What To Buy in Kobe (2026): Sweets, Kobe Beef Gifts and Local Finds

Kobe does souvenirs rather well.

This is a city where elegant Western-style patisseries sit beside bustling Chinatown shops, local coffee institutions, specialist tea stores, and businesses determined to turn Kobe beef into almost every portable food imaginable.

The result? You are unlikely to leave empty-handed.

What to buy in Kobe: To help you separate the genuinely gift-worthy finds from the things you panic-buy five minutes before boarding the Shinkansen, we have gathered some of the best Kobe souvenirs. The selection includes classic sweets, stylish gifts, flagship-store exclusives, non-sweet options, and souvenirs available at Shin-Kobe Station and Kobe Airport.

We have also included prices, approximate expiration dates, and places to buy each item. Prices and availability can change, so check the latest details at the shop before purchasing.

What to Buy in Kobe: Souvenir Guide

• Classic Kobe souvenirs
• Stylish sweets and gifts
• Souvenirs available only at flagship stores
• Souvenirs from Shin-Kobe Station and Kobe Airport
• Non-sweet Kobe souvenirs
• Kobe-themed accessories and general goods

Classic Kobe Souvenirs

Let’s begin with the familiar names.

These are the dependable Kobe souvenirs people recognise, enjoy, and rarely leave forgotten in the back of a cupboard. Many also have packaging inspired by the city’s port, mountains, historic Western buildings, and other unmistakably Kobe landmarks.

TOOTH Kobe Sablé

PATISSERIE TOOTH TOOTH is a Western-style confectionery brand born in Kobe. Its patisseries, cafés, and brasseries can be found throughout the city, and the brand remains particularly popular with local residents.

The TOOTH Kobe Sablé box contains four different flavours: coconut, cocoa, hazelnut, and bergamot. The cookies are crisp, neatly presented, and packaged in a stylish box illustrated with scenes from Kobe.

This is an easy gift when you want something recognisably local without choosing the most predictable souvenir in the station shop.

Best for: Stylish small gifts and fans of baked sweets

Price: ¥918 for four pieces
Expiration date: Approximately 50 days
Where to buy: TOOTH TOOTH Main Store, Sannomiya Store, Salon de Terrace Old Foreign Settlement Building No. 38, Seaside Café, Kobe Hankyu Store, and Salon15 TOOTH TOOTH in Old Kobe Foreign Settlement Building No. 15

Freundlieb Sweetheart

Freundlieb is one of Kobe’s best-known bakery and café brands. Founded in 1924, it has been part of the city for more than a century.

Its main café occupies a beautifully renovated former church in Ikuta-cho, making the shop worth visiting even before we start talking about pastries. And yes, we are absolutely suggesting that sightseeing and souvenir shopping can happen at the same time.

The signature Sweetheart is a crisp, heart-shaped pastry made individually using traditional methods. Each piece is wrapped separately and printed with the Freundlieb logo, so the box is easy to share with colleagues, friends, or family members.

Freundlieb products are sold in several Kobe department stores, but purchasing them at the church café makes the experience feel far more memorable.

Best for: Sharing at work, elegant gifts, and architecture-loving travellers

Price: ¥2,538 for ten plain Sweetheart pastries
Expiration date: 21 days from the date of manufacture
Where to buy: Freundlieb, Daimaru Kobe, and Kobe Hankyu

Kobe Rokkei Mini Gaufres

Kobe Fugetsudo is one of the city’s classic confectionery brands. It is famous for its gaufres: thin, crisp wafers layered with light cream.

The Kobe Rokkei Mini Gaufres are particularly suitable for travellers because they come in a compact tin decorated with well-known Kobe landmarks. Depending on the design, you may spot Mount Rokko, Kobe Port Tower, the Weathercock House, or scenes from Chinatown.

Inside the tin are miniature gaufres in three flavours: vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.

The sturdy metal packaging is useful when you still have several train rides, airport transfers, and an overpacked suitcase standing between you and home.

Best for: Long journeys, children, and classic Kobe souvenir collectors

Price: ¥540
Expiration date: 180 days from the date of manufacture
Where to buy: Kobe Fugetsudo Main Store, Kobe Hankyu, Daimaru Kobe, Sanchika, and other selected shops

Setouchi Lemon Cake

Le Pain Kobe Kitano is a bakery and sweets shop operated by Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland.

