Shopping with Purpose: Shopping in Japan, Hanami 2025 Edition

When I relax and scroll, Instagram usually, I see tons of Japan videos popping up lately – lots and lots of shopping, Matcha hauls, Donki hauls, Beauty hauls, and whatnot. Okay, I am the first one to admit it, I love a good shop, too. But I hate overconsumption showing off hauls like you’re the one in the shop trying to sell them. But I keep being strangely fascinated by them.

But to the extent of buying an extra suitcase, and paying excess baggage, and having luggage shipped from one place to another… no. I admit I carry a duffel and a Shupatto bag or two for my Japan souvenirs, but haven’t had to ship anything or pay excess luggage – I always budget for a taxi from my last accommodation to the station, and take the fancier, roomier Haruka Express when flying back home from Kansai International, but excess shopping… Thank God, I am not doing it.

And, as we are reaching the end of the year, I feel there is the extra push everywhere with shopping hauls, shopping links, gift guides… I am not immune to it. But I try to buy only what I need… or what is incredibly beautiful. And since I see “Black Friday” related advertising left, right and centre, here is my contribution to… mindful shopping? And no, no affiliate shopping links other than for a couple of hotels in this post.

In recent years, most of my shopping on trips has been consumables or things I needed anyway. So, what is good in Japan, and what is worth buying? This is my personal shopping from my most recent trip – somewhat biased that this was with my mum who will happily browse clothing shops and craft shops but isn’t interested in supermarkets, drug stores or bookshops.

Also, unlike many of us Japan fans here, I am not massively into anime, Pokemon, or Otaku stuff. Which probably is saving me a lot of money. I have a penchant for incense which is comparably mild, and I have recently become interested in kimono, but as long as I frequent the second hand shops, I hope I will be safe from overspending.

Shopping in Japan: What is good?

The best souvenir are probably good memories and a sense of happiness from your trip and second to that, lovely photographs, maybe something you use daily, or wear daily.

Personally, I don’t shop a lot when I am at home, so I keep a list of things I need or would like. I rarely do impulse purchases, and keeping this list really helps me to check whether I really need anything.

Shopping in Japan is really tempting, but I urge you to look further than the Don Quijote, Drug Store and chain clothing you see on Social Media. Every place has so many option that go far beyond the big shops, be it craft stores, specialty food stores and clothing. Of course, there are some big players that offer pretty much everything one might need on daily life, and I definitely shall not ignore them here.

Of all the big and ubiquitous shops, Hands (formerly Tokyu Hands) is perhaps my favourite. I remember them as a massive paper and crafts shop on my first couple trips back in 2005, but these days, they have diversified into … everything and anything. I find them particularly good for stationery, art supplies, accessories and some kitchen gadgets. More so than Loft, who to me appear younger and trendier – but they stock Hobonichi and some Travelers Factory notebooks and Imabari Towels here, so I always wind up at Loft, too.

Other than that – I shop at specialist stores, local shops, supermarkets. Rarely a department store.

Shopping in Japan: Tax Free

If you purchase goods worth 5500JPY or more in a single transaction as a tourist, you may be eligible to tax-free shopping. Many shops like Loft will quite broadly advertise this, others don’t – so it is always worth asking. You will also need to show your passport.

The easiest way to purchase is when the tax is deducted during payment. This was the case at Nomura Tailor in Kyoto, Uniqlo, Muji and Denim Labo. Sometimes, Hands and Loft work on this method, too. Sometimes you have to go to an extra tax-free desk. Depending on whether you are in a touristy area, there may be zero to half an hours wait for this to be processed.

Strictly speaking, your purchases will be sealed, only rto be opened once you left the country. In practice, this only happened in a handful of places.

When you leave Japan, you are asked to scan your passport on a machine. It is voluntary and I don’t know what happens if someone wishes to check what you are taking out of the country. I always pack my goods into the Check-In luggage, but I advise to keep your receipts and tax refund receipts on you in case someone wants to check.

And then, there are plenty places, usually smaller ones that do not take part in the “Tax-Free Shopping for Tourists” scheme. Often smaller places or specialist shops. There is no universal right to shop tax-free, so as long as it is clearly communicated, I am good with it. After all the saving for a smaller item is small, just under 10%, but can be significant if you purchase something like a camera lens.

