What to buy in Japan for Malaysians: Travel guide for food, souvenirs and more

If you’re planning a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun soon, you might be wondering what are some souvenirs to bring back. There’s no shortage of fun trinkets, snacks and things to buy in Japan, so you'll definitely be spoilt for choice.

This guide spotlights a couple of Japan must-buys that you absolutely can’t miss, along with tips and prices so you don’t have to wonder what to buy in Japan. We’ll also share more about the Wise card so you’ll be able to get more bang for your buck on your MYR to JPY conversions when paying for meals, shopping or more.

Table of contents
What to buy in Japan? Japanese food products Japanese clothes and accessories Other Japanese souvenirs Save even more when you spend in JPY with the Wise card

What are some things to buy in Japan?

Japan is a large country, and the city or town you’re visiting will certainly determine the type of souvenirs you’re able to find. Ranging from tea from Uji or vintage thrifted clothes, there’s going to be something for everyone.

Whether it’s for personal use or if you’re buying back gifts for others, here are some must buy souvenirs from Japan that you can fill your luggage with.

What food products to buy in Japan?

You’ll be spoilt for choice if you’re a foodie, but for convenience’s sake, we’ll talk about some things to buy in Japan that can be a bit harder to find back home. As opposed to paying hefty import costs for a distributor to bring them in, you’ll be able to save a little money by packing these in your luggage home.

Tea

Can you really say you went to Japan if you didn’t bring some tea back? The most well-known Japanese tea would be matcha, which goes for a rather high premium outside of the country. Uji matcha is known as some of the best around, and you don’t even have to visit Uji to get some.

There are pre-packed powders available in supermarkets, along with other teas like genmaicha (green tea mixed with roasted brown rice) and hojicha (roasted green tea). For a more affordable alternative, brands like Itoen offer great value when compared to artisan tea producers.

Apart from teas, you’ll even be able to pick up tea-related souvenirs from Japan ranging from traditional matcha tea sets, to tea-based snacks and chocolates.

Teas to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Uji matcha (100g)¹	1,420 JYP (around 42 MYR)
Hojicha (80g)²	936 JPY (around 28 MYR)

Cup ramen/instant noodles

With cup noodle museums in Yokohama and Osaka, you could safely say that the instant noodle game in Japan is on the next level. While you could find a variety of Japanese cup noodle brands and flavours back home, there are plenty of special cup ramen flavours that are only available in Japan - the perfect souvenir for friends and family.

While Nissin is the biggest player in this market, there are other brands like Toyo Suisan. Famous ramen shops even do collaborations with manufacturers to get their unique ramen packaged into cups as well, including famous restaurants like Afuri and popular Hokkaido ebi-soba restaurant Ichigen. You can even find cup ramen from Michelin starred restaurants in your neighbourhood 7-Eleven.

You might be able to find these in Malaysia, but they’ll definitely come at a hefty markup, so why not get them yourself?

Instant noodles to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Ichigen Ebi-Soba cup ramen³	1,880 JPY for 3 (around 56 MYR)
Afuri Yuzu Salt cup ramen⁴	2,060 JPY for 3 (around 62 MYR)

Sake

Japan produces plenty of different alcohol but sake has to be the iconic drink, and what better time to get some unique bottles of sake? If you’re wondering what sake is, it’s an alcoholic drink that’s made by fermenting rice. Besides having a wider variety in Japan, it’s also much cheaper to get a bottle, with popular brands like Dassai and Hakkaisan being almost 50% cheaper.

Do keep in mind that the duty-free alcohol allowance entering Malaysia is one litre per adult, so you’ll want to keep your purchases limited to the 720ml bottles.

Sake to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Dassai 23 (720ml)⁵	5,725 JPY (around 170 MYR)
Hakkaisan Junmai Daiginjo (720ml)⁶	2,382 JPY (around 71 MYR)

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What clothes and accessories to buy in Japan?

Fashionistas will have the time of their life in Japan thanks to the wide variety of clothes around, as well as an easy tax refund service at the point of purchase. With a 10% tax refund and cheaper prices all around, you won’t want to miss out on picking up some Japanese brands when you’re holidaying.

Shoes

Walk around Shinjuku or Shibuya, and you’ll notice large shoe shops like ABC Mart. With a variety of shoes on sale, you might be wondering: what shoe brands to buy in Japan?

When shoe-shopping in Japan, you can always stick with the basic models from brands like New Balance, Nike or Adidas, but true sneakerheads will be on the lookout for more premium brands or harder-to-find sneaker models will want to check out places like Atmos or Kicks Lab.

The best deals will likely be on Japanese brands, so keep an eye out for sneakers from Onitsuka Tiger, Mizuno, Asics, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro, Hender Scheme and more. If you’re in Tokyo, you won’t want to miss checking out Sneaker Alley in Harajuku to see if you might be able to find some deadstock sneakers you’ve been eyeing.

Shoes to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Onitsuka Tiger, Adidas, New Balance, Mizuno, Asics, and more	10,000 to 40,000 JPY depending on brand (around 298 to 1190 MYR)

Affordable apparel

Japanese clothing brands range from affordable and value-for-money all the way to ludicrously expensive. This time around, we’re looking at basics and affordable clothing.