Although locals know the shop for its bread, its baked sweets are equally tempting. The Setouchi Lemon Cake is one of its most popular souvenir options and received the Hyogo Prize at the Japan Gift Awards in 2020.

The cake has a soft, fluffy texture and contains confit made from Setouchi lemon peel. The citrus flavour keeps it refreshing rather than overwhelmingly sweet.

Each cake is wrapped individually, so you can buy several as small gifts or keep one in your bag for later. We would never suggest buying an extra one for yourself and eating it before reaching the hotel. That decision is entirely between you and the lemon cake.

Best for: Casual gifts, citrus lovers, and individually wrapped treats

Price: ¥270 each
Expiration date: Approximately 21 days
Where to buy: Le Pain Kobe Kitano Main Store, La Suite Daimaru Kobe Store, and selected outlets

Happy Turns Coffee

Happy Turn is one of Japan’s most recognisable rice snacks. Happy Turns is its more polished, gift-ready relative, dressed in considerably fancier packaging.

Although Happy Turns products are available at a limited number of shops around Japan, the Coffee flavour is exclusive to Kobe Hankyu.

The seasoning contains powdered Kilimanjaro coffee beans, giving the familiar savoury snack a more unusual and slightly sophisticated flavour. The packaging is smart enough that nobody needs to know its origins lie in a famously addictive convenience-store snack.

Because this flavour is available only in Kobe, it also works well for travellers looking for something genuinely difficult to find elsewhere.

Best for: Unusual gifts, snack collectors, and people who have already tried every standard Kobe sweet

Price: ¥692
Expiration date: 180 days from the date of manufacture
Where to buy: Happy Turns, Japanese Confectionery Section, B1F, Kobe Hankyu Department Store

Stylish Kobe Souvenirs That Make a Great Impression

Kobe has no shortage of confectionery with handsome tins, carefully designed boxes, and the general appearance of something far more expensive than it may actually be.

These souvenirs work particularly well as thank-you gifts, presents for hosts, or something to bring to a family gathering.

ORIENTAL HOTEL Basque Cheesecake

The ORIENTAL HOTEL stands in Kobe’s historic former foreign settlement, one of the city’s most elegant districts.

Its Basque cheesecake has become a well-known local souvenir. The cake is rich, smooth, and creamy, with the dense texture and deeply baked top associated with this style of cheesecake.

The same dessert is also served in the hotel’s restaurant. It is reportedly among the earliest Basque cheesecakes sold commercially in Japan, although the precise history is best treated with the usual degree of dessert-related caution.

The cake measures approximately 12 centimetres across, making it a good option for sharing with family or serving after dinner.

The downside is the short shelf life. This is not the cake to purchase at the beginning of a ten-day trip around Kansai unless you plan to eat it immediately—which, to be fair, is not a terrible plan.

Best for: Families, dinner hosts, and serious cheesecake fans

Price: ¥3,200
Expiration date: Three days after thawing
Where to buy: Dining Reception, 17th floor of ORIENTAL HOTEL

Maman et Fille French Biscuits

Maman et Fille is a popular local confectionery shop where queues are common and certain products sell out quickly.

Its canned French Biscuits are among the shop’s most sought-after products. They are made with a short list of ingredients: fermented butter, flour, fresh eggs, and sugar.

The recipe is based on traditional French biscuits, resulting in a simple, buttery flavour and crisp texture. There are no dramatic fillings or elaborate decorations here. The appeal lies in good ingredients used properly—which is often where the most dangerous biscuits begin.

The beautifully designed tin makes the biscuits particularly suitable as a present.

Demand can be high, so visit earlier in the day rather than assuming a tin will still be waiting shortly before closing.

Best for: Butter biscuit enthusiasts and impressive boxed gifts

Price: ¥2,787
Expiration date: Approximately 30 days
Where to buy: Maman et Fille Main Store

Kobe View Spot Chocolate Roll Cookies

Founded in 1923, Goncharoff is one of Kobe’s long-established confectionery companies. The brand is now available throughout Japan, but the Kobe View Spot Chocolate Roll Cookies are sold only in the Kobe area.

The package features illustrations of the city, which immediately gives the box more local character than a standard nationwide product.

Inside, you will find:

• Four langue de chat cookies filled with almond milk chocolate
• Four langue de chat cookies filled with white chocolate
• Four tuile cookies filled with almond milk chocolate

The assortment offers enough variety for sharing without turning the box into a confusing confectionery experiment.

