2. Tokyo subway map
3. Tickets to Kannonzaki lighthouse
4. Map of Meiji Shrine
5. Business card for Gyukatsu Motomura
6. Different business card Gyukatsu Motomura
7. Yelo business card
8. Suica subway pass
9. Izakaya business card
11. Japanese yen
12. Pasmo subway pass
13. Geisha girl and lucky cat magnets
14. Coffee filter business card from Omotesando Koffee
15. Brooklyn charm necklace pouch
16. Japanese girl charm / ornament
17. Random promo postcard from coffee shop
A few souvenirs picked up and pilfered along the way. We’re not huge souvenir people to begin with. Knowing my hoarding tendencies we stick with small collectibles like ornaments (or things we can use as ornaments), magnets, postcards, and edibles. Japan was definitely one of those places where I could have bought everything I saw but really, was I ever going to wear a fancy kimono? Not likely. Sometimes I have to repeat to myself over and over, “I don’t need this, I don’t need this.” Of course, that doesn’t seem to apply when it comes to collecting things like receipts, business cards, pamphlets, maps, tickets, and other things most people toss in the trash.
Surprisingly, I had a really hard time finding postcards that weren’t printed in the late 80s (and not cool 80s-era postcards, but ugly 80s-eras postcards) or that were specific to the places I visited. They were also pretty expensive. Maybe I wasn’t looking in the right place? The best souvenir shopping I found was at the airport!
Japanese snacks on the other hand … I wrongly assumed that I would be able to find all the weird varieties of pringles and kit kat in Korea but so far that hasn’t been the case. Next time I visit Japan, I’m bringing an extra bag just for Japanese snacks … and croissants.
Karen
February 14, 2016 at 2:12 amSaving souvenirs for ornaments?! What a great idea, I wish I thought of that when I started crossing off National Parks from my list . . . at one point I collected the pin from each park, which could be made into ornaments, if I only knew where they were.
veronika
February 14, 2016 at 10:04 amWe have been picking up magnets and ornaments from all the places we travel pretty much since we have been together. I like the pin idea though. Collecting enamel pins are really in style now (you can find all kinds of shops on etsy). I’m going to start looking for them on our travels!
Kevin
February 15, 2016 at 10:45 amI love the souvenir diagram.
Keeping Good Thoughts…
veronika
February 16, 2016 at 8:40 amI’m obsessed with photographing collections like this! Plus it’s a better way to store the memory over hoarding piles of junk.