Not sure what cookware and tableware you should check out while visiting Japan? Here are 10 things that are worth bringing back in your suitcase from Japan.
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from JOC readers is what cookware and tableware they should buy when they visit Japan. With limited suitcase space, I understand I can’t suggest everything. Living in the U.S., I have trouble finding certain Japanese cookware and tableware from local stores or online stores, so I made a recommended list here for you.
My suggestions are really for someone who enjoys cooking Japanese food frequently and appreciates Japanese household items. If that’s not you, these items also make great gift ideas for that person in your life who loves Japanese culture and cuisine! If you’re lucky, you may be able to purchase these items easily where you are, but generally, these items are pretty difficult to find and can be very expensive compared to the prices you pay while you’re in Japan.
I hope you find the list helpful and insightful.
Table of contents
Cookware and Kitchen Items to Get From Japan
1. Rice Bowls & Miso Soup Bowls お茶碗・お味噌汁椀
Rice bowls and miso soup bowls are essential items for Japanese families, used daily. In Japan, there are countless variations of rice bowls and miso soup bowls. High-quality wooden miso soup bowls made in Japan can be hard to find in the US. While you’re traveling in Japan, consider picking up some wooden bowls. They are light, easy to bring back, and can add a touch of fun and elegance to your daily miso soup!
I personally bought rice bowls adorned with Mount Fuji drawings in assorted colors. They bring a smile to my children and me every day. Whether it’s a bowl with a cute cat drawing, beautiful cherry blossoms, or the right color that attracts you, find the one that brings a smile to your face.
2. Ramen Bowls
Are you a huge ramen fan (see my ramen recipes) and enjoy serving ramen at home? If so, you must get some ramen bowls when you’re in Japan. Good-quality and good-looking ramen bowls can be hard to find in the U.S. I got mine at Kappabashi Kitchen Town.
On the other hand, if you love donburi dishes, consider getting a variety of donburi bowls. Donburi is a very common meal in Japan, hence we have SO MANY kinds of beautiful donburi bowls.
3. Chopsticks & Chopstick Rests
Even years before I started photo shooting my recipes, I’ve been a collector of chopstick rests. Something about them that is so attractive. Maybe because they are small and I love everything miniature.
If you are in Japan, you will see a lot of cute stores that sell kitchen and home goods. I love to stop by to check out some unique chopstick rests and chopsticks whenever I get a chance. Instead of buying a set of 4-5 pairs, I only buy one chopstick rest and a pair of chopsticks that I love from each store. I enjoy picking out which chopsticks and chopstick rests that would go well together, and everyone would have a different set. The mismatch is supposed to be fun!
4. Magewappa Bento Box
Bento (lunch box) is not only for children, adults can also enjoy it at school, work, or even at home. These wooden bento boxes, called the Magewappa (曲げわっぱ), not only is environmentally friendly, but they also make your lunches so much more appetizing and presentable.
It’s a lot more inexpensive to buy bento boxes in Japan than trying to buy online. You can purchase Magewappa at any tableware and bento stores, but it’s a lot easier to go to Tokyu Hands or a bento box section of the kitchen floor in department stores.
I forgot to mention. Bento box for adult is also great for portion control and perfect for those who try to lose some weight (aka me…).
5. Adjustable Stainless Steel Otoshibuta (Drop Lid) 落とし蓋
Otoshibuta or drop lid is an essential Japanese cooking gadget for all kinds of simmered foods. It’s a kitchen tool that is not so common outside of Japanese cooking, hence it’s hard to find it in kitchen shops in the U.S.
For the longest time, I’ve been waiting for someone or some company to sell these adjustable stainless steel otoshibuta on Amazon, but no luck yet. MTC Kitchen sells it for $19, but you can find an otoshibuta for less than $10 in Japan. This particular one above is around ¥800 ($8). So grab one (or two for your Japanese cooking buddy) when you visit Japan!
