Made in Japan: Crazy Souvenirs from Tokyo

Cosplay Photo-Booth Pictures

Embrace Japanese pop culture by combining not one but two popular pastimes: cosplay and print club. Cosplay, or costume play, is a type of mostly young, mostly urban artistic expression in which participants don costumes and congregate in public areas. Print club, more commonly known as purikura, is a type of photo booth that can customize pictures with text and other decorations. Some booths even let you make your eyes bigger and your legs skinner, for a more anime look.

Dive into the world of cosupuri (a fusion of cosplay and purikura) at the chain of arcades known as Taito Station. Head to the basement, flip through the catalogue of costumes (you wear them over your clothes), jump inside a photo booth, mug for the camera, then customize your look. Here are the results of my first try with my friend Nobu.

Truly Weird Facial Masks

Find your way to the beauty-products section of a department store such as Tokyu Hands in the Shibuya neighborhood, and you'll find Japan-specific souvenirs ranging from powdered mud baths from famous Japanese hot springs to rice soaps. But none will dazzle and alarm your friends back home as much as a face-mask treatment. Go for cute and quirky with an Isshindo Animal Face Pack that looks like a tiger or panda face. Or maximize weird value with a snail essence, bee venom, or snake venom treatment. My lucky family found all of these in their Christmas stockings this past year.

Terada Mokei Tiny Paper Art

Want two great Japanese phenomena in a single, ultra-portable product? Terada Mokei blends the proud Japanese tradition of paper art—including origami as well as washi, a paper-making process that's on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list—and miniaturization (think kei cars and bonsai). Terada Mokei 1/100 scale models bring tiny scenes of Japanese life into beautifully crafted focus. Find kits to create your own scene of festival stalls, the rice harvest, the Tsukiji Fish Market (complete with delivery vehicles and fish), Tokyo Station, or a fall day in the Mohri Garden in Tokyo's Roppongi Hills. I found these at Tokyu Hands, a hybrid department/crafts/utility store in Shibuya (if you go, take the elevator to the top floor and wind your way back down).

Take-Along Hand Towels

Public restrooms in Japan tend not to have paper towels or hand dryers, so it's common to bring your own. You can find washcloth-sized hand towels specifically for the purpose everywhere, from large chain grocery stores to small trinket shops. They come in all patterns and colors, and many are city or region specific, featuring a yuru-kyara (cartoon mascot) or famous sight. Not only are these towels invaluable when you're traveling, but they make great gifts and are easy to transport.

Fake Food

Ever wonder where the plastic food displayed in glass cases outside most restaurants in Japan comes from? In Tokyo, the answer is probably Kappabashi, a neighborhood known as Kitchen Town for its wholesale restaurant-supply stores. You'll know you're in the right place when you see a giant chef's head mounted to the top of a building. From there, explore the shops to find kitchen supplies ranging from knives to cookie cutters. And then head to the shops dedicated exclusively to plastic food and marvel at the lifelike models of ramen, curry, sushi, yakitori, spaghetti, ice cream, and an amazing array of other foods.

Yanaka Cat Memorabilia

The neighborhood of Yanaka feels a world away from the ultra-urban high-rise fever dream most people conjure up when they think of Tokyo. The pedestrian street known as Yanaka Ginza is lined with green grocers, tea shops, small restaurants, and narrow boutiques. Coming from the nearby Nippori Station, you'll reach Yanaka Ginza via a short set of steps known as Yuyake Dandan, or the sunset steps.

Hang out on the steps for a few minutes and you'll likely spot some of the friendly resident cats. As you walk down the street, you'll realize just how important a role the generations of cats play in this quiet neighborhood. Flags sport their likenesses; awnings are decorated with their faces. You can't take a cat home, but you can buy calendars featuring the cats or sample cat-shaped sweets from local bakeries.

Onitsuka Tiger Shoes

Head to the chic neighborhood of Omotesando to find classic sneakers with a uniquely Japanese twist. Onitsuka Tiger started out as a post-war sport-shoe company and eventually grew into the worldwide brand ASICS. In 2002, ASICS relaunched Onitsuka Tiger, and it has spent the last 13 years reinventing retro sneaker styles. Head to a store (in Omotesando or another Tokyo location) to find limited-time, only-in-Japan styles to match the seasons, trends, and whims of the company's designers.

Baumkuchen

Baumkuchen isn't Japanese, but the traditional German spit-baked cake is a popular dessert in Tokyo and elsewhere in the country. Layers of batter are brushed onto a rotating spit placed close to a heat source. The resulting confection is made up of lightly sweet circular layers that give the baumkuchen, or tree cake (for its interior, which resembles tree growth rings), its name. Stroll the quiet backstreets of the upscale shopping district of Ginza and you'll stumble across small bakeries devoted almost entirely to the special cakes. Cakes come in a variety of sizes and some are packaged in boxes that protect them well against the rigors of travel. They last for a few days—long enough to be taken home and shared with family and friends.

You Might Also Like:

• Eight Crafty Wakes to Display Your Travel Keepsakes
• Nine Places That Are Surprisingly Cheap Right Now
• Soak in These Amazing Geothermal Hot Spots