Japanese Kitchen Gifts: What Our Customers Actually Give

Every December, our order book changes shape. From the last week of November to around December 20, orders on this store roughly triple, and most of them are presents. Last season, seven out of ten of those orders came from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and then continental Europe. Then, after about December 21, orders almost stop, because buyers know a parcel from Japan will not arrive before Christmas.

So rather than guessing what makes a good Japanese kitchen gift, this guide starts from what people actually chose. Everything below is sorted by budget, and every item ships from our warehouses in Japan.

What sold best as a gift last December

A few patterns stood out when we went back through last year's holiday orders:

• Cast iron came first. Nanbu tetsubin kettles and teapots, Iwachu frying pans and the Iwachu takoyaki pan were the biggest gift purchases by value. Cast iron from Iwate is heavy, obviously handmade and lasts a lifetime, which is exactly what people look for in a present.
• Ramen sets were the surprise. Ramen bowls and ramen spoons came up again and again, a ready-made "ramen night" gift for a couple or a family.
• Pairs sold well. Meoto cups (matching cups for a couple) and sake sets were frequent choices.
• Small tools filled the stockings. Chopsticks, tea canisters and small kitchen tools like the miso muddler or the rice washing bowl were often added to a larger order as a second, smaller present.

Japanese gifts under $35

This is where most "extra" presents come from: something for a colleague, a Secret Santa, a stocking.

Yuzu chopsticks are a good example of how we approach small gifts. The yuzu is Japan's winter citrus, so the motif is seasonal, and you can choose the version without a box, in a paper gift box or in a wooden gift box at checkout. For tea drinkers, the Utagawa tea canister gift set pairs two tins covered in woodblock-print washi. The Kujira ramen spoons (set of four) are a simple, cheerful present on their own, and the Kamenoko tawashi, the palm-fibre scrubbing brush made by the same Tokyo company since 1907, is the kind of useful thing people end up loving.

See the full selection: Japanese gifts under $35.

From $35 to $100: the classic Japanese gift

If you only read one section, make it this one. Last December, our average order landed right in the middle of it, and it is the range where you get a real, everyday object rather than a token.

For a couple or a new home

The Kachou meoto tea cups are two Arita porcelain cups, one slightly larger than the other, a traditional wedding and anniversary present in Japan. They come with lids and in a gift box, so there is nothing to wrap. The Tanuki sake set brings a flask and cups with the tanuki, the good-luck raccoon dog you see outside Japanese restaurants.

For the ramen fan

Four Kujira ramen bowls with the matching spoons make a complete gift for well under $100. Add a pack of fresh noodles locally and the evening is planned.

For someone who cooks every day

The Iwachu takoyaki pan is cast iron from Morioka and turns a party into a cooking session around the table. For knives, a Japanese knife is a gift people remember; the Tojiro bread knife was our most ordered product of the year.

See the full selection: Japanese gifts from $35 to $100.

Premium gifts over $100

For the pieces that get passed down. A Nanbu tetsubin kettle is cast in Iwate prefecture following the Nambu tekki craft tradition, which goes back centuries, and many Japanese families still use a kettle inherited from a grandparent. If the person drinks tea rather than boiling water for it, the Seido cast iron teapot has an enamelled interior and a stainless strainer for loose leaf tea.

For hosts, the Tokusa donabe is a Banko clay pot for nabe, the Japanese hot pot eaten in winter straight from the table. And for a complete tea service, the Nami tea set from Hasami, Nagasaki, comes with a teapot and five cups decorated with the seigaiha wave pattern.

See the full selection: premium Japanese gifts.

Quick picks by person

Ordering from Japan in time for Christmas

Parcels leave our warehouses in Japan, so timing matters more than with a local shop. Last year the gift season on our side really ran from late November to about December 20. Our advice is simple: order early, and keep these dates in mind.

• Standard shipping (Japan Post): order by December 10 for delivery before Christmas.
• Express shipping (DHL, FedEx or EMS): order by December 17.

Full details are on our shipping policy page. If you need a gift sent directly to the recipient, simply enter their address at checkout.

Browse everything in one place in our Japanese kitchen gift ideas collection.