxed dental floss by GUM, for example. Many of the items I find in the U.S. are waxed or are the type to glide a bit too smoothly. Another GUM floss in Japan is the type that slightly expands while you use it so that it creates more surface area in order to clean better. While these items likely can be found in some stores overseas, they’re probably a little cheaper and more common in Japan, which is why we buy them to take back.

Brand site: https://jp.sunstargum.com/ [J]

Find at: Drugstores (Japan)

Alcohol

Akabu nihonshu (sake)

Dating back to 1896, Akabu is a nihonshu (sake) brewery in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. Their bottles are designed with various samurai motifs and they’re smooth yet reasonably priced. While alcohol preference is subjective, I and those of around me who have drank nihonshu by Akabu found it to be really good.

Brand site: https://www.akabu1.com/ [J]

Find at: Select liquor shops (Japan)

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