 How I shop

I try to buy only things I need anyway, but set myself a small “allowance” of tchokches on each trip. That can be ofuda or omamori from temples and shrines, cat items, anything that looks pretty and isn’t too expensive. I try to avoid plastic crap wherever possible, but I also admit one of my best souvenirs is a triangular plastic strainer that doesn’t take much room in the sink -so practical to wash a small amount of fruit or vegetables or drain some cutlery.

As I mentioned, I scroll to relax. I see those “haul videos” and cringe a bit and wonder whether this stuff ever gets used up. Do you need ten pots of hair mask? Fifteen Smiskis? I don’t know. But all I know buying tons of stuff to the point of buying a huge new suitcase sounds a bit excessive.

I do tend to see the products and make a note of those that sounds interesting. Viral sheet mask? Drops for the toilet that make your poop smell like roses? Foot plasters that suck the tiredness out of your feet? Sound good, and these things do go on a list on my phone, to be checked out if and when I visit.

I also keep a list of things that I actually need on my phone, and if I find a Japan equivalent, I might consider buying it Japan, since the quality of most stuff I bought there has been very good. My real weakness are books and stationery, fabric, ceramics and omamori, and I try very hard not to go overboard there.

Food and Drink

Most of my luggage allowance goes on hauling my favourite food and drink back, but these make up a fraction of my shopping costs. Unless I find some exceptionally good Japanese whisky, I only buy what I can consume realistically by its sell-by date, plus I bring things for friends and family that they requested.

The supermarket is where I shop almost exclusively. Since I hang around in Kyoto a lot, I tend to make one trip to the Nijo Station area, visit my favourite Kakigori place and then do a big shop at either LIFE of Coop supermarkets. if I am out and about on the bicycle, I might stock up as well and leave stuff in my bicycle basket if it’s not too hot.

Things I usually buy are

• Senbei: Usually I get the large soy-sauce coated ones. Tried and tested, though I sometimes bring a bag of new ones to try.

• Beer Snacks: Kamedaseika ones are my favourite, they come in portions of six and are perfect for a little reading or TV snack at night. I am not into these little single packages, although they help to keep the portions small.

• Calpis Concentrate: A genius product. Instead of hauling the stuff back in bottle and leaking spillage, I buy these plastic bottles of the concentrated yoghurt drink that make up several litres of my favourite sparkling beverage, and add sparking water whenever I fancy a can of soda.

• Freeze-dried Miso soup with mushrooms and with aubergine: This brand is No.1 for good reason. The soup comes in tiny freeze-dried cubes, and is superior to any kind of miso soup I tried from other producers. Fortunately, I can now get tubs of Hikari Miso at my local Asian supermarket, so I use that and then add just use one cube to make a rather large bowl of soup.

• Seaweed for snacking: You either love or hate it. Dried seaweed is a wonderful crunchy savoury snack with very few calories – and the Japanese seaweed is often used for rolls or onigiri and tends to be dried rather than deep fried.

• A bottle of sauce or two – this time, I bought Yakitori Sauce, but I rotate with unagi sauce or whatever sauce in these small bottles looks interesting.

• Curry Roux (sadly, not completely vegetarian). Golden Curry Medium is my favourite – until I find a proper vegetarian one.

And then, there are the sweets. As you can see, I fell victim to the Kitkat craze here. They do make a nice gift with all their different flavours, and I am particular to the matcha flavoured sweets. So, this time I got

• Kitkat… matcha, matcha latte, chocolate orange, strawberry and Strawberry Short cake and “Gold”. Normally, Kitkat Shelf life is very long.
• Yuzu and Melon Candy
• Meiji “Takenoko no Sato” and “Kinoko no Yama” chocolate covered mini bisquits in matcha and ilk chocolate, or “Bamboo Shoots Cones and ” Mountain Mushrooms” in plain English
• a random matcha cookie

I try not to go overboard with those sweets, but I don’t always succeed. This time, it was the KitKat… they normally have quite a long shelf life, with an expiry date up to a year after purchase, but always check.

Usually, the KitKat with lots of different flavour are a foreigner’s favourite that can be found in drug stores in touristy areas for the largest variety of flavours. Supermarkets often just carry the standard plus matcha flavours, plus maybe some seasonal flavours.

Some other classics I always buy are Meiji’s “Takenoko no Sato” and “Kinoko no Yama” . Both are bisquits, one shaped like a bamboo shoot, the other a chocolat mushroom. They also come in fruity or matcha white chocolate, and while the chocolate isn’t amazing quality, for me, they rather evoke sweet memories of being in Japan.