For quality clothing at unbeatable prices, we can’t miss Uniqlo Japan and its sister brand GU. If you’re looking to stock up on some plain tees and jeans, you’ll be able to save a little bit of money compared to buying them in Malaysia thanks to the 10% tax refund. There are also japan-exclusive collaborations and products, so you might be able to snag items like nice jackets and printed t-shirts that won’t be available anywhere else. A perfect souvenir from Japan for just 590 JPY and up.

If you’re looking for a slightly more upscale brand, don’t forget to pop into United Arrows or one of its sister stores, where you’ll be able to find everything from affordable brands to luxury items from overseas brands like The North Face, Moncler, Canada Goose and more.

Affordable apparel to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Uniqlo, GU	590 JPY and up (around 18 MYR)

Vintage/thrifted clothing

If thrifting and vintage clothes are more your vibe, Japan has you covered as well. There are entire neighbourhoods that are known for vintage clothing stores, such as Shimokitazawa and Kichijoji. If you’re looking for affordable clothes, don’t forget to check out Stick Out in Shimokitazawa, where everything sells at just 800 JPY. There are, of course, other outlets like Book Off Plus and Book Off Super Bazaar, which carry clothing, as well as Mode off.

For designer or luxury brands, you might have more luck stepping into 2nd Street or RagTag, with brands like Ralph Lauren, Supreme, Stussy, Balenciaga and more available if you’re lucky. With such a wide range of brands and quality, be prepared to pay anywhere from 800 JPY to 30,000 JPY. When it comes to pre-loved, no matter what your budget is, rest assured that you’ll be able to find the perfect souvenir from Japan.

Affordable apparel to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Vintage and thrifted clothing	590 JPY and up depending on brand (around 18 MYR)

What other souvenirs to buy in Japan?

Aside from food and clothes, there are plenty of other souvenirs to buy in Japan, whether it’s for yourself or for your family and friends. We’ll skip the usual fridge magnets to look at stuff that might be a little more useful (and fun).

Manga and anime products

As the land where anime is from, many people purchase figurines and the like from famous landmarks like Akihabara in Tokyo. If you’re not visiting Tokyo, however, don’t fret. Animate, one of the largest retailers of anime merchandise, has over 120 stores all throughout Japan, and you’ll most likely be able to find one near you if you’re headed to a big city.

Aside from that, don’t forget to check out the Pokemon Centers that can be found in Osaka, Tokyo, Sapporo and more. Manga fans will want to head to places like Jump Shop, where you’ll be able to find merchandise and figurines for famous Weekly Shonen Jump characters from IPs like Naruto, Demon Slayer, Slam Dunk and more.

Anime merchandise to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Figurines, mangas, plushies and more	200 to 30,000 JPY depending on brand and type (around 6 to 900 MYR)

Stationery

For people who take notes or journals, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Japan. Head on over to shops like Muji, Loft or Hands for a wide variety of pens, notebooks, stamps, washi tape and other stationery that’s usually both aesthetically pleasing and very functional - any of which would make an inexpensive but useful souvenir from Japan.

Some cool stationery items to keep an eye out for would be roller stamps that you can use to black out personal information on letters before disposing of them as well as cute notepads and erasers. People looking to stock up on notebooks will want to check out offerings from well-known brands Traveler’s Factory, Kokuyo Campus or Midori.

Stationery to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Pens	110 to 27,500 JPY depending on brand and type (3.3 to 820 MYR)
Stickers and washi tape	121 to 2,000 JPY depending on brand and quantity (around 3.6 to 60 MYR)
Notebooks and planners	165 to 5,720 JPY depending on brand and type (around 5 to 170 MYR)

100 Yen store products

If you just need something cheap and inexpensive to bring home as gifts, check out the 100–yen stores in Japan where knick knacks, household goods, tableware and more can be bought on the cheap.

While not everything in the 100-yen shops nowadays cost 100 JPY, a good portion of things do. Popular 100-yen shops include Daiso, Can Do and Seria. There’s even a Lawson Store 100, if you manage to spot one during your travels.

Some 100-yen stores feature products that are more expensive but there'll always be things to get for just 100 JPY. Whether it’s chopsticks, onigiri makers or bowls, you’ll be sure to find something for everyone.

100 yen products to buy in Japan	Estimated cost
Knick knacks, household goods, tableware and more	100 JPY before tax (around 3 MYR)

Save even more when you spend in JPY with the Wise card

Excited to stock up on some Japan souvenirs on your upcoming trip now that you know what to buy from Japan? Did you know that you’ll be able to save even more when you’re spending JPY with the Wise card? Simply top up your Wise account with MYR and make payments in Japan just like you do at home. You'll get the best deals with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees from just 0.33%.⁷

Alternatively, convert your MYR to JPY when you find the exchange rate optimal so you can start stocking up on Japan souvenirs when you land. You’ll also be able to use the Wise card to make some free ATM withdrawals of up to 1,000 MYR when you find yourself needing cash. When using the Wise card for food, shopping or more, rest assured that there’ll be absolutely no hidden fees and charges.

Hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and use your Wise Card in 150+ countries - perfect for your trip to Japan and beyond.

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Sources:

1. Amazon Japan | Uji Matcha
2. Amazon Japan | Hojicha
3. Amazon Japan | Ichigen ramen
4. Amazon Japan | Afuri ramen
5. Amazon Japan | Dassai sake
6. Amazon Japan | Hakkaisan
7. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.