What makes a charming souvenir?
How about this Japanese paper lantern, which was chosen as the grand prize winner of this year’s Charming Japanese Souvenir Contest, hosted by the Japan Tourism Agency.
The contest has been held annually since 2005 with one of the goals being “to introduce Japanese appeal to the world through souvenirs and invite more overseas visitors to Japan.”
636 souvenirs were considered and, in addition to charm, prizes were given in categories that included Traditional Japan, Cool Japan, Luxury and Reasonable.
You can see photos, descriptions and prices for the winning souvenirs on the Charming Japanese Souvenir Contest website.
If you see something you like, you’ll likely find it for sale at Narita, Osaka and several other Japanese airports, as one of prizes for all contest winners is to have the products displayed and sold at Japanese airports.
Charming!