Drug Store and Pharmacy

Another section where some people spend hundreds, if not thousands. And if let loose, I sometimes feel like joining them. But since I am fairly minimalist with skincare, and don’t wear makeup, I just bought from my small list.

Since I needed sunscreen for an upcoming trip to Indonesia, I bought the hyped Biore UV sunscreen – it is tons cheaper than any comparable sunscreen in Europe, and I really react to most sunscreen I have bought in Europe. I bought a refill for my Hadalabo Gokujyun moisturizer which was really lovely for my face – sadly, not cruelty-free, either.

I bought a smoothing stick for my frizz and a little powder for my shiny face. VT Cosmetics is Korean and Vicrea who make &Honey is Japanese and at least that one is cruelty-free as far as I know. Also, a pack of sheet masks, cooling gel sheets and heating plasters for those aches and pains. Oh and one of those “viral” nail clippers.

I have been trying to buy cruelty-free products only – but what you see here isn’t all cruelty-free. I found it hard to check which products are actually properly cruelty-free, I only knew that Biore isn’t, and I am on the fence with Hadalabo and the others.

Kitchen and Dining

As a home cook, I first just brought back a few of Japan’s excellent knives a couple years back. But it would be a shame to ignore the other great products one can buy in Japan.

Japanese knives

I still use a gifted Global “G” Santoku, which is basically mass produced. They are made in Niigata Prefecture from stamped stainless steel. They set off super sharp, but lose sharpness after about 2 years of careful use. But they are pretty decent quality and rust free. And, as someone who grew up in a fairly consumerist environment in the Noughties, they were kind of a wish list item.

I did not buy any knives on this trip, but you can find plenty other info on knife shopping in Sakai and Nagasaki on this blog.

Cookware

My frying pan needed replacing, so I set off to buy a new one. I wanted an uncoated cast iron pan. I know I could get one here but cast iron is famous in Japan. I walked into Tettodo in Kyoto, a tiny but very nicely curated cookware and cutlery shop, and lo and behold, they had a lightweight cast iron pan, uncoated yet rust proof – and of simple elegance. It’s made by Iwatetsu Tekki in Iwate.

And after lifting some hefty “Nanbu Tekki” cast iron pans in Iwate, I appreciate my lightweight iron pan a lot more! So much easier to carry, gentle on the joints, great to cook with, and looks so nice! I like it so much I have been going through my cupboards wondering if there is something else I need from their “Ductile Series”.

I had also wanted a small portable coffee grinder for occasional work trips away where I could take a small amount of coffee beans and my Hario hand filter (another excellent purchase from a previous trip). I fell for the Porlex grinder at Hands, which looks great, but doesn’t get the best reviews – maybe should have stuck to Hario grinder which looks less good but does the job for less money.

Things I don’t need but cannot resist are Yunomi mugs – handle-less everyday mugs, for green tea. I used them for coffee and water, and from every ceramic region I visit, I tend to bring one. This one is Bizen ware, bought in Kurashiki.

And last not least, that tin of matcha which, despite the current matcha craze, was very easy to purchase – from the souvenir shop at Ginkaku-ji. 

Clothing

Since I lost some weight recently, I have been able to wear clothing I haven’t fitted into for 15 years. Since I’ve always been the type for classic clothing, I don’t really need a lot of new stuff at present.

I am not really into fashion, but I only buy sustainably made high quality clothing these days. My daily uniform is jeans, a good shirt and then a jacket of some sort in the cooler season. I wanted a pair of high quality Japanese jeans, so, after being influenced a bit, I bought the Momotaro Sashiko Work Jacket, a light jacket made with traditional indigo dying suitable for all seasons. I admit I am a total sucker for these faux workwear fashions. Next time, I shall look for a pair of jeans, and keep wearing my 20-year old Levis.

Since I ventured into Hands, I could not resist these Shupatto folding bags in a pattern I really like (it will go with the indigo). I guess it’s not the end of my Shupatto addiction, but they cost little and also make excellent gifts.

I wear a uniform at work, and to make it a bit less uniform, I got these colourful tabi socks from Sou Sou Kyoto. They were about 680 JPY, so more than the standard Uniqlo sock, and I have not tested their quality yet, but I do love a Sou Sou pattern. Note the kakigori one – what would be more perfect for summer? Saying that, I am very impressed with the quality of Uniqlo socks. The only item I buy from Uniqlo – I got the Marimekko and JW Anderson collaboration ones last times and they last really well.

