Gifts from Japan

Momo loves to share gifts from his travels. However, due to his small paws and lack of pockets (he doesn’t wear pants), he has to consider how much he can carry in his luggage. Here are 3 gifts from Japan that Momo recommends, both for its unique nature (you won’t easily find this elsewhere) and ability to be transported easily in your luggage.

1. Momo recommends the perfect ice cream spoon, the “15%” spoon.

• Designed by architectural designer Naoki Terada with extensive testing at the Toyama Prefectural Industrial Technology Center.
• The material is mirror-polished solid aluminum which confers ideal heat conductivity compared to other spoon materials that utilize alloys or coatings.
• The material construction effectively transfers the heat from your hand to facilitate scooping even frozen solid ice cream.
• The name “15%” is inspired by the Japanese standard for ice cream to contain a minimum milk solid content of 15%.

• There are no stand-alone stores but their website lists many locations to purchase from: 15% website
• Momo does caution that there may be copycat sellers online that sell subpar products!
• Although expensive at about $20 for one spoon, Momo thinks this is the perfect gift for your special ice cream aficionado!

2. Momo recommends an “Imabari towel”

• Imabari is a city in Ehime prefecture and is particularly known for its production of high quality towels. The underground water sourced from the Soja river is known for its low-mineral, soft quality – ideal for processing the towels produced in the city.
• An “Imabari towel” is not a specific towel but indicates a towel that was produced in this area and has met strict standards set forth by the Imabari Towel Industrial Association such as the “5-second-rule” – the ability for a towel to sink within 5 seconds of coming in contact with water, an indication of its excellent absorbency.

• These towels can be purchased at many stores (mostly department stores) including Family Mart convenience stores (limited to handkerchiefs).
• A specific Imabari towel luxury line is “Imabari Kinsei”, particularly known for its gift presentation.
  • Google Maps link to their Aoyama flagship store

3. Momo recommends Pakitte (パキッテ) AKA Dispenpack

• Pakitte (pronounced pa-keet-te) are single-serving condiment packages containing anything from ketchup and mustard, peanut butter and jam, all the way to egg yolk!
• The word Pakitte is a blend word, combing the Japanese onomatopoeia for a snapping sound, “paki” (パキッ), and “tte” (〜て), the casual imperative form used for informal requests. Thus together means “snap it!”
• This is not ideal for frequent use due to plastic waste, but a helpful tool when there is a need for flavor when you’re on-the-go. It is especially designed for single-handed operations.

Momo hopes you and your special someone enjoys these unique gifts from Japan!