things Japan does better? (their standard?)

Aside from my shopping for things I have to buy family/friends back home, I'd like to get some things that are just done better here. There a couple of things I have noticed that are worth mentioning. I hope you all can add to this as well from your time in Japan.

- Q-tips: The ones I get from Itoyokado are much better than anything I've ever seen. I have bought some to take home. I'm not what the best brand is.
- Seran Wrap & Paper towels: Again, don't know the best brand but just grab a cheap one and you'll see the difference. For the paper towels, I buy Bounty and I know have these in the States but it is much better here. Much more sturdy and like it is advertised on TV.
- Saltine and Ritz crackers: This one may sound weird but they both are much more crunchy and fresh here with less salt. The Ritz crackers take a bit to get used to as the home version isn't that bad but after you eat a few the Japanese version is better by far.
- toilet tissue: It is more absorbent here and sturdy as well. I wish I had a bigger baggage allowance because I would definitely like to carry some of this toilet paper home with me.
- vacuum cleaners: I don't know the best brand but the vacuums here are better than what's available at home. They are quieter and far more compact. I wish I could take one back home.
- irons: This is another item I wish I could take back with me. I also wonder what the best brand is but anyway the irons here are excellent, even the cheap ones aren't bad.

I can't think of anything else for now but if I do I'll be sure to post it. What about you? What are your thoughts?

There are many precision manufactured materials that you don't notice but used the worldwide standards such as razor blades, YKK (Yoshida Kabushiki kaisha) zippers, PC hard disk drives, inside USB sticks, and many more.
Some whiskeys have been receiving the best awards beating old Irish brands..
Gyoza is much better than thick skinned Chinese gyoza.
Fruits and vegetable taste better, too. I hate plastic like US tomatoes so I grow my own.
Once you have a cream puff in Japan, you can not taste anything else.

It's a pity you seem to be a guy, because Japanese sanitary napkins are known, among traveling women, to be among the best in the world. They're thin, comfortable and yet absorbent.

Visit one of Tokyu Hands Stores - I am sure you will find something interesting. http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/foreign.html

It's a pity you seem to be a guy, because Japanese sanitary napkins are known, among traveling women, to be among the best in the world. They're thin, comfortable and yet absorbent.
Really? I find that the napkins in Japan are old-fashioned compared to those back home (Australia), which have odor absorbing particles in them and are often scented.

I agree that it's a shame he's a guy because many cosmetics in Japan are superior to other countries, especially skin care and whitening products.

In my experience here are some unisex products that are unique to Japan:

1. Cooking utensils. They have special products in 100 yen stores eg: cute egg molds, cute rice cutters, spatulas with designs cut out into them so you can have cute pictures in your pancakes or fried eggs. For people who enjoy cooking, there are many cute things you can get for them that you can't find anywhere else.

2. Kairo/Heat Pads and self-heating face masks. It's almost the end of Kairo season, but these make a unique gift for people who don't like the cold. You can also get self-heating face masks which are relaxing for both genders.

3. Ceramics, porcelain, lacquerware, paper fans, yukata and silkware. Traditional arts are usually expensive but beautiful and make great souvenirs.

4. Plastic food / food models

5. Cute cell phone cases

6. Stationery

Like the person above said, you can go to Tokyu Hands to find unique items. It sounds cheap but there are also interesting items available in 100 yen stores like Daiso, Seria and 300 Coins. The quality of everyday items in Japan is much better than my home country, eg: vacuum seal bags here actually work, plastic umbrellas don't break in 2 minutes, etc.

Actually, many if not most I napkins in Japan have odor absorbing particles in them and are often scented, but I'd love to try Australian ones!

Actually, many if not most I napkins in Japan have odor absorbing particles in them and are often scented, but I'd love to try Australian ones!

Interesting, it's funny to think of napkins as being different in each country! One thing that makes me sad is all the cute face masks in Japan are for children only. I wish they made Little Twin Stars medical masks for adults!

Great suggestions, the more the better!

I am going to go back to Tokyu Hands and grab some of these items since I have a lot of people to buy stuff for.

I hope the shipping costs are not too high because I will putting it in a box and shipping it off via the cheapest price available. I'm hoping it is below \6000.

I hope the shipping costs are not too high because I will putting it in a box and shipping it off via the cheapest price available. I'm hoping it is below \6000.