Last not least, I never come home without a new tenugui. I spotted these Kamawanu Tenugui at the Ohara Museum Shop, and since they are the kind Kiyo wears in “The Makanai”, I had to get a couple. They were about 1400 JPY; which is the standard prize for a quality one. 

And talking about traditional attire… I also came home with a kimono… the previous kimono I purchased were cheap, but instead of hiring one, I wanted one I could wear. Obviously, a new one in silk would have been very expensive, so I went the secondhand route – I visited KimonoOff in Kanazawa and was very happy to find kimono in my size (178cm).

There wasn’t much choice of colour in the larger kimono, so it is green instead of the grey-black I had envisioned, but it is also a large size, it’s silk and I managed to buy a nagajuban and a silk obi as well. Kimono, juban and obi were about 13.000JPY, which was a bit of a splurge purchase. The other two obi were purchased extremely cheaply at Wargo in Kanazawa and I intend to use them for remake, and I haven’t checked their fibre content yet.

Books

My bookshop trips were cut a bit short this time. My mom has absolutely no interest in book shops in a country whose language she is unable to read.

But as you can see, there are plenty bilingual and English Language books. I did not get nearly everything I wanted but with my wish list of 20+ books that would be a rather heavy haul.

I bought two English books by the publisher Tuttle, who are very decent – one taking a slightly deeper dip into Japanese etiquette, which, at over 20 years old and written by an American who lived in Japan in the past century, can be considered a classic. The other, Lafcadio Hearn’s Japanese Ghost stories, first published in 1904, are a true classic, and not only is the book easy to buy in the West, as I later found out, but can also be accessed for free through Project Gutenberg.

My Japanese books are heavy on pictures, since my Japanese reading comprehension is rubbish. The first one is a recipe book for vegan wagashi. The next one, called “Kyoto Catalogue” is from the “Tanoshii” Series which I like, and introduces 108 temples and shrines of Kyoto, complete with history, photos, and which goshuin and omamori you can get there. Since I love to visit a lot of temples, this will be a great read for me, and help me plan future visits in one of my favourite cities. Great for those who want to visit beyond the “Top Ten” temples and shrines.

And, then, a book on tying obi. I finally bought an iromuji (semi formal) kimono, and I am fascinated by dressing in kimono, so I got this inexpensive book for a starter. The last one, not shown, is one of those 900 Yen illustrated “Conversation with Pictures” phrasebooks

Stationery

I always need to go into a stationery shop. Stationery is another group of items where I need to be careful not to overshop. This time, I visited Hands and Kyukyodo.

My Hands purchases are usually Midori notebooks, Shupatto bags, sometimes a diary. This time, I got the minimalist Midori MD notebook and a few covers, a C.D. notebook and Kuretake Gansai watercolours. I am very much into the more inexpensive yet high quality paper products, so I have not fallen for the fancy books like Hobonichi or Traveler’s Factory book yet. I admit I love their aesthetic, though.

For stationery items and in general, I somewhat prefer Hands. There is quite the overlap between Hands and Loft in terms of what you can buy, but Hands, for example, had more Midori products, whereas Hobonichi and Travelers Factory products you can only buy in standalone stores and sometimes at Loft.

It was a bit easier to keep my mother entertained in Kyukyodo. I had a good browse and bought cards, a few traditional scented sachets, a small box of everyday incense sticks and washi paper.

I see that a few tchoktches like a Sanjusangen-do universal omamori, cat magnet, Kyoto Chishaku-in magnet, Kenroku-en cat keyring, Kanazawa gold face paper and strange golden charm and a Kanazawa Kutani ceramic incense stick holder made it into this photo too.

Oh, and a boxwood comb from Kazurasei, which looks inconspicuously simple, but is hand made and was accordingly pricey, but this is perhaps the one and only geiko accessory I will ever own. And it is very practical for handbags.

Talking about omamori charms – I try to limit my purchases to one per trip, which is very restrained considering the number of temples and shrines I visit. I now started collecting goshuin and tend to fill a goshuincho on each trip – so I can still have a nice memento of a visit. 