6. Tamagoyaki Pan 玉子焼きフライパン
Yes, there are some non-stick Tamagoyaki pans such as this copper Tamagoyaki pan available on Amazon. But the quality of some pans I purchased before was not very good. If you do make tamagoyaki for your children’s bento or for your breakfast regularly, you might as well stop by a kitchen store and get one while visiting Japan. Here you can find my favorite T-fal brand in the picture below (top left) at Tokyu Hands in Shibuya store.
See all the choices of brands and sizes? These are much better quality and less expensive compared to ones you can find on Amazon.
7. Ladles お玉
You may think I’m silly for listing a ladle on your Japan shop list. But true story… I had a really hard time finding the perfect ladle for serving miso soup. All the ladles I purchased in the U.S. are a bit too big to serve into standard size miso soup bowls. I may sound picky, but I’ve purchased enough ladles to try and all the ladles that I end up keeping are all from Japan. Let me say this, the size, shape, angle of the stem, and the material of these ladles from Japan are just perfect. I rest my case.
Here I took the picture at Kappabashi Kitchen Town. So many different sizes, shapes, and utility of ladles! I also recommend visiting supermarkets (especially the one that has a 2nd floor for home and kitchen goods), Tokyu Hands, and even department store kitchen floor. Try holding the ladles and see the difference!
8. Bamboo Baskets
Bamboo products are so much easier to find in Asia. Japan offers amazing hand-woven bamboo products that are made in Japan. There are a lot of bamboo specialized stores and you might spot them while traveling, especially when you visit Kyoto, Takayama, Kamakura, and more traditional cities.
9. Chiffon Cake Pans
I love baking chiffon cakes, so several years ago I bought two different cake pans (17cm and 20cm) in Japan and brought them home with me. Japanese chiffon cake pans are affordable and SUPER easy to use. I like that they come with a slim and tall shape, which are great when comes to making beautiful looking chiffon cakes compared to a flatter angel food cake pan.
This aluminum chiffon cake pan from Asai Shoten (浅井商店) is VERY famous and you can go to the store in Kappabashi Kitchen Town to find them.
With these pans, you can make my Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake, Green Tea Chiffon Cake, Orange Chiffon Cake, and Earl Grey Chiffon Cake.
10. Plates & Bowls
Some people enjoy shopping for clothes and shoes, but I enjoy getting new kitchen gadgets, pots and pans, and my endless love – plates and bowls. I especially love ceramics from Japan that are so delicate, unique, and of course, handmade.
Some of the plates and bowls are from my grandmother, so they are sentimental pieces to me. My mom kept them in boxes for me knowing that I would need these for Just One Cookbook. I am just happy that I can continue to use this special heirloom tableware.
If you’re curious about how I pack and bring them back home, you can see my Instagram Stories titled “Packing” in my profile, where I explained some tips on wrapping the ceramics and packing them in the boxes.
The picture below – Things I brought back in 2019: This year we got to visit and shop in Imari, Arita and Imbe (Bizenware).
The picture below – Things I brought back in 2019: A square copper tamagoyaki pan, different sized Yukihira pots and Shokupan pan were on my list.
The picture below – Things I brought back in 2018: Mostly from my mom and grandma’s collections and a few gifts from my friends.
The picture below – Things I brought back in 2018: These are actually from Thailand – I brought them to Japan, and then brought them back to the US.
The picture below – Things I brought back in 2018: These white plates are all from Le Baise in Kappabashi Kitchen Town in Tokyo.
The picture below – Things I brought back in 2018: Unfortunately, this happened a few times, even though I had carefully wrapped them individually.
The picture below – Things I brought back in 2017: Ceramics from my trip to Bangkok on top and the rest are Japanese ceramics.
The picture below – Things I brought back in 2016: Majority of ceramics are from a department store Takashimaya in Yokohama. The rest are from my mom.
Where to Find Japanese Tableware in Tokyo Area?
