Tokai Japanese Gifts

This is a cute little store. Prices are pretty reasonable considering most imported Japanese products are super expensive. I got cute washi tape for under $ 5.
They also have dishes, origami, and some cute fabric and stationary.
Worth checking out if you’re looking for Japanese goods in Cambridge.

I get all my incense here, some prices are a little steap but because it’s a small, what seems to be family run business. Everything is authentic too and the staff is just too sweet. I Bought a couple rugs and some very sturdy paper lanterns that accented my apartment great. Also the place smells great and it’s a great place to get someone a crazy rare gift.
Japanese stackable lunch box with a cloth bag, pocky themed chop sticks, and food shaped erasers = Best last minute Valentine’s day gift that didn’t feel last minute!

Very cute gift sore! Lots of dishes, incense, clothing, and those solar-​powered dashboard animals that move back and forth, amongst many other items. Reasonably priced for Japanese consumer goods.
There was a sign at the door not to bring in any drinks and I had just gotten a green tea shake at Café Mami next door, but the guy working at the counter was nice and said it was fine (I offered to leave it at the register).
Really nice to browse for gifts or things for yourself. Both cute and classy-​looking items. I almost got these bowls (but opted for another one I didn’t get a photo of):

This place is always so cute. Can’t help but come here just to see what’s new whenever I’m eating at Porters.
The usual guy is quite nice and helpful. The price seems pretty fair. Be ready to buy some really adorable tiny things here if you really lack self-​control, like myself.
Seems to always have brand new things here! The pyramid incense are really nice and cute but lack practicality. Good amount of bento and utensils and there’s a bunch of fancy stationaries.

If you want Japanese non-​grocery goods and are not expecting bargain prices, this is a great shop.
Although a lot of folks comment that it is expensive, I have to disagree. Prices are typical for this sort of Japanese import. If you find the same items elsewhere, they will be similarly priced, even online.
On to the merchandise:
— Gorgeous dishes — check
— Party favors for kids — like Iwako puzzle erasers — check
— Origami supplies — check
— Kimonos — check
— Cute midori stationery — check
— Cloth napkins — check
— Soaps and shower gel — check
— Bento boxes — check
— Washi papers and tape — check
— Stuffed animals — check
— Pens shaped like cats and dogs — check
— Cheesy plastic crap — Nope
In other words, there is a ton of stuff packed into this small store, none of it the type of stuff you’ll find in a junky trinket shop. It is all nicely arranged so it doesn’t feel cluttered. The sales people are always very nice and helpful.

This is a lovely little shop in Porter Square that sells a wide assortment of artsy crafty goodies and other random gizmos. They’re extremely pricey but they have really good quality origami paper and lovely tea sets. They also sell stationery, kimonos, bento boxes, and other random trinkets. Wonderful eye candy if nothing else!
Merchandise: ⁴⁄₅ — fabulous selection and great quality!
Prices: ³⁄₅ — exorbitant but mostly worth it for the quality
Service: ⁴⁄₅ — the staff are very courteous and helpful
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅ — lovely space
Overall: ⁴⁄₅ — great

In my opinion, these items seem to be greatly overpriced. News flash: you can get Chinese and Japanese trinkets for cheap online or in your local Chinatown.

Walk in with a full wallet leave with a hole in your pocket.
But how can I pass up a coffee mug with a ninja on the side? Or a tea set? Or origami paper? The stuff in here is carefully selected to get me to part with my benjamins.
There are a few items in here that are priced close to what you might find online such as the Apica and Midor notebooks on the shelf in the window. They also have a small selection of brush pens in the back corner. the brush pens are pretty pricey.
Being able to walk into a store that with Apica notebooks is of course, priceless. My fountain pens have never been so happy.

I love this place!
We got lots of great holiday gifts for the family here. This is the perfect store to find presents for those people that have everything.
I’ve bought really nice incense here. I’ve also bought tea cups, a daruma doll, a beckoning cat figurine and some other small things.
Everything is modern, simple, and clean in design. They have a really great variety of things to look at and purchase here!

There’s an obvious consensus that items here aren’t cheap. However this is one of the best curated Japanese-​themed shops I’ve been to so far. More often than not they end up being kitschy and filled with cheap plastic animé toys.
Tokai offers a wide variety of things such as dishware, stationary, toys, and more! Even then the items range from the cute (or kawaii lol) to traditional nature-​themed designs. I don’t think grandma would approve of you serving her tea from a Hello Kitty tea set. Go for the classy tea set with the cherry blossoms. Thank me later~

