Christmas Gift Ideas

December 06, 2011

Looking for a gift for someone who likes Japan? Here are some suggestions from our staff…

Good Fortune Cats

Make 2012 a good year for some one by giving them cute cats for luck in love, health or fortune.  Japanese people love to have Lucky Cats or Maneki Neko as mascots, to bring good fortune, invite happiness and bring prosperity to a business or home.  www.thejapaneseshop.co.uk

William Curley Chocolates

William and Suzue Curley are a Scottish/Japanese couple whipping up incredible Japanese-inspired chocolates right here in London. Flavours include toasted sesame, sake, green tea, Yamazaki whiskey, apricot & wasabi and Japanese black vinegar. A beautiful unique gift for any chocolate lover with an interest in Japan.
www.williamcurley.co.uk

Bento Lunchbox

A bento is basically a Japanese lunchbox which contains a homemade meal and is normally divided into segments to keep the foods fresh and separate. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish, meat or tofu and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables.  Exclusive to Harvey Nichols are the Hanako (the girl bento) and Ichiro (the boy bento) bento boxes which are based on the traditional Japanese Kokeshi dolls. They have two compartments and a miso bowl on top. www.harveynichols.com.

Umeshu Plum Wine + Collagen

This umeshu plum wine with added collagen, is a sweet and fruity alcohol made by Japanese sake giant Gekkeikan, choice sake brand of the Japanese Imperial Household. The added collagen helps rejuvenate the skin.  Umeshu is made by steeping unripened Japanese plums in alcohol and sugar to allow the flavours to infuse, some bottles even come with the whole plum still inside! This type of alcohol tastes sweet and sour and is great mixed with soda or drunk straight on the rocks.
www.japancentre.com

Japanese Pop Culture Set

This Pop Culture Set is packed full of items instantly recognisable from your favourite anime and Japanese TV shows. It includes confectionary, drinks and instant ramen and is a perfect gift for teens and fans of Japanese culture. This pop culture set also makes a great gift for more experienced Japan travellers; it is certainly making us at JNTO feel very nostalgic about our old convenience store favourites. www.japancentre.com

Ramen Lovers Kit

Ramen was recently voted 8th most delicious food in the world in a CNN poll and there’s no wonder it’s so popular! With its plethora of flavours, broths and toppings ramen caters for the tastes of everybody. This ramen set comes with an authentic Japanese ramen bowl and ramen spoon for scooping up the broth, as well as a pair of patterned chopsticks and seasonings for you to create your favourite ramen styles at home. Also included are two packs of instant ramen to start you off on your culinary quest for ramen perfection. www.japancentre.com

Origami for Children

Bringpaper to life! You will be amazed at how creative you can be  with just a few sheets of paper and this brilliantly simple guide. Packed full of fun, exciting designs, these original projects will keep both children and parents entertained for hours. From cows and crowns to a penguin and a paper hot dog, these models are perfect for all occasions, from rainy day activities to party games. www.japancentre.com

Cooking Classes & Sake Tasting Nights

Atsuko’s Kitchen offers beginners and advanced Japanese cooking classes, sushi roll making classes and sake tasting evenings with Japas (Japanese tapas). Choose an event or a class starting in January for a memorable Christmas gift. www.atsukoskitchen.com

Japanese Kitchenware

For stylish Japanese bowls, plates, tea cups and sake flasks look no further than Setonaikai. They also  stock Japanese food, ingredients and cook books. www.cookingjapanese.co.uk

Fuzz & Fur and Idle Idol

For those who like Japan’s cute characters and company mascots we recommend two books, Idle Idol and Fuzz & Fur. In Idle Idol , Edward Harrison and his brother John documented the popularity of Japanese 3D mascots used to promote everything from pharmacies to professional sports teams. With Fuzz and Fur: Japan’s Costumed Characters , the Harrisons delve into another bizarre and cute niche of Japanese popular culture by interviewing and photographing the men and women that create a niche in the phenomenon of kigurumi, which roughly means “dressing up as a stuffed toy.”  fuzzandfur.net
 

For Holiday Reading

Top selling books in 2011 with Japan links included The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell and 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. We loved how The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet transported us back to 18th century Nagasaki and we look forward to immersing ourselves in Murakami’s epic 992-page 1Q84 over the Christmas holidays.