Shops in Japan sell everything under the sun… sometimes even items that made me laugh out loud. These were some of my favorites. And ok, some of them I wish I had bought.

10. Realistic Fake Food Bling

Want a cell phone covered with rice? Sushi earrings? One shop that I visited makes novelty items out of the plastic food items used in Japanese restaurant displays.

9. Finger Sunglasses

I don’t think these offer a lot of sun protection.

8. “Will you be a cat?” Face Mask

Give yourself a facial at home with these fun masks. I guess you can also look like a cat while you are pampering yourself. Japanese convenience stores sold all kinds of face masks, with “flavors” like red ginseng, bee venom, apricot, avocado, and snail.

7. Chocolate and Marshmallow Pizza

We passed this sign while not so hungry. Otherwise, I would have stopped. How can you go wrong here?

6. A Wooden Prayer Plaque Covered in Breasts

These wooden plaques are called “Ema.” Shinto worshippers buy one, write their wish on the wood, and hang it at the shrine. This particular shrine was made to honor women, and apparently the breasts symbolize a healthy childbirth. It was still a little funny to me to see a bunch of fabric breasts at a religious site.

5. Captain Santa Clothing

I never associated Santa Claus with boating, but I guess they make an interesting pairing!

4. Really High Clogs

I’m not sure why I didn’t want to buy these 6 inch heels in American flag colors, but look! They were discounted from 20,000 yen to 2,000 yen (that’s around $16, on sale from $160). A bargain!

3. Trendy Toe Shoes

Speaking of shoes, I also got to check out these funky treads that bring a modern spin to an old Japanese style. That double toe thing is traditional footwear in various parts of Japan. I did get some Hello Kitty socks like this.

2. A Shirt with an Inspirational Tag

In case you can’t read it, it says, “I think fate cannot win the will of adamant. Therefore, I want to enjoy all the trial of life. Anything is possible if you can only change the negative into a positive thinking. And I want to live my life to its maximum where impossible will no longer be an impossible dream to accomplish. Because that is called happiness.” Deep, right? Too bad the shirt cost over $100 USD and it wasn’t that nice really.

1. Tear of a Forest Girl

Last, but certainly not least, this costume item seems like a winner, right? It’s a “real fake tear.”

Would you have bought any of these things if you were in Japan? Maybe there’s something lost in translation on some of these. In any case, shopping in Japan is a blast even if you don’t buy anything.