A stretch of vendors as far as the eye can see, each booth filled with curious innovations and products you’d never imagine, this is none other than the Tokyo Gift Show.

An expo held twice a year at the massive Tokyo Big Sight convention hall, the Gift Show boasts thousands of exhibitors from around the world. Here, you can wander for hours, acquainting yourself with the most tantalizing Japanese gifts, goods, and gourmet treats.

There is truly something for every taste here- it is a playground for adults. Robot cat sitters, handmade pearl handbags, miniature samurai swords, glass pens with perfumed ink, up-and-coming streetwear brands, and endless packaging, stickers, and stamps. You will turn a corner and laugh to yourself, “A neon claw machine? A miniature dollhouse bakery? A jelly vending machine? Of course!” Only in Japan.

In the gourmet section, you’ll fall in love with Japan all over again, sampling hinoki caramels, Mount Fuji beer, sansho pepper, bamboo tea, boutique soy sauce, and Okinawan pineapple jam (which I still dream about to this day). You can explore the diverse flavors of the country without leaving Tokyo, with vendors coming from all over to showcase the very best of their products.

While visitors cannot purchase products at the expo, I would recommend a visit solely for inspiration. Japan is a trailblazer in product design, packaging, and branding- and it’s here that you can see the very heart of that creative essence.

If you can’t make it to the Tokyo Gift Show in person, have a look at some of my favorite vendors here:

Handmade washi paper lamps by Torchin
Mount Fuji beer and kombucha by il st bibitone
Edo-inspired menswear by Yasuke-Fuji
Japanese olive oil by Nippon Olive
Okinawa pineapple products by Fine Pine Time
Strawberry-infused coffee by Hashimoto Coffee
Braided somen noodles by Kakizato