6000 yen will get you a 9kg box shipped to the US via surface mail (very very slow). Probably better to pay extra baggage fees. Depending on the airline, 10,000 yen gets you an extra 23kg (50 lbs).

https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/charge/list/parcel3_en.html#

@yllwsmrf - I will have to mail it because I don't want to carry all this stuff around with me since I am heading to other countries before I return home. I'll try to keep the stuff I buy light. I was thinking a couple of boxes of sanitary napkins for the women in my family, stuffed animals/keychains for the small children, and a shirt. I think I'll get it all at Tokyo Hands in the morning. And then head straight to the post office to mail it off right away.

For someone really special, I'll try to get a hair thickening product and acne product at Wako in Ginza in the morning. I was trying to figure how to specifically ask for these two items. Would I say:

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Lastly, I'll ask if most of you ladies get your cosmetics from high-end stores like Wako or do you just go to Itoyokado? Back home, I tried the high-end men's cosmetic lines but aside from the expensive colognes I bought (Chanel, Tom Ford) it was just a waste. Japan may be different in this regard so I wonder what how you ladies feel...

I haven't been to bigger Tokyu Hands branches for a while, but you might want to visit a drug store too.

Tokyu Hands:
Carries the sort of the higher end of everyday items, such as cuter kitchen goods and unique cosmetics.

Wako:
Carries jewery and watches. It's kind of like Tiffany's.

Drug stores:
There are many in Shibuya, Shinjuku and residential areas. They carry the real everyday cosmetics like all kinds of common sanitary napkins, shampoos you see ads on TV, and the more common brands of lipstick and mascara.

To answer your question about cosmetics, there are certain brands I prefer to buy at drug stores, such as lipstick and hair color. For other certain items like mascara and foundation, I always use foreign brands such as Lancome and Chanel which I buy at duty free shops when I travel. I buy other favorite brands on-line, because that's the only place I can get them.

Women tend to be picky about cosmetic brands, so when men give me souveniors without asking, it seems that they tend to ask for recommendations at duty free shops or pick up fun items at drug stores.

Back to the topic, I remember that a lot of the youth from all over the world say that Japanese fake eye lashes are better than those from their countries. They're available at almost any drug store like Matsumoto Kiyoshi.

Hope it helps.

I was thinking a couple of boxes of sanitary napkins for the women in my family, stuffed animals/keychains for the small children, and a shirt. I think I'll get it all at Tokyo Hands in the morning. And then head straight to the post office to mail it off right away.


Lastly, I'll ask if most of you ladies get your cosmetics from high-end stores like Wako or do you just go to Itoyokado? Back home, I tried the high-end men's cosmetic lines but aside from the expensive colognes I bought (Chanel, Tom Ford) it was just a waste. Japan may be different in this regard so I wonder what how you ladies feel...

To be honest I think getting sanitary napkins as a gift would be EXTREMELY weird. There's no difference between the napkins you get in Japan to those in other countries, and most women in the West prefer tampons. If you want to buy beauty products for your female relatives, I suggest face masks instead. They have many types - anti-aging, whitening, moisturising, refreshing. You can't go wrong with them and some places sell them with cute prints on them. Also you can get sachets of onsen salt to put in the bath. These salts have special minerals in them that are very good for your skin, so it would be like taking the onsen experience home with you.

p.s: Just to clarify when I said 'face masks' I meant the beauty masks you wear on your face for 30 minutes to improve your skin, not medical masks! You can get them everywhere, the most well-known brand is LuLuLun. Shiseido is also a popular cosmetics brand who make these masks too.

here is a photo of what the LuLuLun face masks look like:
http://blog.fromjapan.co.jp/en/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/rururun.jpg

Remote controlled Japanese toilets-bidets are best in the world... (yes bidets are for men too)

So, I went to Tokyu Hands/ Uniclotoday and bought a ton of stuff. I have the LuluLun masks, the Onsen salts, about nine Japanese-styled Uniclo t-shirts, and other random things.

After that, I went to Bic Camera and I was surprised to see their selection of household goods on the first floor, very impressive! I assumed it would be similar to Yodobashi Camera but it was much different. I was able to weigh the stuff I plan on sending tomorrow there. I think it will cost about 8500 yen to send it via the fastest mail. Cheaper than paying the extra baggage fees so I will go that route.