2024 in Japan, my annual share of goodies

write sth. upfront

2024 is my fourth year in Japan. Since I came to Japan in 2021, at the end of every year, I’ve been taking stock of what I’ve spent this year and writing and sharing the products that I’ve used with high frequency and had a good experience with, and this year is no exception.

Instead of summarizing the year’s goodies, it’s more like a review of the year. In Japan this year, I accomplished national domination and hit the four poles of Japan; I hiked on the World Heritage Yakushima Island and completed a 10-point tour of Hokkaido; outside of Japan, I made up for the fact that I didn’t get to see a volcano in Indonesia last year; and I’m now on a 20-day self-drive in Xinjiang, taking in the great mountains and rivers of my homeland.

Based on the aforementioned trait that I always like to go outdoors and sneak around, this year’s spending seems to be a bit more outdoorsy and lifestyle-oriented, and conversely, I’m not as interested in the digital product iterations. That’s why I’ve put the lifestyle section of the goodies roundup up front this year, so if any of you just want to read the digital products section you can pull it straight to the back and watch it.

life chapter

Smartwool Merino Wool Socks and Related Products

If there is a recommendation ranking in the life section, I should choose this one. Before buying, I felt pure IQ tax, but after buying, I found that the product is really fragrant. smartwool all products use merino wool, and provide a lifetime warranty (worn out also counts, but it seems that mainland China does not have this service). Merino wool socks are great for hiking in the winter, keeping you warm and absorbing sweat, and due to the nature of the product, you can hike for 3-4 days without getting an odor.

Smartwool has a wide range of hiking socks, and the hiking series is generally sufficient for most scenarios. hiking has a thicker sock sole than the regular series, so there’s some cushioning when you walk, but it’s not overly thick and stuffy like the pro version.

We also recommend that you experience clothing made of merino wool, which is very fine and does not feel uncomfortable against your body. And because of the nature of wool, it retains its temperature even after sweating, so your body won’t “lose heat”. During the 20 days I was in Xinjiang, I had two wool tops from montbell and ice breaker with me, so that I could replace them at any time, and also cope with the very changeable weather in Xinjiang.

If you have enough budget, just consider ice breaker and smartwool, which are basically the ceiling of merino wool products. If you want to be more cost-effective, you can consider some domestic merino wool brands, such as the recent hot UTO (more picky about body shape) or not marketed (heard good feedback from friends) and so on. However, I have not tried domestic merino wool, so you can read more reviews before ordering.

HOKA HOPARA 2 Wading Shoes

These shoes are the second generation of HOKA waders, with upgraded mesh and the use of Cordura® material compared to the previous generation. I purchased these shoes the day before I left for Indonesia to wade up Sewu Falls, but I didn’t realize that they would become my most-worn pair of shoes in the summer after I returned from Indonesia.

These shoes don’t have a V-sole, but the slip resistance is pretty good when you’re actually climbing. The fast lacing system makes them quick to put on and take off once you get used to them, and the Cordura® mesh makes them breathable in the summer. Unlike other sandals, these shoes are a bit more outdoorsy, so they have an impact-resistant, padded toe, which makes them ideal for outdoor situations.

Of course there are some downsides to these shoes: excluding the bad wading, you still need to travel in socks. The soles don’t wear well, which is a common problem with this brand, but as long as you don’t wear them as frequently as I do, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

• This image was translated from the official website of HOKA Japan.

MUJI Labo Wind and Water Resistant Pants

MUJI Labo being a high end line, the great tailoring of their collection has always been a point of appreciation for me. The cut of these pants is not figure-flattering and the straight leg is very versatile. The plus point is the use of a special fabric that is windproof and treated to ensure that the water repellency lasts even after repeated washing.

These pants are great for commuting and for being outdoors a lot. I’ve been able to wear them on their own for urban commuting, and I’ve been able to wear them with a pair of montbell fleece pants for hiking or when the weather gets cold and rainy, and I’ve been able to wear them for pretty much everything. These pants have accompanied me through snowstorms in Hokkaido, volcanoes in Indonesia, and snowy seasons in Altay, Xinjiang. They are easy to clean and quick-drying, and at only $300, they’re well worth recommending to everyone.

Patagonia Nano-Air® Light Hybrid Hoody 夹克

This jacket from Patagonia has been my go-to for hiking and climbing this year, it’s perfect for a mid-layer and is great to wear in the fall and winter.

Its best feature is that lightweight and warmth can be combined seamlessly, using a blend of fleece + FullRange® material for warmth, which is in between the R2 and R1, but more breathable than either, keeping me comfortable in all kinds of weather. Whether I was dealing with the coolness at the top of the mountain while hiking or needed breathable performance while hiking outdoors, it did a great job.

