The Land of the Rising Sun appears exotic and incomprehensible to travelers accustomed to Western living standards. Here literally everything amazes - from the intricate language to the breathtaking landscapes, and all kinds of souvenirs dazzle. For those who are planning a trip to a mysterious Pacific island and wondering what to bring from Japan as a gift, we have prepared a list of the most popular and unusual commemorative gifts that reflect the originality of an extraordinary land.
Maneki-neko
Walking the streets of Japanese cities, you will surely pay attention to the Maneki-neko displayed in the windows of shops and restaurants - talismans of good luck, whose name is translated from Japanese as "alluring cat". Every detail of this funny figurine carries a meaning. So, a raised right paw promises success in business, the left one attracts interesting and profitable acquaintances. Seals with two limbs stretching upward are acquired to protect the home.
The color of the talisman also plays an important role:
- gold represents prosperity and wealth
- white means purity of thoughts and a positive attitude towards life
- black protects from evil spirits
- green brings health, helps in the development of new knowledge
- blue helps to find peace of mind
- red and pink promote success in love and friendship
Maneki-neko are sold everywhere, filling the shelves of all souvenir shops. The most sacred place for shopping is Tokyo's Gotoku-ji Temple, where the cult of alluring cats began in the 17th century.
Traditional clothing and footwear
The history of the national costume - kimono - is more than 1,500 years old. Over the years, its appearance has not changed: as before, this garment consists of four canvases ("tan"), which are girded with a wide sash ("obi"). The original outfit is sewn from expensive fabrics and painted by hand. The price of such masterpieces is tens of thousands of yen.
You should not choose a classic kimono as a souvenir, because even Japanese women put it on with difficulty. It would be more correct to purchase a casual summer version of the yukata. They sew it from inexpensive materials: linen, cotton or satin. Such a purchase is unlikely to empty your wallet. And finding a yukata will not be a problem: the popular apparel is sold in all malls and department stores.
It is ridiculous to wear traditional clothes with the usual shoes, so it would be useful to buy national shoes. But leave aside the original geta: you need to learn to wear bulky wooden sandals from early childhood. It would be much wiser to buy comfortable zori - the Japanese variation of flip flops.
Wagasa
To complete the exotic ensemble of yukata and zori, the traditional wagasa umbrella will help. The homeland of any self-respecting geisha's accessory is China. This exquisite object came to the Land of the Rising Sun in the 6th century. Initially, graceful folding umbrellas were the privilege of the elite, and only two centuries later they became widespread among the people.
The method for creating a wagasa is not complicated, but laborious. Bamboo parts are connected with horsehair. A dome of the finest paper is attached to the resulting frame, which is then painted and impregnated with oil. Wooden elements are varnished. As a result of these manipulations, a light and elegant, but at the same time durable and waterproof umbrella is born.
Today, only a few craftsmen in the country have the skills to make a traditional bamboo frame. Therefore, if you decide to purchase a real wagasa, go to the city of Gifu, which is located 390 km from Tokyo. Since the middle of the 18th century, local craftsmen have been creating exquisite products by hand, which are considered the standard of Japanese national umbrellas.
Sake
It would be a mistake to call the classic Japanese drink rice vodka or wine. The samurai's favorite alcohol is an original product that you will not find in any country in the world. Even the production of sake is unique: only premium varieties of rice are used for its production, which have passed the obligatory grinding and steaming procedure.
Sake is an insidious drink. Drinking this rice elixir with a strength of 16% is surprisingly easy: you can imperceptibly "persuade" more than one portion. However, the consequences in the form of cotton feet and headaches will not be long in coming. To prevent such an incident from happening to you, follow the unspoken rules of using the national potion: pour the drink into tiny bowls (2-3 sips), savor slowly and do not neglect the snack.
When choosing alcohol, be guided by its cost: the price of a good product starts at 2,000 yen. The hieroglyphs 清酒 on the label, meaning "natural sake", will also tell about the quality of the drink.
Green tea
Japan is the birthplace of matcha, a bright emerald-colored drink made from powdered green tea leaves. The best raw materials for matcha are grown in the vicinity of Uji, where three varieties are presented in each store:
- Culinary with an intense tart taste. Used for making baked goods, desserts and smoothies.
- Premium, with a slight bitterness. Tea from this variety is drunk in Asia in its pure form, and in Europe it is sometimes diluted with a small amount of milk.