The easiest place to find Japanese ceramics and kitchen items is to go to the kitchen floor (usually 7th or 8th floor) of the nearest department stores or Tokyu Hands. If you are looking for one of kind ceramics, there are some shops that sell unique ceramics made by artists. Here’s a small list of popular ceramic shops in Tokyo.
- Allegory Home Tools in Ebisunishi, Shibuya-ku
- Amahare in Shirokanedai, Minato-ku
- Aoba-do in Shirakawa, Koto-ku
- At Kiln Aoyama in Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku
- Beniya Mingeiten in Komaba, Meguro-ku
- Bloom & Branch in Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku
- Bondo in Kichijoji Hon-cho, Musashino-shi
- Casica in Shinkiba, Koto-ku
- Chidori in Misaki-cho, Chiyoda-ku
- CLASKA Gallery & Shop “DO” in Chuo-cho, Meguro-ku
- Dengama in Nishi Asakusa, Taito-ku
- FALL in Nishiogikita, Suginami-ku
- Fragile in Ginza, Chuo-ku
- Gyokusendo in Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku
- Japanese Pottery shop (Aritayaki Yakimono Ichiba) in Hiroo, Shibuya-ku
- Jokogumo in Shirogane-cho, Shinjuku-ku
- Kagure Omotesando in Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
- Kahahori in Kichijoji Minami-cho, Musashino-shi
- Kakesu Zakkaten in Kappabashi Kitchen Town, Asakusa, Taito-ku
- Kappabashi Kitchen Street in Asakusa, Taito-ku
- KnulpAA Gallery in Shakujiimachi, Nerima-ku
- Koharuan in Yarai-cho, Shinjuku-ku
- Kohoro in Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku
- La Ronde d’Argile in Wakamiya-cho, Shinjuku-ku
- Lion Pottery in Chuo-cho, Meguro-ku
- MARKUS in Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino-shi
- Migo Labo in Gohongi, Meguro-ku
- Migratory in Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku
- Mist∞ in Kichijoji Kitamachi, Musashino-shi
- Monsen in Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku
- Outbound in Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino-shi
- Pond Gallery in Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku
- POTPURRI in Shirakawa, Koto-ku
- Proto Tablewares and Precious in Kuramae, Taito-ku
- Roundabout in Uehara, Shibuya-ku
- Rozan in Nishiogikita, Suginami-ku
- Shouan Bunko in Shouan, Suginami-ku
- SML in Aobadai, Meguro-ku
- Sonomono in Nagasaki, Toshima-ku
- Sora in Himonya, Meguro-ku
- Spiral Market in Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku
- Style Hug in Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku
- Syuro in Torigoe, Taito-ku
- Takahashi Sohonten in Kappabashi Kitchen Town, Asakusa, Taito-ku
- Takumi in Ginza, Chuo-ku
- Tasogare-do in Nezu, Bunkyo-ku
- Tenoha in Daikanyama-cho, Shibuya-ku
- Teshigoto in Todoroki, Setagaya-ku
- Touan Yabukita in Kappabashi Kitchen Town, Asakusa, Taito-ku
- Utsuwa Aoba-do in Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku
- Utsuwa Daifuku in Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku
- Utsuwa Dokoro Kurumi in Kamiogi, Suginami-ku
- Utsuwa Kaede in Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku
- Utsuwa Kenshin in Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
- Utsuwa Shizen in Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
- Utsuwa Party in Komaba, Meguro-ku
- Vada Antiques in Kichijoji Hon-cho, Musashino-shi
- Wise Wise Tools in Akasaka, Minato-ku
- Yuyujin in Takaban, Meguro-ku
- Zakka Tsuchi no Kioku in Asagaya Minami, Suginami-ku
Japanese Online Shop
- Japanese Pottery Shop (ships internationally)
- Monsen
- Tojian
- Tableware East
- Uchill
- Utsuwaya Nishiyama
Have you brought back anything for your kitchen while visiting Japan? What are your favorites? Comment below and share your stories with us!
