LillianJ

I have not been since I was a teen about 50 yrs ago.
my husband and I are touring on our own Tokyo Hakone some northern areas and back to Kyoto.
Recommendation for what special things to bring back.

LapLap

According to my daughter - prawn salt, specifically this one: https://www.toyama-ginsendo.com/白えび万能調味塩/ in her view, the world’s best condiment

According to me - haramaki. I spend half the year wearing them and they are nearly impossible to find in the UK. If you are based in Canada and have never heard of haramaki this might be the best advice you’ll never follow through with.

According to feedback from many grateful children - Tohato Caramel Corn, particularly of any of the colourful limited edition flavour varieties. The fact that they are bulky means that visitors are more likely to return with kitkats and bags of Fujiya milky candy for their sugar loving friends.

The word “best” is meaningless without context.

PAX_fips

Hakone has "black curry" - that can be bought sealed, but unsure about CA entry.

As said.. "best".

jib71

Someone once asked me to bring back some Mikimoto pearls. Easily the best souvenir that I didn't buy:
https://www.mikimoto.com/jp_jp/pearl...hoCP1MQAvD_BwE

I don't know why anyone would be confused by "best" - It's like it says in the song "Simply the best. Better than all the rest." Mikimoto pearls. That's your answer. Look no further.

LapLap

Ah, but is it better than the premium beef cheek “black curry” from Izu Panorama Park just over in Shizuoka?

https://www.panoramapark.co.jp/news/1494

As an aside - I understand black curry is heavily linked to this place
https://tokyo-toyoken.com/en/aboutus.html
which means these black curry gift sets have the best back story
https://www.blackcurry.jp/smp/list.p...ss&scat=958738
(Deep dive on that origin story here - https://www.shoku.pref.mie.lg.jp/en/...ts2018_10.html )

AUCLABruin

I think one of the lower prices "best" gifts from Japan that I got family/friends is the Hachimaki.

Almost everyone can recognize it's from Japan, and all of them were excited to have it, even it they weren't going to wear it.

LillianJ

Yes I well know Mikimoto pearls, as a teen they took us to some small island a pearl factory was on and we got to fis in a bowl for a pearl.
I still have mine.

paperwastage

For food sourvenir, you have the typical special Tokyo banana, Tokyo milk cheese, Shiroi Koibito Chocolat Blanc Langue de Chat. But most of these are nicely packaged gifts

I like the Yatsuhashi mochi (triangle with filling) cheap 250yen for package of 5 , or individual wrapped/boxed(more expensive), or seasonal
​​​​​​Mostly only in Kyoto, but you can find at Narita airport terminal 1 airside or basement of Tokyo station (shokoku gotochi plaza), rarely in donquijlte.


cheap 250yen package means u can actually open and try it, and determine if you want to buy more to bring home. The Tokyo banana, i think the smallest box 4@500yen



https://www.8284.co.jp/products/index
https://www.8284.co.jp/products/group/2
Take a look at these antenna stores too

https://www.tourism-alljapanandtokyo.org/category/shop

jib71

There you go. Point proven. Best souvenir, hands down.

bitterproffit

My nephews were really excited about the weird animal action figures I brought back. Cheap plastic things. One was a Godzilla looking guy with a rocket jet pack on. But they had tags with Japanese labels on them and they just thought that was the coolest thing...like the anime cartoons they like to watch.

My nieces were a little older and really liked the lacquered chopsticks I brought. Probably not made in Japan, but they liked them anyway. They said they were going to use them at their favorite sushi restaurant.



attacking Shinjuku


I have no clue, but teens thought this was cool.

I got them at those wild electronic stores that are all lit up in retina burning light. I think I went to the 5 story superstore one. It was amazing.

freecia

I buy Heat Tech belly warmers and high wasted thermals from Uniqlo USA when they sell them. They don't always offer them each season. I (possibly) have (way too) much cold weather performance gear for someone who lives in a temperate part of the US. A friend has a kotatsu which he sets up each winter but I think he imported it via a reseller.

My go-to office omiyage is nama chocolate https://roycechocolate.com/collections/nama . Royce nama choco is available at most larger JP international airports.

Best is really subjective and Tokyo has incredibly niche stores including a natural bristle brush chain or headphone related goods so there's a huge amount of options. I like to give consumables for office omiyage (office souvenir to be shared with coworkers) and stationery or skincare to female friends (washi tape, cute paper goods, sticker books, sheet masks). The men seem to like blind box or capsule toy if they're watching a more recent anime. Most of the kids like train related goods. What I buy for gifting others is usually different than what I purchase for myself.

Food is often the default gift. Japan has a huge food gift industry with plenty of options, so I show thoughtfulness by figuring out what kinds of tastes my the gift recipients prefer (salty, sweets, chocolate types, dietary restrictions, etc).

ETA: Do you like to cook or sew? You might consider some new kitchen knives or hand sewing needles https://justhungry.com/postcards-kyo...and-handcrafts
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