What Western Products/Brands do you miss?

35 comments

1. These are the Western™ brands I miss the most:

   – Hacendado
   – Bosque Verde
   – Deliplus

2. Turkey sandwiches

3. L’Oréal make-up, Essie nail polishes, many perfume brands like Paco Rabanne, Carolina Herrera, Guess and Cacharel that are not available here. I mainly miss cosmetics 🥺

4. Good quality sourdough bread, selection of hams and cheeses so I can eat a decent sandwich.

5. Fishermen’s Friend lozenges, Buckley’s Mixture

6. It’s dumb but those round EOS lip balms or Burt’s Bees (lip balms, creams, etc.) are always a hit 😂 If it’s for Japanese friends anyway. Trader Joe bags or other tote bags are also popular.

7. Capitaine Cook canned fish.

8. Some good salt rising bread

9. DayQuil.

10. Whittaker chocolate from NZ

11. [deleted]

12. Tomas’s English muffins, coldezze and pepperage farm cookies (at least a better assortment)

13. Don’t really miss much anymore but things I seek out when I go back. I am not fussed with the particular brand because a lot of companies do the following well.

    1. Bread, cheese, sausages, pate, chocolate are all way better.

    2. Being able to buy other ethnicities food easily and cheaply.

    3. Medicine that covers all bases and works fast.

    4. Recreational drugs without fear of perma-ban, but I’m kinda glad Japan doesn’t have much of these.

    I’d say I want number 2 more than anything. The rest I can survive without.

14. I never really cared for food in the US, especially snacks or prepackaged foods. However I do mis actually good salsas. When I lived in the US I lived near a large population of Hispanic people and you could always find fantastic salsa verde or habanero salsas. In Japan I can always make a really good pico de gallo or guacamole with the items in a regular super market. But I miss more traditional flavors.

15. I know a lot of things can ship to Japan but Bath and Body Works, Victorias Secret, any and all high brand makeup (I know some you can get here but just general access to a Sephora or Ulta) so many things I have a fat list of things I’m buying when I visit family

16. Arm and Hammer deodorant
    Powdered mix to make gravy (for biscuits and gravy)

17. – legit tortillas
    – pork ribs
    – real cheese, especially feta
    – purple olives
    – spicy peppers
    – ranch dressing
    – Salsa Verde Doritos

    The essentials, really

18. For me it’s the simple things, cheese, baked beans, smoked back bacon, large flat mushrooms.

19. I miss proper cake that I’d get back home in the UK. I like my cakes to have some weight behind them, and not feel like aerated sugar!!

20. Crest Pro Health toothpaste is a pretty specific one I use, not a fan of the toothpaste I’ve found out here so far, so getting something usable is nice.

21. Reese’e peanut butter cups. I don’t need to elaborate

22. I miss Tums. After a heavy 2 day bender, the heartburn can be vicious on Monday morning, so i used to pop a few in the morning before work. Also, although I hate the taste, V-8 was a great way to get over a hangover.

    *Tune in next week for a new episode of Tips for the High Functioning Alcoholic*

23. Melatonin :’)

24. cheese

    edit: good cheese

25. Why are so many people commenting foods and snacks? Could it be that they didn’t read the post?! lol

    Anyway, Crest Scope toothpaste is a given BUT decent teeth whitening strips are also good! Small Yankee candles in the glass jars are also a nice present 🙂

    Also, stuff from PINK (as in, Victoria’s Secret). I bought a bunch of stuff from there when I was in Hawaii, ended up selling half of it when I came back to Japan and it sold QUICK on Mercari so I realised people must like it here!

26. Seems like canvas shopping bags (totes) from American only grocery chains seems to be a popular souvenir item in Tokyo i.e. Trader Joes, Erewhon

27. Gaviscon for any friend with mild reflux, I miss having that OTC.

28. Decent deodorant!

29. deodorant, toothpaste, if you or any friends are large busted: bras and shirts, shoes if anyone has big feet, shampoo for fine hair, things that are scented like lotions, handsoaps, sprays. Heck the bath and body works hand soaps make great gifts for Americans and Japanese. Everyone loves them.

    Cold medicine! tylenol, motrin, excedrin. I always stock up on pain killers and cold medicine.

    lip balm, high end make up.

    Spices that are hard to find or expensive. lemon pepper, cream of tartar, dill…

30. *Wiley Wallaby* or Darrell Lea Black licorice. Good ‘N’ Plenty. Franks Red Hot Sauce. Any good deodorant such as Schmidt’s.

31. Pepperoni sausage. Not the sliced stuff, the whole sausage. I used to use that instead of ground meat for my lasagna, cut it in cubes and with the sauce. The slices aren’t the same. I also used to cut it in 5mm slices for pizza instead of putting 2-3 layers.

32. I miss

    • LMNT packets from Amazon

    • Wide selection of cans/small cartons of decent wine (products that don’t give me a headache like Suntory, and don’t stain my teeth)

    • Cheap chelada tallboys & misc. 40oz beeru

    • Womens shoes in my size

    • Tshirts that fit (slim fit w/ long fitted torso)

33. In and out 🍔

34. Mine is all drug sore stuff.

    Old Spice arm deodorant.
    Neosporin.
    Pepto.
    Cortizone 10.
    Benydryl.
    Big bottle of acetaminophen (from Costco).

    All the good stuff.

35. Ralph Lauren off of Macy’s clearance rack. Luggage is often a good buy, too. Again, Macy’s on sale or Nordstrom’s Rack outlet.

    Lavender oil — I don’t care so much about the brand but augustifolia smells nicer than the Farm Tomita stuff.

    Vitamin D3 is cheaper overseas.

    Cute seasonal towels are fun, but often don’t fit on drying racks here.

    Bumble & Bumble have travel sizes of shampoo & conditioner at Sephora. Pricey but nice. My favorite is the coconut. Sephora has great travel-sized goodies. Kiehl’s hand cream was one of my favorite omiyage buys.