There’s nothing I enjoyed more when I lived in Japan than shopping (which is insane, because it’s something I actively avoid when back home!).
I used to love just strolling around any new place I visited, dipping in and out of stores, discovering all the weird and wonderful stuff on offer. Big cities, tiny villages, it really didn't matter! Japan's famous for its collectables and exclusives, especially in tech and gaming. But the real magic is in the stuff we can't get back home, like old gadgets hidden in the back alleys of Osaka, the hand-carved wooden trinkets from a craftsman in the mountains, or cool stationery buried in and around Ikebukuro.
This was the inspiration behind Tozaiya, a way to bring these genuinely great Japanese finds to the West, at reasonable prices! No drop-shipping, no mass-produced tat. Just a carefully picked selection of the kind of stuff Japanese people actually buy and use themselves.
And the thing is, there's clearly a demand! After my many years of both running and attending conventions in Ireland, I've seen how much people light up when they find authentic Japanese items. Not the cheap knockoffs, but the real deal! There's this special excitement when someone stumbles across something that isn't just "weeb merch" but an actual piece of Japanese daily life.
Right now, the plan is still fairly basic! I'm aiming to launch the site soon, selling a selection of basics like homeware, stationery, small trendy items. Eventually, I'd love to expand into bigger stuff, like collectables, records, and maybe even unique crafts from all over Japan. But the ultimate (and still quite distant!) dream would be to open a little physical store in Gothenburg someday, a proper hub where people can discover these treasures in person and feel a bit more connected to Japan's incredible culture! Watch this space...