Best for: Office gifts, families, and travellers wanting Kobe-exclusive packaging

Price: ¥1,080
Expiration date: Six months from the date of manufacture
Where to buy: Sanchika, Daimaru Kobe, and selected Kobe retailers

Motomachi Cake Lighthouse Cookies

Motomachi Cake was founded in 1946 and remains a much-loved Kobe confectionery shop. Its main store is located south of the Motomachi shopping arcade.

The company’s best-known cake is Zakuro, a soft sponge topped with cream and strawberries. It is wonderful, but not exactly the easiest thing to carry through a railway station.

For a more practical souvenir, choose the Lighthouse Cookies. Their packaging reflects Kobe’s identity as a port city, and the cookies are available in three flavours:

• Sesame
• Matcha
• Cheese

They are a good example of a souvenir that feels local without relying on a giant photograph of Kobe Port Tower across the front.

Best for: Port-city themed gifts and travellers who prefer less obvious souvenirs

Price: ¥1,080
Expiration date: Approximately three weeks from purchase
Where to buy: Motomachi Main Store and Daimaru Kobe

Kobe Roast Beef Cookies

These might be the most visually confusing souvenirs on the list.

Jayme Kobe, located inside Daimaru Kobe, sells decorative icing cookies under the Enfant range. Among them is a cookie designed to look like a slice of beautifully marbled Kobe beef.

Despite the appearance, it is a sweet cookie—not an emergency ration of roast beef.

The cookies are individually wrapped, have a relatively long shelf life, and are guaranteed to attract attention when you place them on a table.

They are particularly good for close friends and family members who appreciate gifts with a sense of humour.

Best for: Funny souvenirs, children, and anyone who thinks normal cookies are not dramatic enough

Price: ¥648
Expiration date: 180 days
Where to buy: Jayme KOBE at Daimaru Kobe

Souvenirs Available Only at Kobe Flagship Stores

Kobe is the birthplace of numerous bakeries and confectionery brands, and several maintain flagship shops in the city.

These main stores often sell products unavailable at department stores, train stations, or branches elsewhere in Japan. Visiting one takes slightly more effort, but it gives you a souvenir that feels considerably less mass-produced.

Juchheim Kobe Motomachi Master-Baked Baumkuchen

Juchheim is one of Japan’s most famous baumkuchen brands. Its history is closely connected to Kobe, where the company’s Motomachi flagship store sells exclusive products.

The Master-Baked Baumkuchen is prepared according to a recipe created by a German master baker holding a national professional qualification. Skilled bakers carefully build and bake the cake’s many layers.

The finished baumkuchen has a firm texture with delicate notes of vanilla bean and grated lemon.

This is a cake to cut into thin slices and enjoy gradually, although “gradually” can become a flexible concept once the box is open.

Best for: Traditional confectionery fans and special family gifts

Price: ¥2,376
Expiration date: 60 days
Where to buy: Juchheim Kobe Motomachi Main Store

Gofunyā

Gofunyā is sold exclusively at the Kobe Fugetsudo flagship store.

Kobe Fugetsudo is best known for crisp gaufres, but this product takes the idea in a different direction. Instead of a thin, crunchy wafer, Gofunyā has a softer and chewier texture.

Each piece is baked by hand with honey and filled with buttercream. The flavour combines vanilla with the deeper sweetness and slight texture of brown sugar.

The sweets are sold individually, which is useful when you want to sample one before committing to a larger quantity. This is an extremely sensible souvenir-buying strategy and not merely an excuse to begin eating immediately.

Best for: Trying something different from traditional gaufres

Price: ¥216 each
Expiration date: 14 days from the date of manufacture
Where to buy: Kobe Fugetsudo Main Store

Kobe Souvenirs From Shin-Kobe Station and Kobe Airport

Forgot to buy souvenirs in the city?

There is no need to begin composing apology messages just yet. Shin-Kobe Station and Kobe Airport both stock a useful selection of local products, including several of Kobe’s best-known sweets.

Many come in larger boxes or individually wrapped portions, making them practical when you need gifts for several people.

Kannonya Danish Cheesecake

Kannonya’s Danish Cheesecake is one of Kobe’s most recognisable food souvenirs.