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I’ve been following your blog for years and I love your recipes! I’m traveling to Japan next week and would love pointers on how you wrapped and protected your porcelain dishware in your suitcase? We lived in Tokyo for several years and we had professional movers pack everything for us when we returned to the states, so I’m trying to figure out how to bring as much stuff in my suitcase without most of it breaking. This is our first time back to Tokyo since we returned to the US in 2017. By they way, we even brought a restaurant style okonomiyaki / griddle table back with us in our move 😅
Hi, Christina! Thank you so much for following Nami’s blog throughout the years! We appreciate your love and support!
Wow! Restaurant-style okonimiyaki tabale sounds amazing!
To transport ceramics, we recommend using bubble wrap or paper. We generally wrap each piece and stack them whenever possible to save space. Then wrap up with soft clothing. If possible, place them in the suite case away from the corner and fill any gaps with soft materials. Make sure nothing moves within the suite case to reduce the shock. We also strongly advise informing the checking counter that the items in the suite case are fragile and require a warning label. We hope this is helpful and that you are able to bring back your favorite items from Japan! Have a safe trip!
Hi Nami, I also love to bring bowls from Japan and I adore the handmade ceramics. I also love to buy some food items to enjoy back home in Europe.
Hello there! We’re glad to hear you enjoy Japanese items as much as we do!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post!🤗
Thank you! A friend of mine is visiting Japan and I’d like her to bring some stuffs for me =) Aside cookware, any cooking ingredients you recommend? I live in Bali Indonesia and Amazon doesn’t ship here. Thank you! 🙂
Hello, Mentari. Thank you for taking the time to read Nami’s post!
We recommend dry items like high-quality Kombu, Wakame, Katsuobushi, Nori, etc. Good-quality soy sauce, miso, and tea are also recommended.
Please double-check that these items can be imported into your country.
We hope this was helpful!
Hi Nami, I love your recipes! I found a small donabe on eBay and it has been one of my favorite purchases. I have a pretty, large Donabi, but I’m usually cooking for one or two. Tonight I made your Nyumen recipe in it. So easy and very tasty. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Mary! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We are so happy to hear that you are enjoying the recipes and the little Donabe!
We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/hot-pot/
Hi Namiko…I am looking to buy an authentic Japan made 6 triangular hole onigiri pan set (green/white) not the copy on Amazon. (my daughter in law has one…..I live East Bay…Calif. Any ideas what shop or online shop I can purchase one please? Nifty little gadget. Thank you! All the best, Lily
Hi Lily! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
We are not familiar with the six triangular types and are not sure where you can purchase them. But we found this one: https://amzn.to/3Dwj80k
This is our first time seeing it!
We hope this is it!🙂
Hi Nami,
There are so many brands of yukihira saucepans floating around the internet, some could even be fakes. Could you please recommend a few better brands?
Also, curiously the volume appears to be different from another saucepan of the same size, i.e. a 20cm regular saucepan holds 3L, while a 20cm yukihira saucepan advertises as 2.1L only. Any idea?
Hi Marcus,
Nami think this will be good; https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BASSR0/?ref=exp_justonecookbook_dp_vv_d
As for the volume, the difference could be from the saucepan’s depth. We hope this helps!
Hi Nami, thank you so much for your reply. Do you know with the yukihira saucepans, how do you take care of them? And prepare them for first use?
Hi Marcus,
For fist use, same as other pans. Use a mild soap to wash it first and ready to use.
As for care, Nami never put the Yukihira Saucepan in the dishwasher and always wash it by hand.😉
This honestly made me a bit homesick for Japan. I only lived there for 4 months so it may be presumptuous to say, but I actually suffered more culture shock coming back from Japan then when I lived there. Since I was a poor student, I couldn’t buy as many things and suveniors that I’d like (though I did bring back 30 books from Book Off but they were under 100 yen each. I’m not that strong). I miss the food, the cute items I could buy for cheap, and I really wish I could have bought all the different cookware. Managing to get back there is so difficult.
