Japan has nice stuff. Interesting clothes, anime paraphernalia, traditional stuff, modern stuff. So you don’t get overwhelmed, here are some ideas for gifts for Japan lovers.
So first thing you need to decide is what kind of Japan stuff are you after? Different people love Japan for very different reasons. Would you like a traditional Japanese arts present? A Japanese pop culture gift? Do you love Kawaii culture? Muted-tone Japanese aesthetics? Minimalism? Riotous colorful Japanese culture? Let’s attempt dividing these disparate things into some categories.
We also have lists of Japanese gifts for her, gifts for him and gifts for Sushi Lovers.
How to Choose A Gift For A Japan Fan
First step is to figure out what category of Japan lover you are buying for.
There tend to be a few different main types of Japan lover. Some groups you may want to think about are:
The Japanese Snack Lover: for those that love mochi, yokan, senbei or tea.
Otaku & Anime: The Japan-Geek who loves anime, manga, games etc.
Traditional & Zen: For those that love the traditional Japanese arts and crafts
Modern Japan lover: For those that love the slick, minimal Japanese design aesthetic
The Linguistic: For those that love learning the Japanese Language
The Japanese Home Decor Fan: For those interested in the Japanese house aesthetic
The Japanese Snack Lover
One option is to get your loved one a curated snack box, either as a one-off or as an ongoing monthly subscription. One Japanese snack box we have reviewed favourably in the past is the Sakuraco box pictured above. Or you can see our massive list of 42 Japanese subscription boxes.
The “Otaku” Japan-Lover
This is the “nerd” Japan-Lover.
The Otaku tends to be into the anime, manga, and tech sides of things. Some Japanese gift ideas Otaku types include:
- Anime merch
- We have a page of popular Naruto Hoodies here
- Cosplay
- We’ve got pages specifically for Studio Ghibli, and Demon Slayer Cosplay
- Manga & Comics
- Hard Copy Manga or Comics
- Subscriptions to anime services such as Crunchy Roll or Animelab
- Tech related gear
- Gaming
- Consoles, Games, peripherals
- PlayStation
- Nintendo (Switch add ons, 3DS games etc.)
- Table Top Gaming
- Gaming
My personal favorite is Sushi GO! Card game
The "Traditional" or “Zen" Japan-Lover
This Japan fan is characterised by love of Japanese traditional and more refined arts. Steve Jobs loved traditional Japanese design, and it influenced the minimalist design of Apple products.
Gift ideas for the “Zen” Japan-Lover include:
- Japanese Home items including:
- Ceramics
- Japanese tea utensils cups, pots, tea sets, green tea whisks etc
- Traditional Japanese Clothing
- Jinbei
- Kimono
- Fun Japanese Stuff
- Japanese Puzzle Box (Himitsu-bako), Japanese fan
The "Modern" Japan-Lover
- Clothing
- There some great Japan inspired clothes at Newchic.
- Japanese pajamas
- Anime
- There is crossover here with the world of “Otaku” but Studio Ghibli tends to cross over to a much wider audience.
- Studio Ghibli Posters,
- Studio Ghibli Socks
- Studio Ghibli Plush Dolls
- Japanese Movie Posters
- Japanese style retro guitar
- Streetwear
- They have some relatively cheap deals on BAPE here.
- Japanese Shoes and sneakers
- Japanese Foodie Items
- Japanese Christmas Decorations & Ornaments
The "Linguist" Japan-Lover
Maybe your linguist loved one would like a subscription to a language learning course. Try the ones below.
- Japanese Pod 101 Review – All-in-one, audio & podcast focused course with HEAPS of content.
- Rocket Japanese Review – A solied, systematic, wholistic Japanese course.
- Pimsleur Japanese Review – A listening focused Japanese language course with the longest track record and a scientific approach.
- Memrise Japanese Review – Customizable, Spaced Repetition & flashcard influenced Japanese courses
- Duolingo Japanese Review – Gamified, Spaced Repetition and AI enhanced course of bite sized lessons.
- iTalki Japanese Review – Live, online language practice with real native speakers and teachers.
General Cool Japan Stuff
Let’s start with the fundamentals. Gift for a man? Socks is number 1 right? BUT, they don’t have to be the same old boring socks. How about a pair of anime socks! Totoro on your ankles anyone?
Or check out any of these Studio Ghibli socks.
Make your own mossball!
Buying a gift for a greenthumb? Or just trying to easily get a little green inside? This Kokedama moss ball kit, makes it super simple to get in on the Japanese moss action!
This is a bento box that cooks your rice fresh. Only in Japan.
Every Japan-lover needs at least one Studio Ghibli poster in their home. Mandatory decoration.
Gifts For Anime Lovers
We’ve put the emphasis on anime gifts that could be given to most Japanese anime lovers.
Japan Coloring Book Gifts
Coloring books for adults have taken off in recent years. See our Japan coloring books page here.
I love this book, it really is as much an art book as a straight out coloring book. It has beautiful full-color images of 22 ukiyo-e woodblock prints. In addition it gives you a full page background on each artwork and artist. So you’re learning about the history of this wonderful Japanese artform, but doing it in an active way where you are recreating the artworks. The coloring pages are actually recreated from the original artworks themselves, so they are incredibly accurate.
The only drawbacks are that they may be too intricate for some, and 22 images is less than some other options.
The only drawbacks are that they may be too intricate for some, and 22 images is less than some other options.
