Why We Saved Some of Our Shopping for Japan

When you’re planning a trip to Japan, it’s very easy to create a separate shopping budget for souvenirs, character goods and all the cute things you know you’re going to find.

But some of the money we spent shopping in Japan wasn’t really extra vacation spending at all.

It was money we would have spent at home anyway.

Since our trip was during the summer, back-to-school shopping wasn’t very far away. The girls were going to need clothes, school supplies and other things once we got home. So instead of buying everything in Canada, we bought quite a few of those things in Japan.

Because if you’re going to buy a new pencil case anyway, you might as well buy the ridiculously cute one you found in Japan.

Back-to-School Shopping, Japan Edition

Stationery was probably the most obvious thing to buy.

Japan has an incredible selection of pens, pencils, notebooks, pencil cases and other school supplies. There are plenty of character designs, but also lots of cute or interesting things that don’t necessarily feature a character at all.

We bought stationery knowing it would actually be used once school started.

The same went for bento boxes and other food containers. Those were part of our normal back-to-school spending too. We could have waited until we were back in Canada to buy them, but where’s the fun in that?

The girls could choose things they really liked, and they ended up with school supplies that were a little more unique than what they would normally find at home.

Things We Would Have Bought Anyway

Our practical shopping went beyond school supplies.

We bought shoes, clothes, socks, accessories and other everyday things during the trip. Some purchases were planned, while others simply made sense once we found them.

The girls both bought new running shoes, for example. We also deliberately waited until Japan to buy Kid 2 a medium-sized suitcase that she could use for future trips.

Of course, being in Japan made shopping for some of those everyday things considerably more fun.

Think About What You’ll Need After Your Trip

This is something I’d consider again when planning another trip.

Before leaving, I’d look ahead a couple of months and think about purchases we already know are coming.

School supplies are an easy example for a summer trip, but the idea doesn’t have to be limited to back-to-school shopping.

Maybe you need new clothes. Maybe someone needs a new bag. Maybe you’ve been planning to replace a lunch box or water bottle. Maybe you need stationery for work rather than school.

If it’s something you’re likely to find easily in Japan, waiting can be worthwhile.

I wouldn’t do this with something absolutely essential. You don’t want to arrive in Japan desperately needing one specific item and discover that you can’t find the right size, style or version.

But for flexible purchases? I’d happily wait.

It Also Changes How You Look at Your Travel Budget

Separating these purchases mentally — or even in your actual budget — makes a difference.

If you come home and look at everything you spent in shops during your trip, the total can seem enormous. But some of that spending may simply have replaced purchases you would otherwise have made at home.

And yes, some was absolutely vacation spending.

There were plenty of things we bought simply because they were cute and we wanted them. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.

Japan is not exactly the ideal destination for developing sudden resistance to cute things.

Souvenirs Don’t Have to Be Souvenirs

There’s another benefit to buying everyday things while travelling: they become souvenirs without actually being souvenir-shop souvenirs.

A pencil case doesn’t need “Japan” written across it for you to remember where you bought it.

Neither does a bento box, a pair of socks or a cute container.

You bring those things home and actually use them. Months later, you can pack your lunch or pull out a pen and remember choosing it in Japan.

I like that much more than buying something simply because I’m supposed to bring home a souvenir.

And Then There Are Gifts

The same idea can work when shopping for other people.

You don’t necessarily need to bring everyone a traditional souvenir from Japan. Stationery, character goods, small accessories and other inexpensive items can make much more personal gifts if you know what someone likes.

And I’m going to include gashapon in this category.

Yes, gashapon.

Hear me out.

They’re small. They’re easy to bring home. They’re usually inexpensive. There are thousands of different characters and themes. If you find one featuring something a friend or family member loves, it can make a very cute little gift from Japan.

This is also a convenient way of making at least some of our gashapon spending sound responsible.

I’m sticking with it.

Save a Little Money for the Completely Impractical Stuff Too

I wouldn’t take the practical-shopping idea too far.

Part of the fun of travelling is buying things you don’t need.

Not every purchase needs to replace something on your shopping list. Not everything needs to be useful. And not every gashapon needs an intended recipient waiting patiently at home.

We bought plenty of things simply because they made us happy.

And really, a trip to Japan would have been a strange time for us to suddenly become sensible about cute things.

We did leave room in the budget for those too.