Hi Aya,
We are sorry to hear that you are feeling homesick. Japanese culture, cute little things, Japanese food, and people are wonderful in Japan. We totally understand your feeling because we often feel the same way. We miss Japan.
For this reason, we make things that make ourselves feel at home by cooking Japanese food. It actually helped us a lot! We wish we can be of help to create the Japanese dishes that you miss the most and make you feel better.😊
Trying to identify a piece from Japan and its use. It’s a hollow, semi-flattened orb with a hole on the top and a hollow handle sticking out of one side. I can’t tell if its cookware, smoke ware, or ceremonial. I can post a picture if you give me an email.
Hi Wilder,
To assist you better, could you please send an email to hello @ just one cookbook .com (no space)? Thank you!
Hi Nami,
Thank you for such a detailed article. I’ve been coveting those flower shaped Japanese small dishes for a long time ( Rinka zara). Unfortunately, we won’t be traveling to Japan in the near future. Can you recommend an online retailer where I can order some to be delivered to the US?
Thank you so much!
Hi Bin! I haven’t found one here in the US. Some potters make them, but I haven’t found seem them in major US stores… maybe Etsy?
I will try that, thank you for the reply!
Hi Bin! So… I had a chance to talk to someone and he told me he got these Arita rinkazara from using a proxy buying service called From Japan.
https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/auction/yahoo/input/w420334619/lgk-link_search
https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/special/order/confirm/housegram:10000609/2_1/lgk-link_search
These shops basically shop and ship for you from Japan. I remember our conversation, so I wanted to let you know I found one way to do it. 🙂
wow thank you so much for taking the time to respond, these Japanese ceramics are beautiful! I will definitely be purchasing some and try to build a little collection.
Hi Bin! You’re very welcome! 🙂
Hi Nami, I love your site & make so many of your recipes!
I am trying to put together a cookware system tailored to the way I cook and eat. Primarily I am vegetarian, but also eat fish (so I am a pescatarian :-). I favor Japanese food and cooking styles, light california-type cuisine, and simple, pure, wonderful ingredients. I like various kinds of salt and lemony flavors for vinegars. I do not cook stews or slow-cooking things but I love to cook light soups: miso, leek & potato, tomato, and others that do not involve meat or chicken. I want to make bouillabaisse & seafood polenta. I occasionally like to stir-fry, and I need to make more often: rice & other grains.
I like to keep things simple.
I wonder if it is not too much trouble for you to suggest a few items that you think would be the most useful for me. Smaller sizes are best as I usually just cook for one.
I also like egg dishes and pasta.
I appreciate any ideas on how to best outfit my kitchen based on my personal needs. I love Le Creuset, Demyere and other high-end things but often feel that I don’t cook the way those items are really intended for—in other words I don’t cook french-style (maybe a bit of nouvelle cuisine) but tend more toward Asian cooking and “California nouvelle cuisine.” And again—no meat or fowl…
Thank you so much!!
Heather
Hi Heather! Since you don’t really cook “heavy” dishes, and mostly involved in gentle cooking, a simple pot/pan would work just fine. A lot of Japanese households use Yukihira Nabe because it is made of aluminum and heat up fast (again, not for braising but good for blanching or light simmering). Unlike Western kitchens with lots of spaces to store, Japanese kitchens are small, so we use simple pot and pan and not necessarily matching brands (like Le Creuset collection, etc).
From what I read:
– 2 sizes of Yukihira Nabe: https://www.korin.com/kitchen/cookware/pots-pans-woks?page=2
– One frying pan: We love this pan (although you need to season and care) https://amzn.to/3gTju4E
Also mentioned about basic tools here (you may not be a beginner tho): https://www.justonecookbook.com/essential-japanese-cooking-tips-for-beginners/
Hope this helps!
