There are many people who think of souvenirs as one of the big pleasures of travelling. Souvenirs for yourself, for family and relatives, friends and lovers, colleagues etc. Some people like pondering on what souvenir they should get for whom, others prefer to be advised on what to buy. There are also those who think that, to begin with, souvenirs are not just objects but rather thoughts for someone. Well, there are certainly people with different ideas in mind but on this webpage, we would like to introduce you to something that will tug you on the heartstrings! We will introduce a specific type of souvenir that is quite Japanese. We are not going mention other limited goods as that would evade the point of introducing something that is Japanese-ish and you will be easily able to find when in Japan. Let us introduce it.

Please bear in mind that all of the following can be seen in loco, held and touched, as to allow you to feel how good it is. It’s not like having a quick chat via networking sites. You will be able to enjoy its feeling firsthand. You will certainly experience a new degree of fun!

Trying Craftsmaking

When your visiting a region where folk crafts or handicrafts are produced, you may often see a sign that says, “○○作り体験(Trying Craftsmaking for ○○)”. Have you ever seen like them? For example, in places where pottery is produced, there are often services that enable visitors to actually experience making their own pottery using the raw clay, etc. And you can get that which you have made yourself as a souvenir. There are also services that you can try craftmaking woodwork, glasswork or metalwork, etc. And also, you can try your hand at making foods such as “Japanese sweets”, “soba noodle”, and etc. For items that take time to finish, such as pottery, you can have them delivered and received at a later date. In recent years, there have been many such “trying craftsmaking” services in Japan. In addition to the folk crafts and handicrafts of well-known regions mentioned above, there are also a variety of “trying craftsmaking” services offered at workshops in urban areas. In Japan, there are many kinds of “social club” or “lessons” for adults, and you can understand the services as one-day trial versions of them. Nowadays, the development of social networking tools has made it possible for everyone from the general public to craftsmen and women in industry workshops to share their individual “craftsmamaking” with the world at large. This type of Japanese “trying craftsmaking” service is quite popular with people from overseas. Some people come especially to Japan for them. Of course, the products themselves are fascinating, but the ways on how to make them are very detailed and interesting. There are many “trying craftsmaking” services of the folk crafts and handicrafts rooted in Japanese history and culture that you can enjoy. We would like to welcome those who are interested to try them out.

Furoshiki

Furoshiki is a square cloth. It is used for wrapping things in different ways, there are so many variations and possibilities of how you can use furoshiki cloth

Folding Fan

Folding Fan

“Folding Fan” is not rare in the world, are they? The “Hand fan” has been used for a long time in many parts of the world, you know

Yukata

yukata

We’ve talked about the appeal of the Japanese “Kimono” in another section… It still be very very expensive. But it’s true that a “kimono”

O-Mamori (Japanese Charm)

o-mamori

“O-Mamori” are a small, flat, little baggy shape. They are often sold at shrines, haven’t you ever seen them? There are many kinds of

Forging Blades

forging-blades

You know “Japanese Sword”? Japanese blades are very good, the blades have very high quality. They are so-called “Forging blades”. They made of

Chopsticks

chopsticks

When you are in Japan, we’d like you to master the use of chopsticks. You know that chopsticks themselves are not unique to Japan. They have been used

Instant Foods

instant-foods

These days, you can almost certainly find “instant foods” on display in supermarkets, convenience stores, and other places where food is sold

Japanese Pottery

japanese-pottery

“Japanese Pottery” is popular not only in Japan, but also in other countries. There is a wide variety for each region, each of them is commonly

Wa-shi

wa-shi

“Wa-shi” is a kind of traditional Japanese paper. In recent years, paper made mainly from wood pulp has come into general circulation, and

Japanese Lacquerware

japanese-lacquerware

Lacquerware is one of Japan’s traditional artifacts that cannot be ignored. It is a craft that is created by applying a layer of “Urushi”

Wind Bell

wind-bell

Summer in Japan is very hot and humid. In the last 10 years, the tendency has been getting more and more strong every year. These days

Weaving / Dyeing

weaving-dyeing

“Clothing”, “food”, and “housing” are the most important components of culture in our daily lives, aren’t they? In this article, we will

Japanese Lucky Items

japanese-lucky-items

Something to bring luck, or it brings good fortune. And it is something that has the effect of warding off evil spirits, isn’t it? In this

Japanese Tea

japanese-tea

“Japanese Tea” is a Japanese product that we highly recommend. What is “Japanese tea”? There are many ways of defining them. But we won’t

Japanese Seasoning

japanese-seasoning

The key to “Food Culture” is, of course, the ingredients, but also the seasoning. It shows the various characteristics or uniques of