Bring nature to your desktop with these nifty DIY kits that let you grow Japanese plants in your own home. Rather than buying greens like shiso or admiring foliage like momiji (maple) from afar, you can now cultivate the plants yourself – albeit in a miniature form. Start with the seedlings and then watch them grow over the course of a few months.
Don’t have a green thumb? All these plant-growing kits are geared towards beginners, and they come with everything you need – all you have to do is add water.
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Add a little zen to your life with this miniature moss garden, complete with small pebbles for some landscaping – perfect for a spot of creative flair. The kit comes with a pre-grown tray of live moss, so you won’t have to wait for anything to grow to admire your little zen garden.
¥2,750 at Village Vanguard.
Do you struggle to remember to water your plants? If so, these self-watering elephant pots were made for you. Created by a pottery workshop in Aichi, each of these adorable ceramic elephants comes with a little water dish that the plants can absorb through the elephant's trunk.
There are two versions available: a white elephant kit that comes with wild strawberry seeds and a grey elephant with apple mint seeds.
¥1,650 at Village Vanguard.
Seishin Ceramics has taken tiny trees to new extremes with these palm-sized bonsai kits. Trimming the stems to cultivate a proper bonsai might take some skill and a bit of dedication, but with the proper care, who knows how majestic your plant bonsai could look in ten years?
¥660 at Village Vanguard.
Chilled edamame is a quintessential izakaya snack that goes best with a frothy pint of beer. If you find yourself ordering these pods every time you go to a Japanese restaurant, it might be worth growing your own with this handy edamame kit. For the best results, keep the planter somewhere bright, like the window sill, and the pods should be ready to harvest in two to three months' time.
¥1,540 at Hands.
Often used as a garnish for sashimi at sushi restaurants, shiso is a staple among Japanese herbs, perfect for sprucing up salads and even pasta. As shiso is primarily used in cooking, these nifty planters are modelled on traditional wooden bento lunch boxes. For best results, soak the seeds overnight and plant in soil when the temperature is mild.
¥792 at Loft.
Here's a novel way of bringing the outside into your home. This quirky growing kit is for cultivating the tiny greens you see growing in the crevices of Tokyo's pavements, and even comes with its own little block of cracked concrete.
¥1,650 at Loft.
After touring through Tokyo's many museums and art galleries, pick up a memorable souvenir at one of these great shops
From letterpress cards and washi tapes to notebooks and signature seals, these top shops offer the city's best stationery supplies
With these cheap and cheerful 100 yen items, you can now buy more gifts and memories from Tokyo without busting your budget
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