Let’s learn about my 5 favorite “Made in Japan” items. Whenever you travel, it’s great to pick up items from brands made in that country. 4 out of the 5 are items I purchased on my first trip to Japan in 2023. I loved them so much I had to repurchase them this past spring.

Wafood Makeup Remover Balm

I was wandering around Don Quijote (a large Japanese chain store) in 2023 and a mini version of this balm on sale. The packaging was completely in Japanese, and I had no idea what the actual skincare product was. I figured it would be a good surprise skincare product to try.

That was my first introduction to makeup remover balms. I love this product. It takes off makeup like a dream, cleans makeup brushes and even removes makeup from clothing. It is made from Japanese Sake.

I purchased the full size one at Don Quijote during my last trip. It’s not easy to find it everywhere. Bring a picture when shopping for it, since there is zero English written on the container.

Senka Perfect Whip Beauty Foam (Shiseido)

In 2023 I purchased two types of this cleanser, the original and the white clay version. There are a lot of varieties of this cleanser. One helps to boost collagen. Another one is for acne-prone skin. I kept discovering new ones this past spring. (I even discovered new ones preparing this post.) This definitely deserves a spot on my favorite “Made in Japan” items list.

The cleanser does not tend to dry out my skin and I love the foaming action. Be sure to follow the directions to get the most amount of foam.

The Senka Perfect Whip cleanser can be found in drug stores and Don Quijote. I believe the drug stores have the best prices for them.

BONUS!

From both images of the Senka Perfect Whip cleanser (2023 and 2025), you can see that I also re-purchased the DHC Lip cream. It is a bonus “Made in Japan” item. It’s hydrating and I love the packaging. I only wish more lip product came in each tube.

Traditional Pottery

Bowls, cups and plates are great items to bring home for yourself and as gifts for family and friends. I say “pottery” loosely as a lot of them are made of plastic. These travel in luggage a lot easier. I bought ceramic pottery back in 2023 and some broke despite how well I packed them. This year I bought more plastic versions that look like ceramic.

Daiso (a popular dollar store) has ceramic and plastic pottery for inexpensive prices. They come in lots of colors and patterns. Some of the plastic ones even have really interesting textures, despite being made of plastic.

Another great place to purchase Japanese pottery is at art galleries. Purchase directly from the artists. I did that when I purchased ceramic earrings (below) from a gallery in Kyoto during my 2023 trip to Japan.

HI-CHEW Peach Flavored Candy

Hi-CHEW candy is available worldwide. However, there are certain “Made in Japan” flavors that are unique. One of these is the peach flavor variety bag. The bag includes three types of peach flavors (white peach, Shimizu white peach, and golden peach). Each one tastes like you’re biting into an actual ripe peach. They are delicious and a great “Made in Japan” item to add to your shopping list.

You may be able to find the HI-CHEW peach variety bags in some drug stores. However, I know that the huge Don Quijote stores sell them. I bought them in 2023 and was hooked.

Zebra Co. Pens

I wandered into a small bookstore I had bookmarked on Google. There was an older woman in the storage room who gestured for my sister and I to browse the store. I found these cute pens and purchased them.

They write really well, and I realized the brand was a Japanese brand. Later on, a friend of mine in Japan gifted me a few more of these Zebra brand pens (not pictured).

They are probably available in a lot of stationery and bookstores. However, the small shop I went to is the Hikodoyamaguchi Book Store. The address is Japan, 〒174-0046 Tokyo, Itabashi City, Hasune, 2 Chome−1−1 サンファーストＹ. They don’t really have many books, but sell lots of pens and binders.

Are you looking to purchase any of these items if you visit Japan? Let me know in the comments below.