Cheap ‘n’ Cheerful Japanese Finds

1. Monster Doll (Daiso)
Made in Thailand, these quirky, hand-sewn dolls tickle us pink, which is why we bought two. They’re meant to be key-chains but you could attach them to a longer string and wear them as necklaces.

2. U*SA*HA*NA Squeaky Toy (100 Yen Shop)
There wasn’t any English on the packet to tell us what this toy is for, but we know it’s from Sanrio, it's squishy and it squeaks when you press it.

3. A Lanp-Gone (sic) Grandpa Finger Puppets (Daiso)
Taken from a Japanese folktale, the puppet's story is about a Grandpa who has a lump on his cheek that gets help from these ogres. The perfect gift for every child over three!

4. Surprise (Daiso)
We figured out that this toy is called The Hand of the River Boy. Sucked in by phrases like “open it quietly”, inside the wrapping, it says in Japanese/Chinese, “He says it’s no use”. Too bad we didn’t know that before we bought it.

5. Climbing Monkey Toy (Daiso)
Hang it up and pull the two strings to make this handmade wooden monkey climb the string. Another playful Daiso find that merits the price tag.

6. Portable Ashtray (Daiso)
This nifty ashtray claims to improve the manners of smokers. We were drawn to the fact that you can hang it around your neck. The best part is the random “Wool 100%” sheep illustration. Totally worth the RM5.

7. Froggy Mouth (Daiso)
Okay, you’ll probably be a laughing stock if your wear this thing over your nose, but, as the packaging says, “Let’s enjoy the party!”. It even squeaks when you press it! Awesome.

Text Maybritt Rasmussen

Article taken from KLue Magazine July 2009, Issue 129