What would you bring to the United States if you had a bunch of empty suitcases from Japan?

16 comments

1. Coolish. The portable soft serve.

   Most of the snacks I loved in Japan, I’ve found online or available to ship somewhere, except coolish. It’s not in H Mart, or my local Asian mart, or online, or anything I’ve found.

2. Alfort is a good start. Those a really good. Since they’re for family, I’d bring a WIDE assortment of Kit-Kats. Everyone knows what they are but most Americans have never seen the vast variety that are offered in Japan. I thought my Mom’s head would explode when she got banana kit-kats. I’d stick with a wide variety of snacks. Otherwise, t-shirts, small toys for kids, an other unique items.

   As for your wife, it kinda depends on the type of people you are or where you’re traveling too. I grew up in Louisiana, so when my then fiancé came to visit I took her to the unique places we had in the southern USA. Funny enough, she fell in love with steak fingers from Sonic drive in. To this day, she’s still ticked Sonic stopped carrying that a couple years after her visit back in the 90s. I also let my wife experience Cajun food and culture to its fullest. She ate gumbo I made for her as well as alligator, beignets, etc., etc. I also took her to a High School football game. That blew her mind and now she’s a die hard Saints fan. Give her experiences she’ll almost certainly never get in Japan.

   Also, ask your family what they think you should show off about your part of the USA.

3. I brought half a suitcase of strawberry Galbo back with me back in May. The other half of the suitcase was chocolate Galbo.

   ETA: Try pop rocks. That was a hit with my host family when I was a foreign exchange student.

4. Vintage clothes, ceramics, sunscreen.

5. I lived in Japan for a year. One of the suitcases I brought back was basically dedicated to stuff I bought at the Pokemon Center. Just recently sold 4 cards for 16k.. still have a lot of the plushies, etc.

6. Dried, salt-cured fish and other kinds of dried seafood like a nice block of katsuobushi. That stuff is top notch in japan and very expensive in the states. Sometimes impossible to find.

7. I bought a suitcase full of rice back with me. Good Japanese rice is just way too expensive where I live.

8. used vending machine panties 

9. All the yen I could fit inside, of course.

10. As much Strong Zero as I can get my hands on

11. Some pairs of large and small scissors. A dozon of pencils and notepads. Other things can be sold in the shopping malls in the US at the same price range. My friends requested me a dozon of Japanese beer like Ebisu and some others might like Calpis but it can be sold in some cities in the US. I eat the food where they are grown. I have never had a problem with American products except the quality of stationary.

12. Good public transportation, clean streets, low cost of living, nice stores and vending machines readily available with healthy food and drink. Like three suitcases should be good, yeah?

13. They sell those cookies at the Tokyo Central (Japanese supermarket) in Costa Mesa. I’m sure they have them at most of the locations.

    The custom flavors of Kit Kats. Definitely not available in the US and make great gifts for everyone.

14. Food can be tricky. Check with the US customs about what are allowed and what are not. I think snacks are OK. Stationeries that feature anime characters may please kids and anime fans.

15. Be careful about instant ramen. US customs took my cup noodle bc it has chicken in it.

16. matcha deserts, 1970’s records, habu sake, beni imo kitkats off the top of my head