Despite its name, this is not a conventional sweet cheesecake. The small round cake is topped with fresh cheese imported from Denmark and is intended to be warmed before eating.

Heat it in a toaster oven and the cheese becomes soft, stretchy, and lightly golden. The combination of the sweet base and savoury cheese works surprisingly well, particularly with coffee or wine.

Each cake measures approximately 90 millimetres across. Kannonya also operates cafés in Motomachi and Harborland, where you can try the cheesecake before deciding how many boxes must return home with you.

Because it needs refrigeration and has a relatively short shelf life, this souvenir is best purchased near the end of your trip.

Best for: Cheese lovers and people who prefer desserts that are not overly sweet

Price: ¥1,600 for four pieces
Expiration date: Five days when refrigerated
Where to buy: Shin-Kobe Station, Kobe Airport, Kannonya Motomachi Main Store, and Kannonya Harborland

Morozoff Pudding Cookies Kobe

Morozoff was founded in Kobe in 1931 and is especially well known for its custard pudding. The company is also associated with the early development of Valentine’s Day chocolate culture in Japan.

The Morozoff Pudding Cookies Kobe turn the flavour of the brand’s famous pudding into a portable biscuit.

Each cookie contains bittersweet caramel-flavoured chocolate, creating the familiar combination of creamy pudding and caramel sauce in a form that can survive several hours in a suitcase.

The cookies are individually wrapped, making them one of the most convenient options for colleagues, school staff, or larger groups.

Best for: Workplace souvenirs and fans of Morozoff pudding

Price: ¥1,080 for 15 pieces
Expiration date: 345 days from the date of manufacture
Where to buy: Availability varies, but listed locations include Entremarche Shin-Kobe, Entremarche Sannomiya, Kobe Airport’s Kobe Travel Diary shop, Morozoff Kobe Main Store, and Café Morozoff at Kobe Harborland umie

Mon Loire Leaf Memory

Mon Loire is a chocolate company founded in Kobe’s Okamoto neighbourhood. The brand focuses on high-quality chocolate and has become a familiar local favourite.

Its long-selling Leaf Memory chocolates are shaped like tiny leaves. Each small drawstring pouch contains three different flavours.

The pouches are attractive, easy to share, and small enough to hand out individually. The service bag offers better value when purchasing for several people or, theoretically, for “sharing at home.”

Best for: Small gifts, chocolate lovers, and large groups

Price: ¥1,188 for a Leaf Memory service bag
Expiration date: 180 days
Where to buy: Shin-Kobe Station Store, Okamoto Sakamoto Store, and Motomachi Store

Kobe Pudding

Toraku’s Kobe Pudding is one of the city’s classic station and airport souvenirs.

The pudding has a smooth, rich texture and comes with a separate caramel sauce. Once added, the sauce provides a slightly bitter contrast to the sweet custard.

The packaging is designed for travel, and the pudding has a much longer shelf life than fresh refrigerated desserts. That makes it a reassuring last-minute purchase when you want something unmistakably associated with Kobe.

It may not be the most obscure discovery in the city, but classics become classics for a reason.

Best for: First-time Kobe visitors, families, and reliable last-minute gifts

Price: ¥1,188 for four puddings
Expiration date: Approximately six months from manufacture
Where to buy: Souvenir shops at major stations around Kobe, including Shin-Kobe Station, Kobe Airport, airport shops, and selected motorway service areas

Kobe Magic Pot Pudding

Kobe Frantz was founded in 2003, and the Kobe Magic Pot Pudding is one of its signature products.

The dessert is served in a small pot and contains three distinct layers:

• Bitter caramel sauce
• Rich custard pudding
• Soft cream

The pudding is baked before being rapidly frozen at approximately -20°C, helping preserve its smooth texture and rich flavour.

It feels more luxurious than a standard packaged pudding, although the frozen and refrigerated storage requirements mean you need to think about transport before buying it.

Best for: Rich dessert lovers and gifts that feel slightly more special

Price: ¥1,680 for four puddings
Expiration date: Up to 240 days frozen; consume within two days after thawing and refrigerating
Where to buy: Kobe Airport and selected Entremarche shops. The Kobe Frantz direct shop at Shin-Kobe reportedly sells refrigerated versions with a two-day shelf life

Sannomiya Ikkanrou Pork Buns

Kobe’s Nankinmachi Chinatown is packed with steamed buns, dumplings, noodles, and snacks that make it difficult to remain focused on sightseeing.

