What Did I Buy in Tokyo: 2024 Edition

I’ve been documenting the things I purchase in Japan for almost 20 years, and it’s really cool to see how my tastes have changed as I’ve grown up.

Back in 2008, when I went on a big tour of the whole country, it was a lot of keychains, clothes, beauty products, magazines, and Starbucks tumblers.

My trip in 2017 was different: I still bought magazines, beauty products, and clothes, but the magazines were coffee mags, not just fashion ones, and the clothing was Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto, not just thrift store finds. Also: sauces, salad dressings, and my favorite stationery brand, Delfonics.

In 2024, I went alone, and shopping was pretty much my goal—so I really made up for the years I missed and bought a lot of cool things.

Coffee

I have been buy coffee beans everywhere I visit since 2022. Unfortunately I did not like any of the beans I got in Japan - I think I just have different tastes that the Japanese.  Well, I had to try. 

Magazines

I have been buying Japanese magazines for years. My habits are mostly the same: fashion magazine with an emphasis on streetwear, coffee magazines, and now also Taiwan travel magazines.  

Food

I discovered my new favorite salad dressing ever at the market in Azabudai Hills. I also discovered that I really like Muji curry and am relieved that I can restock and order more in the US. 

Beauty Products

I discovered Le Labo in Tokyo after washing my hands with the best smelling soap in the world at Cafe Kitsune, only to realize that it was Le Labo, and that a store was mere footsteps away. I bought a lot, then realized that I can actually get it in the US too. Oh well. 

Japanese Beauty Products

I am not as into Japanese beauty products anymore, as I prefer Korres for skincare and Urban Decay for make up, but I forgot some brushes and lotion and essentials on this trip, so I bought them from a local cosmetics store.

Pride Merch

I had the good fortune for showing up in Tokyo on Pride week, totally unplanned. Last time I was at Tokyo Pride was in 2014. There was not merch for sale (not really) so we made our own T-shirts and painted them. This year Pride has become more commercial and mainstream, so there was a ton of merch. Of course I had to support my community and buy some shirts and a towel. 

Gifts

Japan is still my top destination for buying edible gifts. This time, a lot of my family members requested mochi and cookies, and cakes, so I had to make a special trip to Tokyo station to purchase these.

Delfonics Stationary

I was sad to discover that my favorite Delfonics store had closed, but the goods news is that they have expanded to having a space at many large department stores throughout Tokyo. Every since Delfonics started shipping to the US, I have not had the need to purchase so much from Japan, but I did find a few cool things. 

Gifts for my Daughter

This is the newest category on the list. Now that I have a young daughter, I cannot return home from a trip without getting her some gifts. I found lots of small cute things, and instead of giving them to her all at once, I give them out over time so she appreciates them.

What did I Buy In Ireland

I spent 10 days in Ireland as part of a long work trip. As usual, I barely had time to shop while I was working. But this time, I made a point of staying one extra day in Dublin just to shop before my flight home. Here’s what I picked up on that final day — with two exceptions: the wool blanket (I couldn’t resist the colors) came from a gift shop at the Giant’s Causeway, and a magnet from Belfast found its way into my collection.

Irish Cheese, Jams, and Crackers from a grocery store

Chocolates

Rhubard Gin 

Korean BBQ Sauces from a Dublin restaurants

Wool blanket from Giant's Rock

Candles

Notebooks

A shot glass

A magnet from Belfast

What did I buy in NYC?

I was in NYC for Climate Week for work, and while it was a whirlwind trip, I managed to squeeze in some time to explore. I visited the MoMA, strolled through SoHo and NoHo, and made it a point to stop by every single Arabica coffee shop in the city.

Shopping happened on a whim on my last day. I wandered into McNally Jackson at Rockefeller Plaza and, somehow, walked out with five books — enough to earn a free tote! Afterward, I popped into the iconic FAO Schwarz, which was absolutely bustling. Though I didn’t spot any toys for my daughter, I found her a beautiful princess dress, and she absolutely loves it. I also picked up Kinfolk at the Iconic magazine shop.

 

What Did I Buy in The Gambia

I bought a lot in The Gambia. I honestly did not expect I would buy so much. On my last work trip to Ethiopia, I had no time for shopping, bought one scarf, and some overpriced souvenirs in the airport (that were probably made in China), and all of it fit easily in a carry-on. For this trip, I overindulged in the local markets. Maybe it's because there was so much good stuff that was locally made, and maybe it's because we had more time to shop. Anyways, this was a really great spending trip for me.