Fabric

And here I must admit a big weakness. Fabric shopping is a favourite activity of mine. I bought so much fabric last year that I had to put a huge shopping bag into a coin locker so be able to continue my sightseeing until it was time to check into my hotel. And no, I have not used it all up, although I did make a lot of accessories for the cat shelter Christmas bazaar and used up some of my cute japanese cat fabric.

So, this time, I said to myself “two pieces, no more”. You see how well that worked. First, I got the linen mix cat print, and got three metres, enough to make a skirt. Although it’s really not my colour, I do like a mustard yellow and found these “Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga” print – the originals are at Kyoto’s Kozan-ji. They are subtle enough for a simple top to go with jeans.

And then I had to have cherry blossom fabric, as you do when you visit for hanami. And the dark blue cotton with the “Yagasuri” Arrow pattern – well, it’s meant to bring good look, and no rhyme or reason, just greed. All the fabrics are either 100% cotton or cotton and linen and from Japanese brands Hokkoh and Sevenberry. They cost about four to five times more here in Europe, so I tend to go a bit overboard on them.

Random Bits and 100 Yen Store Haul

One of my favourite shops… who doesn’t love a bargain? And here is also the area where I have to be very careful not to overshop, because things are so cheap. So I only went into one 100-Yen shop on this trip, maybe popped my head into Daiso when I was wandering around Teramachi Street in central Kyoto.

Most of the things I bought were on my wish list, like the cat ear hairband and the large plastic bowls and the pens.

A few pretty cat items usually find their way into the basket and the magnetic hooks have to be useful right? 

Also on this picture are a ginger and wasabi grater and two dinky milk jugs I bought at  Osaka Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street, the slightly less-known yet still touristy equivalent of Tokyo’s Kappabashi-dori. We really wanted the tiny milk jugs, and had to go to quite a few shops to find them.

The Takeaway

So, this concludes my Japan Shopping Spree, somewhat restricted due to having company (my mum) on this trip, who has completely different interests from me when it comes to shopping, so compromises were made this time.

I don’t think there is anything I regret buying, although I should have researched the hand coffee grinders better and gone for a cheaper less elegant but more efficient plastic one, and I simply have too many coffee cups, so that Bizenware was an unnecessary but beautiful buy.

Since I never shop other than for food and toiletries, and I buy my books second hand and do maybe one Amazon order a year but try my best to reduce that to zero, I think I did okay in terms of spending. I would say 95% of the items (save for 100Yen Shop stuff and I am not sure about where the Shupatto bags are made) were actually made in Japan, and I do my best to shop regionally when travelling, too.

Where to stay to optimise your Shopping Experience in Kyoto

You may or may have noted the absence of online shopping links here. Every link is the manufacturers website, and they may or may not offer online shopping. You can buy most things directly from the manufacturers, and the absence of a big online store on this post is intentional. I try not to shop there, so I am certainly not asking my readers to.

What I do have, though, is the following recommendations on accommodations, most of which I personally stayed at, that are comfortable, good value, and well placed for shopping in Kyoto. These are affiliate links to Booking.com, which I use when I am not booking directly.

This time, I was travelling with my mother, and we stayed mostly in Kyoto. One of our hotels, the Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei, was great for shopping, with spacious characterful rooms even in the cheapest category, helpful English-speaking staff and just ten minutes walk from the major Downton Shopping area. We paid approximately 100 Euro per room per night in March 2025, booked well in advance.

In general, Downtown Kyoto is a great area to stay if you are into shopping. Location-wise, you cannot beat the area around Kyoto City Hall for both great shops and excellent transport links by bus, train and metro. I recommend the Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Sanjo. It is a cheaper business-leisure hybrid hotel, even the singles were decent sized, and rooms are quiet and comfy with all the necessities. I paid around 60 Euro per night back in July 2024, considered low season but it was during the Gion Matsuri. Somewhat more stylish and spacious but still on the budget side, was the Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura, a small and immaculate hotel right next to ShinPuhKan, a classy little shopping temple in Kyoto’s former Telephone Exchange. I paid around 80Euro per room per night in July 2024.

The Small Print

I visited Kyoto in MArch 2025, paying for all expenses myself. So what you get here is my totally unbiased opinion, no freebies, no discounts for good reviews.

The only monetisation of this blog at the time of publication is affiliate links to Booking.com, which is my preferred (and only) hotel booking site when I am not booking directly. If you use one of the links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, but trust me, this blog is 99% a hobby, meaning I work a regular job and all my travel money comes from working full time. Please refer to my Terms and Conditions for further details.