Are you planning a trip to Japan?
Do you have friends in Japan who offered to send you something? Don’t know what to get? 
Then I hope my “Japanese Items series” will help you! .gif)
I have to admit it is hard as there are so many great things here in Japan! .gif)
I posses so many items and souvenirs, it’s crazy! I guess buying souvenirs turned into a hobby of mine. Unfortunately it can be an expensive hobby.gif)
, but so far I haven’t regretted any of my purchases! All of them are very precious to me and remind me of the places I have visited.
Cute and unique Yufuin Cat Items:
I already mentioned these items in my blog post about Yufuin, but they deserve an article of their own.
You can find the small stand where you can purchase said items quite easily. Make sure you don’t miss it!
When walking from Yufuin Station, you’ll stumble into it. It’s on the main road on the right side!
You can also use the Yufuin Burger sign as help to navigate!
Zoomed in! The owner of the stand is really nice. He owns many cats.
The day I visited, there was only one cat with him, sleeping the whole time.
As we only spoke in Japanese I don’t know how good his English is. Maybe somebody else can share this information with us?
In my opinion your best bet is to get one of the many wooden self-made cat items.
There’s something in all sizes and price classes. And they’re unique! None is like the other (which makes it hard to choose).
And he also takes requests or carves your name (or somebody else’s name) in the item if you want to! He also did it for me! .gif)
This was one of the bigger items I purchased. There are also a few other animals featured. I remember some dog items, but it’s mainly about cats.
A must-visit for all cat lovers! You’ll have plenty of time in Yufuin – even if you just stay half a day, so check it out.
I still have the information sheet he gave me. If somebody wants to order something unique, you can mail or call him.
If you ever visit Oita Prefecture in Kyushu and decide to make a day trip to Yufuin, you now know where to go, right? .gif)
It’s also a nice alternative or a good addition to the famous Maneki Neko items!
P.S.: The items you see here are just a few of the ones I got, but I think it gives you a good idea of what you can purchase there.
I think that unless you’re absolutely set on a specific item that you really really want, anything a friend gets you will just become clutter in your home.
Food items are a much better idea, as even the worst clutter bug will eventually throw them out if left unused. And well, that’s the worst-case scenario. Ideally you’ll want to try whatever Japanese delicacy you’ve been given. :-)
I do love the cats, though, and I’m all for getting something for yourself because it reminds you of the place.
That’s probably right, especially if you have no idea what items are available.
Well, for food it really depends, though.
If you won’t see your friend right away, the food will go bad!
Sending food can also cause problems unless it’s some snacks or candy.
Thanks for your comment! :D
Hi! I’ve been reading your blog today, I really like the contents you publish! I’ve been to Japan 4 times in the last 2 years since I’m currently living in a neighbor country~~ but haven’t been many places besides Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo.
This shop looks like it was made for meeee and just because of it, I may go to Yufuin in my upcoming 5th Japan trip x)
May I know the price range of the stuff you can buy there?
Hi Mimi! ^__^
Thanks so much. I’m glad you like my blog. :)
Great choice, I’m sure you’ll love Kyushu. ^^
Good question …. as it was so many years ago and consumption tax has also changed twice since then, it might be completely off by now but things ranged from 500 yen up to 5000 yen depending on how big the piece of wood was he used and how much work he had to put into it. ^__^