Not so much a “book” as a bumper “pad” of 72 wonderful patterns and images. It’s top bound with glue, so you can easily remove individual sheets. The Vive Le Color coloring book range are tremendously popular, so you know you’re going to get something that is generally good quality. This book is fairly small, which makes it pretty portable. The downside is that this also means that a lot of the designs are small, and can feel a little “cramped”. It’s a trade off really. Still this book has so many fans, it pretty much couldn’t be left out of any Japanese Coloring Book list.
Japanese Home Gifts
Japanese Kitchen & Dining Gifts
You eat lunch every day right? So why not eat from a lunch box that gives you pleasure. Food tastes better out of a nice box. Especially a nice, natural wooden box. Mmmm, bento box.
Beautiful blue glaze plate suitable for sushi or piece of fish, with dipping bowls and chopsticks.
For the Sake lovers. Bizen is my favourite school of potter in Japan, it’s rough enough to have character to smooth enough to be pleasurable to use.
If your loved one is a tea swiller, then they need a a good cup. If they like matcha, they’ll also need the whisk and spoon. This gives them everything they need for great tea in one pack.
We’ve alsogot posts about tea whisks and Japanese tea sets
Many peopel have grasped the symbolic beauty of Kintsugi. This book uses the idea of Kintsugi as a metaphore for living life. Self-help for the Japan lover.
If you do a lot of cutting and cooking, you need a good knife. Japan does great blades. They look stylish too.
Some people love tea, some people like something a little harder. Japan has some wonderful, quite unusual beer cups, such as this one.
Kintsugi is the art of fixing cracked items with gold. The idea is to celebrate the cracks in a long cherished item. So a kintsugi piece of pottery is a great gift as a symbol of the value in celebrating connection, even in adversity.
Japanese Lamps
There’s no quicker way to transform the feel of the room than with lighting. These Japanese style lights emit a warm, subtle light that can make an otherwise bland space into something magical.
This lamp combines the charm of a traditional style lamp with modern connectivity. The best of both worlds.
If you are thinking of getting a Japanese lamp as present check out our Japanese lamps guide
Japanese Zabuton Cushions
Japanese people love to sit on the floor. Zabuton style cushions aid with that. This one has a beautiful, muted tone design.
These zabuton cushions are well padded and would be particularly well suited to meditation.
For more Japanese Decor ideas see this page
Japanese Clothing Gifts For Him
Hanten
Wearing a padded hanten is like walking around wearing a blanket. These things transform winter, and look very trad Japanese to boot
Wearing a padded hanten jacket is kind of like wrapping yourself in a quilt. No more dragging your bedding around the house. This one is in a striking “Montsuki” insignia style
The striped Hanten is the classic one for men.
More mighty hanten can be found here.
Jinbei
Jinbei are some of the most free flowing garments you can wear. They are made to circulate air and keep you comfortable in a range of situations, most notably after bathing or as sleep wear that can also be worn outside.
Foxtume have some great Jinbei including this one with full dragon design on the back.
The Seigaha pattern is classic in Japanese design and clothing. This Jinbei pulls it off beautifully.
More jinbei can be found here.
Kimono for men
Who said Kimono are just for women. Not the Japanese that’s for sure. This one is a modern take on an ancient garment.
This Kimono is closer to what we associate with feminine Kimono, but recontextualized for the male form.
More male Kimono can be found here.
Japanese Sandals
These are worn both as formal wear with kimono, or matched with other items of clothing to be more casual. They are often worn with tabi socks.
Love Tatami material? These sandals offer you something different to the norm by putting that material under your feet all the time!
More Japanese shoes can be found here.
Japanese Fashion Books
If you want to pursue kawaii cute, you’re going to need some resource materials right?
Is the special someone in your life Goth, Gyaru, Lolita, Akamonji-kei, or Aomoji-kei. This book should help everyone figure that out.
See our Cosplay gallery here.
Midnight Diner Merch
If you or a loved one are a fan of the show Midnight Diner
For fans of the, now on Netflix, Japanese TV series Midnight diner. This shirt has “Meshiya” written on it, meaning “restaurant” and is the same as the sign at the front of the shop in the show.
This is the album the Midnight Diner opening theme song was originally released on. It is sold on the Japanese Amazon and can be sent to most places worldwide.
Midnight Diner Wall Art.
Find more Japanese wall art here
Gifts for Sushi Lovers!
Let’s face it, making well shaped sushi is a pain in the rice ball. This kit takes the pain away.
These ye-olde sushi tubs bring a rustic feel to the whole sushi making process. Fill it with everything else you need, and it’s the perfect gift for sushi fans.
Let’s face it, making well shaped sushi is a pain in the rice ball. This kit takes the pain away.
These ye-olde sushi tubs bring a rustic feel to the whole sushi making process. Fill it with everything else you need, and it’s the perfect gift for sushi fans.
Let’s face it, making well shaped sushi is a pain in the rice ball. This kit takes the pain away.
A complete sushi kit with traditional “oke” container. So rustic.
Japanese Language Gifts
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The famous Pimsleur program is one I’ve used a lot and found very helpful. If you want to get something for your Japanese learning male friend, this one’s solid.
Another way, potentially cheaper than an online membership, to do the Pimsleur Japanese course is to buy the lessons on CD. This one also looks better in wrapping paper…
Check out our full Pimsleur Japanese review here or our list of Japanese language resources here.
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Who is behind this site?
I’m Peter Joseph Head. I lived in Japan for four years as a student at Kyoto City University of the Arts doing a Masters Degree, have toured the country six times playing music and speak Japanese (JLPT N1). I’ve written songs in Japanese and have released several albums through Tokyo label Majikick Records.
ピータージョセフヘッドです。4年間京都市立芸大の大学院として日本に住み、6回日本で音楽ツアーをし、日本語能力試験で1級を取得しました。要するに日本好きです。