Dear Nami:
Is there an address or website for the Le Baise store in Kappabashi that you mention above? I have been looking for dishes similar to the white ones that you have pictured. Kindly advise. I just found this on Google. Is this the same shop where you bought your dishes? Thank you.
白色baise in Taito (2-chōme-12 Matsugaya, Taito City, Tōkyō-to 111-0036, Japan)?
Hi Nora! Yes.
bai-se(バイ・スー)1F,2F,3F
〒111-0036 東京都台東区松が谷 2-1-12 TDI第2ビル
TEL 03(3847)8818-FAX 03(3841)8000
http://www.kwtdi.com/jp_map.html
https://www.facebook.com/baise.tdi/
Hi. I have a question. I have seen Japanese carbon steel woks advertised on ebay but they are much more expensive than the ordinary Chinese carbon steel wok (like A$200 as opposed to A$30). What’s the difference? Is it worth getting a Japanese wok?
Hi Lynn! I got my Japanese carbon steel wok on Amazon (https://amzn.to/33G6xZe) and it works great. Previously I had another carbon steel wok, but no matter how well I seasoned, the quality wasn’t great and food always stuck. I don’t know why. Mine didn’t cost $200, and in Japan, they don’t cost that much either. Maybe yours is something special or they are overpriced?
What is the tool used to help distribute spices over meat? It looks like a large soup spoon with a lid. You said it can be ordered on Amazon.
Hi Mae! It’s called Maraca Sifter by Uchicook (https://amzn.to/3hPsHvQ – currently unavailable).
All the kitchen tools that I love can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justonecookbook
Hi Nami! Beautiful collection! I was wondering about a specific type of mini bowl, like the soft-green, kind of flowery shaped little bowl in the last picture. Does this have a name? I loved the one I brought from Tokyo but unfortunately dropped it.
Hi Julie! The flower shape plates are called Rinka zara (輪花皿).
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS727US727&sxsrf=ALeKk02JI3rUgjR1pDh5eEDo0s92UHATcg%3A1589313964367&ei=rAG7Xvv-Fc399AORvbmYCw&q=%E8%BC%AA%E8%8A%B1%E7%9A%BF&oq=%E8%BC%AA%E8%8A%B1%E7%9A%BF&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIECAAQRzIECAAQRzIECAAQRzIECAAQRzIECAAQRzIECAAQRzIECAAQRzIECAAQR1CEUliEUmC_U2gAcAF4AIABAIgBAJIBAJgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXo&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwj7hKHyj6_pAhXNPn0KHZFeDrMQ4dUDCAw&uact=5
Hi Nani-san,
I wish I had found your site years ago, and I so wish to meet you! I am the same as you, would shop at a kitchen store any day for gadgets, pots and pans, bowls and plates, etc. If I jd know about your packing secrets, I would have bought sooooo many Japanese kitchen and dinnerware when I was in Japan! LOL.
I am so in love with bento boxes and all the cute bowls, except that I don’t have the excuse to have so many of them. Besides, I am super clumsy – I would be heart broken if any of the Japanese bowls break…
I do have a question: how would you reheat the food if using a wood bento box? I bring lunch to work daily and use the microwave, so I usually just use glass containers. If there is a way to heat food upon the wood bento box, I will so go get a ton of them!
Thank you for all the great recipes! I am so glad that I found your site.
Gina
Hi Gina! Aww, thank you for your kind words! Who knows maybe we have a chance to meet! 🙂 In Japan, we do not reheat bento. You can, if you want to, but we are accustomed to eating room temperature bento. When you buy bento at stations etc, it’s always room temperature. At school, we eat room temperature bento growing up. Most office workers don’t really heat up lunch even office has a microwave, etc… That’s why wooden bento box exists although there are microwavable bento boxes these days. 🙂