 

Hand woven baskets, mostly produced in Senegal, in three sizes

Hand painted magnets, for teacher gifts at my daughter's school

Jewelry for my daughter, of course

Two different dresses for my daughter

Locally woven plaid fabric, which I plan to use for my next collection

Fula fabric, woven by the Fula tribe in the Gambia, identifiable for its neon colors

On the left, a fan which came in hand on hot days in the village, and on the right, a hand drum for my daughter

What did I buy in Taipei?

The purchases from my 2018 trip could not be more different that my 2012 trip. My tastes have changed a lot since I aged and my needs are quite different. 

This time I didn't bring back any food (my strict pregnancy diet doesn't let me indulge in most sweets). I also didn't go to any night markets and most of my shopping was actually Japanese brands. 

Here's a look at what I brought back with me this time:

Used Fudge Magazines (Japanese) from Molly Used Books in Gongguan. 
Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Diary for 2019 from Eslite Bookstore
Uniqlo onesie for a newborn baby
Tote bag from the Taipei MOCA
Monocle Magazine (British) from Molly Used Books and Kingtown Books 

Uniqlo (Japanese brand)  Maternity dress (for my third trimester of pregnancy)
Two skirts from Niko And... (Japanese brand) for after I give birth

What I bought in Portugal

I didn’t go to Portugal for the shopping, but I managed to find a few unique things that could fit into the small backpack I brought. 

From left to right:

Tote from Livraria Lello

Coasters from Nescafe (they look like Portuguese tile)

Clothes from Zara - all maternity friendly

Books from Livraria Lello

Sardines – a popular Portuguese treat

What did I buy in Japan?

As a follow up to my first post on Things I buy in Japan, I am updating this to reflect my 2017/2018 shopping tastes. 

Of course, after living in Japan, you can believe I returned to the Unites State with a full suitcase of things I had acquired during my time there, from food to clothing to electronics. But for this post I am sharing what I purchased as a returning tourist there this past summer, which reflects a much more specific shopping strategy. 

 Fashion

I didn’t come to Japan thinking I would buy clothing. Even Uniqlo exports to the U.S. now and most clothes in Japan don’t fit me anyway. But when I saw a used Comme des Garcons skirt with a Yoji Yamamoto shirt in the window of Ragtag, I knew they had to be mine.

o Comme des Garcons skirt
o Yoji Yamamoto shirt
o Uniqlo skirt and top
o Inujirushika bag
o Brooklyn Parlour tote
o Bag chains

Beauty Products

Well, that part hasn't changed much in the last 10 years. Japan still has some of the best beauty products.

o 2 kinds of make up remover
o face wash
o body soap
o lotion
o mascara

Stationary aka Everything Delfonics

I love this brand more than anything so of course I made a special stop to their flagship store near Tokyo station.

o Tote
o Folder
o Notebook
o Pen

Magazine Books

Magazine books or Mooks are so incredible in Japan that they are well worth the weight in your suitcase to carry home. I exercised no restraint on this trip and bought 8 heavy glossy mooks home.

o Savvy’s guide to Kyoto
o Popeye’s guide to Kyoto
o Taipei travel guide
o 5 Cafes books 

Random

I picked up a few touristy trinkets along the way, including 5 Daruma which I will wish upon. Headphones from Don Quixote are great for running, and Yayoi Kusama playing cards from an exhibit in Kyoto.

o Daruma
o Headphones
o Yayoi Kusama playing cards

Food

I used to bring back a ton of packaged food and candy from Japan when I was a teenager, but my in recent days my tastes has steered away from candy and I had find all the packaged things in the state. However, this particular company makes amazing dressings and pastes, so at the recommendation of a friend, I took a few home with me. 

o Sesame dressing
o Miso paste

What I Bought in LA

I rarely buy souvenirs or showcase them from other cities in the United States. For the most part, there isn’t anything really notable about what I buy in other cities, and for the most part I don’t buy anything at all on my travels. In fact, this is the first Buy Post that features a U.S. city and for a very good reason.

I never had the chance to really shop of my three previous trips to LA, but on my fourth, in which I traveled with my BFF, practically all we did was shop vintage store, thrift stores, farmers markets, and flea markets for awesome apparel and accessories. Here is my LA buy list:

Vintage handbags

Coach laptop bag (made before laptops existed) from Squaresville

Coach crossbody from the Pasadena Rosebowl

Vintage clothes

Black Lace dress from Pasadena Rosebowl

Black Dress from Pasadena Rosebowl

Blue Dress from Pasadena Rosebowl

Black shawl from Pasadena Rosebowl

Sheer Black shirt from Squaresville

Sequin Butterfly top from Squaresville

Black Normal Miller jacket from the Silver Lake Farmers Market

Woo accessories

Pentagram necklace from Spellbound Sky

Black candle (for banishing negative energy) from Spellbound Sky