- Ceremonial made from young spring leaves of a tea bush. It is the most expensive type used for classical tea ceremonies and Buddhist rituals.
Regardless of the variety, matcha has a high concentration of caffeine, antioxidants (polyphenols) and the amino acid L-theanine, which is responsible for the production of the "happiness hormone" dopamine. According to studies, drinking this traditional drink will not only boost immunity, speed up metabolism, remove toxins and strengthen the circulatory system, but also help fight stress, and also invigorate coffee better!
Sweets
Local delicacies will be an ideal gift for those with a sweet tooth. Many of you are probably familiar with KitKat candies, but in the Land of the Rising Sun alone you can find about 250 types of these popular filled bars. Tasting them is like eating Bertie Botts beans: Nestlé's Japanese factories produce sweets with unimaginable flavors of green tea, sakura, fried potatoes, peppers, wasabi, pickled plums or soy sauce.
Wagashi also belong to the category of exotic desserts. To create this classic of the country's confectionery art, which differs from European sweets in a less sweet taste, natural ingredients are used: chestnuts, agar-agar, herbs, rice, tea, sweet potatoes and legumes.
Lovers of sweet pastries should take a closer look at dorayaki or tayaki pancakes - fish-shaped cookies stuffed with custard or chocolate. And fans of healthy eating will be attracted by amanatto - candy, which are nuts, dressed in a "fur coat" of bean paste.
Bell Furin
Total industrialization and advanced technologies get along well with a deep reverence for the beliefs and traditions of their ancestors. Here, special importance is attached to talismans called omamori. One of these amulets is Furin's bell, whose melodic ringing is designed to protect houses and their inhabitants from negative energy and evil spirits.
Furins are traditionally made from glass, ceramics, metal and bamboo. A rectangular paper sheet is attached to the tongue, on which wishes or three-line hokku are written. To avoid adversity, the Japanese decorate the windows and cornices of their homes with bells. In the summer heat, gentle chimes associated with a fresh wind and a babbling brook create an aura of coolness and comfort.
Every year, in the second half of July, the surroundings of the Kawasaki Daisi Temple (8 km from Tokyo) are filled with the sound of more than 600 bells of all shapes and sizes. Melodic polyphony marks the opening of the popular Furin Festival, attracting thousands of tourists and locals alike.
Fan
A fan decorated with an intricate pattern will be a good gift for the fair sex. This constant companion of geisha and Kabuki theater actors appeared in the country in the XII century. The first fans (utiva) were a non-folding structure made of a piece of wood covered with silk, skillfully turned.
Fans are not only a ladies' privilege. Ogi - a folding fan with few ribs - was considered an exclusively masculine attribute used in court ceremonies and indicating the rank of its owner. The fighting gunsen, made of wood and metal, stands apart. Such a fan was a full-fledged weapon with which the warriors attacked, defended themselves and distracted the enemy's attention.
Traditional fans are made by hand using bamboo and special multi-layer paper. And today fans for the Japanese are more than just a salvation from the heat and an element of the national costume. These accessories are used to decorate walls in houses, they are collected, presented to loved ones and used in marriage ceremonies.
Masks
One of the greatest traditions of world theater is the Japanese No Theater. Wooden stage, striking a deep meaning of the performance, minimalistic music and grandiose costumes - all this almost unchanged came to contemporaries from the XIV century - the era when father and son Zeami created a new direction of art. Masks have not changed either - a mandatory attribute of the actors' outfit.
The actors of the No theater do not use facial expressions and make-up. To express feelings and emotions, they wear masks made from cypress. Each theater carefully preserves a collection of 150-200 masks. They are divided into male (otoko-men), female (onna-men), and also differ in appearance, character and age.
Today, No masks have become popular as popular wall decorations. In souvenir shops, you can buy full-size wooden specimens or miniatures made of ceramics, inserted into exquisite frames.
Food sticks
If there is not much room left in your luggage for gifts, purchase hasi - Japanese chopsticks that differ from Chinese in a shorter length and rounded shape. In the Land of the Rising Sun you will find many shops specializing only in the sale of this accessory. The assortment is huge: from the simplest disposable to decorated and varnished wooden masterpieces.
The Japanese use traditional cutlery for more than just tasting rice or noodles. Sushi is wrapped with chopsticks, bones are selected, fish is cut, soups and sauces are mixed. Hasi are exclusively personal items, it is considered a bad omen to pass them on even to close people.