Among the city’s best-known pork buns are those from Sannomiya Ikkanrou.

The buns are handmade by experienced staff using a recipe based mainly on pork and onions. The flavour is savoury, mild, and straightforward, which helps explain why they remain popular with local families.

An average of around 8,000 buns is reportedly produced each day.

For travel, choose the frozen version. Once reheated, the buns work well as a snack, quick lunch, or useful addition to dinner.

Best for: Families, savoury-food lovers, and practical edible gifts

Price: ¥1,250 for five pork buns
Expiration date: Approximately 30 days
Where to buy: Kobe Airport

Best Non-Sweet Kobe Souvenirs

Not everyone wants another box of biscuits.

Fortunately, Kobe also offers local tea, coffee, preserved foods, and Kobe beef products that travel well and can be given to people who are not especially interested in sweets.

Lupicia Kobe Classic Tea

LUPICIA is a specialist tea company with shops throughout Japan and overseas. Its Cocodeshica range features teas available only in specific locations.

Kobe Classic is the brand’s Kobe-exclusive blend. Its flavour is inspired by the city’s long relationship with imported tea and international trade following the opening of Kobe Port.

The limited packaging features familiar Kobe scenes, including the Weathercock House, Kobe Port Tower, and the waterfront.

This is a particularly good souvenir for someone who enjoys tea but does not need another decorative tin of cookies.

Best for: Tea drinkers and lightweight gifts

Price: ¥1,100
Expiration date: Two years
Where to buy: LUPICIA Kobe Sannomiya Store and Daimaru Kobe

Nishimura Original Blend Coffee

Nishimura Coffee Shop is a Kobe institution. Its cafés attract local residents of all ages and remain some of the city’s most recognisable coffee spots.

The Nishimura Original Blend combines six carefully selected types of coffee beans. The result is smooth and balanced, making it easy to drink without requiring complicated brewing rituals or a detailed lecture on acidity.

It may not be the first item most travellers picture when thinking about Kobe souvenirs, which is precisely why it feels more personal than another standard station-box sweet.

Best for: Coffee drinkers and understated local gifts

Price: ¥800
Expiration date: Approximately two weeks
Where to buy: Nishimura Coffee Shop branches

Kobe Beef Feast

The Kobe Beef Feast set comes from Daikokuya, a long-established tsukudani shop with its main store in Kobe.

The set includes Kobe beef cooked with burdock root and minced Kobe beef simmered in a sweet and savoury sauce made with ingredients such as soy sauce, ginger, mirin, and sugar.

The flavour is mild enough for children while still feeling special enough for a business gift or present for someone who enjoys Japanese food.

Serve it with hot white rice and you have an easy way to enjoy Kobe beef without booking a steakhouse or carrying fresh meat through an airport.

Best for: Business gifts, families, and fans of Japanese rice dishes

Price: ¥1,620
Expiration date: 120 days
Where to buy: Daikokuya Main Store, Sanchika Store, and Daimaru Kobe

Kobe Beef Curry in a Can

A trip to Kobe without encountering Kobe beef is almost impossible. The city has turned its most famous ingredient into steaks, croquettes, buns, rice toppings, and, in this case, canned curry.

The Kobe Beef Curry in a Can is produced by the butcher shop Nick.

Kobe beef tendon is simmered for more than a day and then left to mature for another full day. The curry can be served with rice, but it also pairs well with bread.

The stylish packaging makes it suitable as a gift, while the long shelf life solves the usual problem of transporting meat-based souvenirs.

It is heavier than a packet of tea, admittedly, but considerably easier to pack than an entire Kobe beef dinner.

Best for: Meat lovers, practical food gifts, and long-distance travel

Price: ¥1,380
Expiration date: 730 days
Where to buy: Kobe Airport and Nick Main Store

Kobe General Goods and Non-Food Souvenirs

Food disappears. A useful accessory can keep reminding you of a trip for years—or at least until it vanishes mysteriously into the same dimension as missing socks and charging cables.

These Kobe-themed general goods make good presents for children, friends, or anyone who prefers something reusable.

Familiar Kobe-Exclusive Towel Handkerchief

Familiar is a children’s clothing brand founded in Kobe. It has a devoted following throughout Japan, and limited-edition items can sell out quickly.

