Shop & Serve

Squishies スクイーズ are the trend right now in Japan for kids! You can’t walk anywhere in Shibuya or Harajuku and not see Squishies for sale in all the Tokyo kids and teen shops. Squishies can run anywhere from a few hundred yen to thousands of yen. So was so psyched …

Journal Standard Square located between Meiji Jingu and Shibuya stations is one of the best Tokyo one-stop shopping locations for Japanese home accessories and kitchenware.  If you are trying to minimize your belongings, do not step in this store!! Every item for sale is beautiful and a “must have” from …

Dirty Dishes is well known amongst the Tokyo & Yokohama expat community as the “Best” place to stock up on Japanese tableware. Dirty Dishes is a family owned dish trading company actually called Okuno Shokai located in a  sleepy residential area of Kawasaki, Kanagawa-ken. If you have a car and …

Another great spot for Pokemon lovers in Tokyo – The Pokemon Cafe and Center Store. Pokemon Center Tokyo DX opened their cafe and center store earlier this year on the 5th floor of the Takashimaya Department store in Nihonbashi. They offer adorable Pokemon character themed drinks and dishes, exclusive merchandise and …

F&F is a natural food store with 15 locations in Tokyo and 2 in Kanagawa. They carry fresh, pesticide-free vegetables, quality Japanese rice, super foods like Hemp & Chia seeds, additive-free seasonings, homemade lunch boxes and breads, household items and organic baby food, snacks and rice cereal. F&F receives their produce direct …

Tomica (トミカ) is the line of die-cast toy vehicles produced since 1970 by Takara Tomy Co. of Japan. It`s a favorite in our home and among boys in Japan two to seven years of age. You can find Tomica products in toys stores around Japan but if you`re looking for limited …

The 10 Best Gifts From Japan For Babies And Toddlers Holiday season nearly always means travel. Whether you’re traveling to catch up with friends and family or heading home after your Japan adventure, you probably have a souvenir list that needs to be completed. In today’s post, we’ll take a …

If your child is a Pokemon fan we recommend a quick trip to Landmark Tower in Yokohama. Although the store is a smaller version of the Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo you can still find a number of amazing and seasonal goods including plush dolls and toys, trading cards, accessories, stationary, bento …

10 Best Baby And Toddler Items For 100 Yen When you have little ones, it’s strange how things just seem to disappear!  Sure, you can get baby and toddler goods online or at retailers like Akachan Honpo, but not to be overlooked is the 100 yen shop. Japan’s 100 yen …

So if you have been in Tokyo for more than a few seasons and love clothes than you are probably ready and wondering how to donate or sell used clothes in Tokyo.  Watch my video on youtube to see how my clothes purge went. To get motivated, I read the …

Looking for some great deals on adult and kids clothing and other home items in Tokyo? Then do not miss the annual Nearly New Sale happening tomorrow at the Tokyo American Club.  This popular event is open to the public. The Nearly New Sale (flea market) is Tuesday, May 22nd …

10 Best Japanese Items For A Toddler My daughter just turned 15 months old not too long ago, and it’s still a shock having a “toddler” in my care. Luckily for me, my sister-in-law, who is a mom of 2, has been there to help me on my journey. She’s …

Buying a First Balance Bike for Your Child? Is your child ready for his or her first bicycle? Get your child riding confidently and safely with the right two-wheeler. There are a number of different features on balance bikes to consider; weight, size, tire type, and brakes. We listed the top 5 bikes foreign mothers purchased, …

10 Baby Proofing Items You Need In Your Japanese Home We love to watch our babies grow and explore their surroundings, but we don’t often realize what’s dangerous until they’ve gotten their little hands and months on something! Baby proofing items are called itazura boushi guzzu (イタズラ防止グッズ) and you can …

If you have curious kids who love bugs then tell them to stay away from this one, the hairy caterpillar/kemushi. Take care to avoid these “hairy” caterpillars as they have developed hairs or sharp spines that are capable of transmitting various toxins causing inflammation and hives on the skin. In most cases direct …

D2 Home Center is one of my favorite places to shop in Tokyo. Everything you need for apartment living. Great if you are spring cleaning and need boxes, cleaning products or organizational plastic storage boxes. If you are ready to start a flower or vegetable veranda garden D2 home center …

We are very excited to announce that the 1st Tokyo Collective Market will be the held on April 21 & 22, 2018 at the brand new Best Living Japan Studio in Minami Azabu!   16 creative and stylish Japan-based small businesses will be showcasing their most exquisite products, choicest handmade items and invaluable …

Artsy families will love the Asakusa Wanariya indigo dyeing and weaving workshop. You can indigo tie-dye (Aizome -藍染) a shirt, scarf, bag and more. If you have a piece of cloth at home or garment, you would like to dye you can also bring that in to try the art. …

Guide To Japanese Air Purifiers Air purifiers  (空気清浄機/くうき せいじょう き/kuuki seijyou ki ) improve the air quality in your home or office by filtering out pollutants like dust, smoke, pet dander, and pollen. Some air purifiers in Japan also double as humidifiers (加湿器/かしつき/kashitsuki). With Spring underway, you may be searching for …

Guide to Rice Cookers in Japan Rice is the staple of the Japanese diet and there’s no shortage of rice cookers (炊飯器 | すいはんき | suihanki) on the market that aim to make modern-day cooking as efficient as possible. This guide will walk you through the basic functions of a …

Finding Easter Goods in Japan can be quite the challenge with limited quantities which sell out quickly. Easter is Sunday, April 1st so hop to it! We completed a store check yesterday (March 12th) and found Easter goodies including chocolate bunnies, eggs, and jelly beans available at the stores listed …

Buying Menstrual Hygiene Products in Japan You have a variety of options when it comes to shopping for sanitary napkins and other menstrual hygiene products in Japan. Known as seiri shoriyou hin in Japanese (生理処理用品 /しりしょりようひん), you’ll find napkins, cloth napkins, tampons, and menstrual cups in Japan. Brands To Know …

Considering our modern busy lifestyles and the prevalence of technology, it’s no wonder that many of us gravitate towards shopping online. But, shopping online in Japan can be very different that what you’re used to. In this guide, we’ll take a look at online shopping in Japan, major retailers, shipping …

Okadaya Shinjuku is a great place to go to for textiles. They have two buildings; one with six floors of fabric (cotton, velvet, silk, satin, organic cotton, fleece, velor, wool, etc), traditional Japanese materials and other special textiles; and the adjacent building carries seven floors of basic materials (buttons, thread, string), …

Guide to Point Cards in Japan – How to Earn and Redeem Points Go shopping anywhere in Japan, and you’re bound to be asked: Do you have a point card? (ポイントカードはお持ちですか?/ぽいんとかーどはおもちですか?/pointo ka-do wa omochi desu ka?) You might think that point cards take up valuable real estate in your wallet. But, …