Stumped about what kind of Christmas gift to give the Japanophile in your life? Here's a grab bag of possibilities, prepared by Japan Pulse's elves. And you can follow us on Twitter for more #pulsepresents, tweeted daily.
Commemorative Tokaido Shinkansen KitKats
Trainspotters will love you forever if you can track down a package of these cool limited edition KitKats, sold in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Tokaido Shinkansen. The packaging, depicted a number of classics, can be folded into a mini train. The flavor is, inexplicably, frozen mikan.
In this hot potato-style game, which requires the actual potato snack, players take turns opening up the container to remove a crunchy potato stick. The loser has to draw a penalty card which, in this video, includes a tissue nose probe. Ew.
For your stressed-out friend, we suggest “The Art of Setting Stones” an overview of traditional Japanese gardens, which describes how the gardens are both “a microcosm of the natural universe and a clear expression of our humanity.”
The “Wooden Paper” Snap Animals series lets kids build their own toys by snapping together shapes to construct various animals.
Cardcaptors of the Clow, expect the unexpected blemish now! A new cosmetic kit featuring Sakura’s magical tools doubles as cute trinkets from the anime and manga series, as well as lip balm and foundation.
Designer Kazumi Takigawa has created a new type of canvas bag that has a similar look of the typical brown paper bag but with the functionality and durability of a tote. Each bag is handmade in a variety of shapes and sizes.
On her anniversary, 40 fans — from comic artists to toy creators — pay homage to world's most famous mouthless feline.