Chopsticks are a multifunctional souvenir. They are presented not only to fans of Asian cuisine. According to legend, hasi promise their owner longevity and good luck. Sticks painted with oriental patterns can also be presented to newlyweds with the wish to be inseparable like a pair of hasi.
Bento lunch boxes
Bento refers to food packaged in a beautiful container. You will find hundreds of variations of this useful accessory in your local shops. There are many choices, from simple plastic boxes to refrigerated sealed lunchboxes or oval wappa bento with antibacterial properties.
Bento culture in the country is extremely developed. There are special books devoted to the art of harmoniously composing a “takeaway meal”. Food magazines never tire of publishing tips on how to combine foods for a balanced and healthy lunch. Here are just a few of them:
- Discard semi-finished products
- Each serving should include carbohydrates (rice, noodles), protein (meat, fish) and vegetables
- Food should be cut into pieces and heated evenly
Those who do not want to make their own bento buy lunchboxes in supermarkets. Average price is about 542 yen ($ 5).
Kokeshi
The attitude towards dolls is special. From time immemorial, local residents believed that each of the figurines has unique properties. They were considered the keepers of the hearth, valued and passed on by inheritance. One of these amulet dolls is the kokeshi - a figure devoid of arms and legs with a cylindrical body and a large head.
The history of kokeshi began in 1603 on the island of Honshu. Kidzia carpenters from the Tohoku region, who made their living by making tableware, have invented a new source of income. They began carving cute figurines out of wood, hand-painting them, and then selling them as talismans to wealthy gentlemen relaxing by the nearby hot springs.
Today, dolls are turned on a lathe. The figurines cannot boast of a wealth of colors and patterns: the decorative elements are extremely modest, and the palette of shades is limited to red, yellow, black and green. However, this does not prevent kokeshi from being a welcome gift. Dolls are presented as a sign of love, sympathy and sincere friendship. It is believed that such a present brings prosperity, good luck in business and harmony in the soul.
Porcelain
Interest in porcelain products originated in the country in the 14th century thanks to trade with China. At that time, exquisite fragile things were the privilege of the powers that be: the emperor and his entourage. The country's own porcelain industry began to develop two centuries later, after the discovery of kaolin deposits on the island of Kyushu.
The art of making porcelain has been perfected. Graceful figurines and sophisticated dishes are chip-resistant, do not absorb odors, and perfectly tolerate both high and low temperatures. The products are characterized by laconic design, modestly expressed relief and numerous small details with clear lines. The painting is either extremely minimalistic and unobtrusive, or saturated with images of flowers, birds and fabulous creatures.
Today the most famous brands are Japonica, Nikko, Keito, Narumi and Noritake. In order not to buy a fake, when buying, pay attention to the marking: on the original products there is a stamp “Fine Bone China”, which means “fine bone china”.
Tenugui
The Japanese desire for cleanliness is known throughout the world. The inhabitants of the Pacific island never cross the threshold of the house in street shoes, and in all restaurants and cafes, visitors are first of all served with hand towels - tenugui. These patterned cotton items measuring 30x90 cm have a long history: they were first talked about during the Kofun period (250-538).
Tenugui is surprisingly versatile. They can be used to tie your head, wipe your hands, blot spilled tea, or spread it on your knees when you need to peel juiced fruit. But remember: when in Japan, never try to use tenugui as a handkerchief - any local will regard this act as savagery.
If you are looking for packaging for a memorable presentation, feel free to buy tenugui too. By the way, the sellers of many shops are fluent in the technique of folding national towels in dozens of different shapes, making the souvenir play with new colors.
Samurai sword
It is hard to imagine a better souvenir for a man than a samurai sword. Fascinating with its forms, the weapon, which is the spiritual symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun, personifies courage, valor and the highest justice. Buddhists perceive this unchanging regalia of ancient warriors as the embodiment of strength, wisdom and divine purity.
The first sword (katana) appeared in Japan at the beginning of the 13th century.Soon steel blades were canonized, and the craftsmen who made them received a high social status. According to archival data, from ancient times to the middle of the 20th century, only about 2 million swords were produced in the country. Each copy was truly priceless and was passed on by warriors from generation to generation.
Today, authentic samurai swords are of great historical and cultural importance, the value of relics is in the tens of millions of yen. However, in the shops you can find good replicas: from souvenir miniatures to full-size copies of katanas, made on the basis of the creations of the best gunsmiths of the Middle Ages.