The Kobe Main Store and Sanchika Store sell exclusive towel handkerchiefs decorated with local scenery and city motifs.

They are made with thick chenille fabric, giving them a soft, substantial, and high-quality feel. Although Familiar mainly specialises in baby and children’s clothing, many of its accessories are suitable for adults as well.

The Kobe shops may also carry exclusive clear files, notebooks, book covers, bags, and other small goods.

Best for: Practical gifts, families, and Familiar collectors

Price: ¥2,530
Where to buy: Familiar Kobe Main Store and Familiar Sanchika Store

Umikirin Ticket Clear File

Umikirin is a Kobe general-goods brand known for cheerful illustrations inspired by the city.

Its ticket clear file is compact enough to store attraction tickets, receipts, and other small papers while travelling.

The Sea Kobe design features waterfront locations such as Harborland, Meriken Park, and Port Island. Other versions depict Kobe Airport, Mount Rokko, and additional city landmarks.

At ¥286, it is one of the most affordable souvenirs on this list and an easy item to purchase for children, friends, or yourself.

Best for: Budget souvenirs, stationery fans, and travellers collecting tickets

Price: ¥286
Where to buy: Umikirin Shop & Atelier Tor West

Saturn’s Chair Charm

Saturn’s Chair is one of the unusual attractions inside Yamate Hachibankan, part of the Kitano Ijinkan district.

According to local legend, sitting in the chair and making a wish may help that wish come true. The chair has therefore become known as one of Kobe’s popular spiritual or good-luck spots.

The Saturn’s Chair Charm reproduces the elaborate chair in miniature, including its distinctive carvings and shape.

It makes an unusual gift for someone facing an important exam, new job, major journey, or other life change. Even sceptics may appreciate the craftsmanship—and the fact that it occupies considerably less space than the full-size chair.

Best for: Good-luck gifts and visitors to the Kitano Ijinkan district

Price: ¥2,000
Where to buy: Uroko House Shop and Yamate Hachibankan

Which Kobe Souvenir Should You Choose?

Still standing in front of a shelf with twelve boxes in your hands? Here is the simplified version.

For an unmistakably classic Kobe souvenir, choose Kobe Pudding, Kobe Rokkei Mini Gaufres, or Kannonya Danish Cheesecake.

For a stylish gift, consider the ORIENTAL HOTEL Basque Cheesecake, Maman et Fille French Biscuits, or TOOTH Kobe Sablé.

For colleagues or a larger group, individually wrapped products such as Morozoff Pudding Cookies, Freundlieb Sweetheart, and Mon Loire Leaf Memory are particularly convenient.

For someone who does not enjoy sweets, look at Nishimura Original Blend, Kobe Classic Tea, Kobe Beef Feast, or Kobe Beef Curry in a Can.

And when you need something genuinely unusual, it is difficult to compete with a cookie designed to look like a slice of Kobe beef.

Tips for Buying Souvenirs in Kobe

Check storage requirements first

Fresh cheesecake, pudding, and pork buns may need refrigeration or freezing. Purchase these near the end of your trip and check how long they can remain outside temperature-controlled storage.

Buy popular items early in the day

Products such as Maman et Fille’s French Biscuits can sell out. Flagship-store exclusives may also be available only in limited quantities.

Choose individually wrapped products for groups

When buying for coworkers, classmates, or several relatives, individually packaged sweets are easier to distribute and usually stay fresh longer after opening the main box.

Leave some luggage space

Kobe confectionery shops are extremely fond of beautiful tins and sturdy boxes. They look impressive, but they can occupy more suitcase space than expected.

Use Shin-Kobe Station and Kobe Airport as backup options

Both transport hubs stock well-known local products. You will have fewer specialist and flagship-store choices, but you can still find dependable Kobe souvenirs before departure.

Final Thoughts on Shopping for Souvenirs in Kobe

Kobe’s souvenir scene reflects the city itself: international, polished, slightly nostalgic, and deeply enthusiastic about good food.

You can take home French-style biscuits from a shop with queues outside, tea inspired by the city’s trading history, coffee from a local institution, or Kobe beef preserved in a can. You can even buy a tiny good-luck chair or a handkerchief decorated with the skyline.

Our advice is simple: choose one practical gift, one beautiful box, and one slightly ridiculous item that makes you smile.

Then buy an extra cake for the journey. You have done enough shopping to deserve it.

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