If you love beautiful Japanese things, this might just be the place for you.
It’s a great place to find lovely and unique gifts for someone or a treat for yourself.
Let’s start with the wall of gorgeous kimonos they have. Although in general, I’m not a robe wearer, these kimonos draw me right to them. The fabrics are gorgeous and the feel of the silk is divine.
There are pretty dishes, bowls, incense holders (with an array fof lovely smelling incense), pretty wrapping papers, cards, stationery, and sake sets. There were also some lovely tea pots and cups.
There are origami papers, earrings, chopsticks and of course, a couple of shelves devoted to Hello Kitty items. (What is it that makes HK so beguiling!?)
I am completely won over these days by the ceramic Maneki-​neko, the beckoning cat statues which are Japanese good luck talismans. There are several in varying sizes to choose amongst. Many thanks to Unilocal friend Cathy S. who so thoughtfully brought one as a gift to me when she came to the East Coast and taught me the meaning behind them. So now, my Maneki-​neko sits on my desk and protects and delights me. I’ve since decided to start not only a collection of these smiling cats but to follow in Cathy’s kind footsteps and give them as gifts to friends.
Tokai is a browsing and shopping pleasure. Especially for friends who have everything, a gift from Tokai would likely be most welcome.

If you’re into Japanese things, this is your place. Here you can find little trinkets, cloths, origami paper and various books (also about origami) as well as lots of authentic dishes. Love their dishes ^_^

This review is long overdue. I’ve been shopping at Tokai for years. How I love this little shop! It’s the perfect place to find gifts for my cousin in Hawaii and for friends who like cute Japanese stuff. I usually wander around in circles looking at everything and trying to decide what to get.
Some items are a bit expensive but there are plenty of items under $ 10. Sometimes I wonder what the markup is, but I imagine it’s expensive to import things from Japan and since they carry lots of items that aren’t to be found anywhere else in Boston, I’m happy to pay. The thing I buy most frequently are stickers, but I’ve also gotten other stationery items (note pads, letter sets, page markers), Sanrio items, origami, chopsticks, and handkerchiefs. Every once in a while I splurge on a more expensive item like a bag.
They recently added a bento section (they’ve always had some bento boxes, but now they have bento accessories) and some other new stuff.

Came across this place on the way to Blue Fin next door. Cute little Japanese shop in surrounded by a circle of Japanese fooderies. The goods are arranged in a very Japanese way, they sell many different types of gifts, from cooking books to origami papers to Kimonos, different kinds of gifts are well placed in the shop to blend with each other. It’s a really fun shop to wander around, although a bit pricey.

Awesome little Japanese gift shop. So many cool items for gifts or your home. You can see how much care went into all of the items in the shop. The materials used and/​or the details used are amazing. My fiancé is a penny pincher but came out of here with a few cool items (chopsticks, origami paper, and crane earrings). I ooed and awwed at several things and will definitely be back. Items that impressed us were; chopstick and chopstick holder selection, piggy bank collection (one was made out of yen), handmade calendars and cards, sushi and tea sets, vases, and more.
The guy behind the counter was friendly and seemed to be helpful.
Check out the food court around the corner.

I may be just echoing Kiwi H. — there are many things I just adore and love in this shop, but I can’t justify paying the the prices on the majority of the merchandise. It’s really fun to go in and look around, but if I see something I like I won’t buy it unless I know I can’t find something same or similar elsewhere.
I’m guessing they make most of their money off tourists, or people who are looking for gifts that they need immediately, or just want the instant gratification of spending a lot of cash.

I love this place!
There is so much variety here — origami paper, chopstick holders, trinkets, teapots, scrolls, clothing, etc. There are also books on how to create origami, how to make sushi, and how to teach yourself Japanese. Why go to Japan when you could go up Mass Ave?
It’s a family-​owned place that’s been around for over 2 decades (I think), and the workers speak both English and Japanese. I believe that the family is part Japanese, part Caucasian, and they’re incredibly friendly and helpful with suggestions. When I needed to buy origami paper, the salesguy patiently went through the myriad of options — seriously, there is SO much paper there lol, with different weights, designs, colours, etc.
I’ve been here twice — once to buy Christmas gifts for my family, and once to buy a whole bunch of supplies for a Japan-​themed party at my dorm. It’s not cheap, but the quality is great and the selection is amazing. I’ve been to Japan, and can honestly say that Tokai is on par.
Some tips:
1. They only accept credit cards if your purchase is above $ 10.
2. There are no refunds — only exchanges. =]

A very nice store with a good selection of Japanese goods (although, I did find some notebooks made in the USA). Stock ranges from attractive ceramics, to stuffed animals, to clothing (yukata, kimono). Japanophiles will have a lot of fun looking through the cool things here.
Several reviewers have complained about the high prices, but Japanese goods tend to be expensive. I don’t think the prices at Tokai are out of line with what you would find at other stores selling similar items.

I love their flower shaped candles. Too bad they don’t sell them anymore! I know they sell really expensive items, but I have to admit that they’ve got some pretty cool things for gifts. I like looking at the kimono selection and they’re all really beautiful. Except for the prices!
A good place to pick up something for a special someone, especially if they’re into Japanese culture!

I love my Gomi Taro monkey — it would have taken months for it to get here from Japan.
But seriously, $ 21 for a bowl set and $ 24 for a plate set?! I’d much rather go to Chinatown to 88 or Ming’s Market. .. if it weren’t so pretty.
Tokai — love the stuff, not a fan of the prices.