Ukiyo-e prints
In the 17th century, a new direction of Ukiyo-e art appeared. This style refers to woodcuts, meaning prints on paper or printed graphics on wood surfaces. Ukiyo-e paintings were not: rectangular engravings were viewed as media and cheap pictures for the common people.
Initially, to create Ukiyo-e, artists used black and white ink, and only a century later the pictures took on color. Since the main buyers of the prints were ordinary townspeople, the plots of the images reflected everyday life: beautiful geishas, monumental sumo wrestlers, actors of the Kabuki theater. Later, Fukei-ga (landscapes), Katyo-ga (birds, flowers) and Shunga (erotic canvases) appeared.
Ukiyo-e art is popular today. Modern masters apply images not only to engravings. Copies of famous paintings of the past are placed on clothes, dishes, handbags, tenugui, fans and postcards.
Turner paints
If your friend spends all his free time at the easel, he will surely be delighted with Turner paints. Japanese acrylic gouache, named after the English painter William Turner, lays down evenly, dries quickly, does not crumble and has good water resistance. Adhesion is also at its best: paint adheres remarkably to any degreased surface, so not only paper, but also plastic, fabrics, leather, metals, ceramics, wood, stone can serve as a canvas.
Acrylic gouache is presented in 221 shades, including velvety pastel, exotic fluorescent, shiny metallic and pearl glowing from the inside. All colors blend perfectly without clashing.
An artist who prefers softer and more transparent textures will love professional watercolors. For the 148 shades in the palette, Turner selects long-lasting, vibrant pigments without a single hint of haze. Thanks to them, the work performed will delight the creator for a long time with natural and impressive shades that are not threatened with rapid fading.
Music Box
When choosing a gift for friends who know a lot about Asian melodies, pay attention to traditional music boxes, which were born more than a century ago in the vicinity of the now popular resort of Hakone. This region has long been famous for its variety of wood species, and local craftsmen are known for their ability to create real works of art.
The Japanese box is a unique phenomenon. Its shape, size and pattern depend only on the imagination of the author. There are no generally accepted standards: on store shelves you will find square, rectangular, and round products, the lids of which are often painted in the picturesque technique of aizu-nuri "or decorated with" yosegi "mosaics. Inside the musical representatives of the glorious family of decorative caskets, there is a mechanism that can play up to 25 melodies.
Each box has its own secret. Opening it means solving a difficult puzzle. To lift the stubborn lid, you need to find a cleverly hidden lever or, in a certain sequence, move the moving parts of the recalcitrant "puzzle".
Cosmetics
The velvety white skin of Japanese women is the envy of many European women. The beauty secret of Asian enchantresses lies not only in good genetics and proper nutrition. Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun pay great attention to the choice of care products, among which the first place belongs to whitening and moisturizing agents.
Toners, masks, emulsions and creams, containing natural ingredients and designed to give the skin a delicious porcelain matte finish, are the leaders in the Japanese cosmetic market. The most famous manufacturers are Kanebo, Suhada, Yokota Lab, Shiseido, SK-II, Biore. Among the decorative means, it is worth noting the products of the brands Isehan, Shu Uemura, Celvoke.
You can buy cosmetics in specialized departments of shopping centers or pharmacies. The most affordable prices for mass-market goods can be found in the Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Daiso or CanDo chain stores. Luxury brands are found only in fashionable department stores.
Koinobori
Koinobori are popping up everywhere as May 5, Boys' Festival, approaches. On this day, parents, wishing their children strength and health, hang out flags in the form of carp like fabric pipes. The number of colorful banners indicates the number of sons living in the family, and the length indicates their age.
The Japanese revere carp as a divine animal that can “swim against the current and descend from a waterfall”. By presenting your loved ones with this symbol of courage, resilience and nobility, you thereby wish them well-being, success in achieving their goals and career growth.
Small flags are sold in Japanese souvenir shops all year round. The most common and affordable banners are made from inexpensive and durable materials such as polyester. The cost of hand-painted silk kinobori can reach 43,000 yen (about $ 400).
When choosing memorable gifts, do not forget about the export restrictions established by law. According to customs rules, duty is not levied on:
- alcoholic beverages: up to three liters of alcoholic beverages of any strength
- souvenirs for a total amount not exceeding 200 thousand yen (about $ 2,000)
It is prohibited to export from the country books, magazines and drawings of obscene content, narcotic and psychotropic substances, as well as antiques and art objects of cultural value acquired without special permission from the relevant authorities.