The back and underarms are made of R1® Air fleece fabric, which is not only lightweight and breathable, but also quick wicking and drying to effectively remove moisture, and my many tests have shown that this design greatly reduces the feeling of stifling heat while retaining the body temperature during exercise. In addition, the jacket is also lightly waterproofed with DWR, so it’s easy to handle in light snow or rain.

I’m currently using it as the middle layer in my own three-layer approach to dressing, with the montbell fleece mentioned above for the base and montbell’s Storm Cruiser for the shell. It’s a better set for the money and more practical.

Airweave 枕头 S-LINE

This year, I switched from IKEA’s KLUBBSPORRE pillow to Airweave’s S-LINE pillow. I knew about this brand because it has a strong user base: all of the new national theaters use its cushions, and the first class cabins on the JAL international line also use its mattresses and chairs. Since Airweave has offline stores all over Japan, I went to two stores in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro to try out a few pillows before purchasing. Each pillow is suitable for slightly different people, and after two comparisons, I ended up choosing the S-LINE pillow that I’m using now.

After almost a year of use, I think this pillow is really worth the money.The S-LINE pillow is filled with multiple layers of material, the center of which is height-adjustable, allowing you to increase or decrease the height of the pillow according to your personal needs. The filling material is full of holes and has excellent ventilation, so it doesn’t feel stuffy at all in the summer, which is perfect for people like me who sweat easily. In addition, this pillow is softer in the center and firmer on the sides, with a transition in hardness that provides great support whether you’re lying flat or on your side, perfect for people who like to fall asleep flat or on their side.

While writing this recommendation, I realized that MUJI is currently offering a similar pillow that uses almost the exact same core as the Airweave, and according to those who have bought it, the experience is good too. So if you’re in Japan, you can go to a MUJI store to see the real thing and buy it on merit.

POLA Black BA Cleansing Cream

This part of the cleanser is not too informative because everyone’s skin type is different, so it’s just for sharing.This year, out of the blue, tried Chanel cleanser, sk2 cleanser and a host of other big-name cleansers, black BA is in the case of Chanel out of stock purchased, but surprisingly good use.

Although Black BA is a complete soap-based cleanser, after using one it didn’t feel at all like the usual soap-based cleanser that makes your face feel tight after washing. Since I have oily skin, I’ve always felt that the cleansing power of amino acid cleansers is a bit weak, especially in the summer when I sweat a lot. After switching to Black BA, in addition, the foaming level of this cleanser is dense and thick, so each time only the size of a soybean grain can complete facial cleansing, and the cleansing level is just right for me.

Black BA cleanser is also claimed to have “anti-sugar” effect, to help the skin to maintain a youthful state, slow down the aging process. However, this part of the description of personal feeling is completely marketing means of IQ tax, after all, no matter what ingredients in the actual use of facial cleanser on the face are not stayed for 1 minute, and then with the ingredients is also empty talk.

Bananai Silver Leather 500E Men’s Briefs

This year, I’ve tried three underwear products: Cotton Age, Banana, and Arbor, and I still feel like I recommend Banana in general. I got to know Banana’s from the disposable underwear category, and since I go out a lot, I bought disposable underwear from Cotton Era and Banana’s to compare.

The product experience of these two brands is completely heaven and earth. The disposable underwear from Cotton Era is so bad that just touching the fabric before you wear it gives you a “textile bag” feeling, which makes you feel like you’ve stepped on a thunderbolt. The actual wearing of the same as expected, the quality is very poor, wearing half a day basically scrapped, the fabric is not skin-friendly.

Banana’s disposable underwear is infinitely close to ordinary underwear in terms of feel and actual wearing experience, very skin-friendly, and there is no discomfort such as crotch jamming. After hiking or trekking in the outdoors, the underpants remained intact and did not get deformed. In light of this, I subsequently purchased Banana’s Silver Skin 500E men’s underwear, and the actual experience of wearing the 80 count modal fabric basically lived up to the delicate, almost senseless feel of the promotional slogan.

As for Arbor, I’ve purchased it because I often swiped his promotional videos. My experience is not as good as Uniqlo (but Uniqlo is not as good as MUJI), a lot of threads in the workmanship, and just a very ordinary product, but at the price it is not sold cheaply, so it is not worth recommending.

Three more snack recommendations

In life, there are always rainy days when you stay at home alone to catch up on dramas, so it would be great to have some snacks to eat while you watch. This year, we have three snacks for you, one highly recommended for those in Japan and two for those in China.

Hokkaido Rokkanotei Snacks/Cookies Gift Set

I probably haven’t had many high-end confections either, so my internal OS when I had my first one was: damn how can something be this good????? I would recommend all my friends in Japan to try it out, his snacks and cookies are basically no mines, they are all super tasty, the only downside is that they are a bit too sweet.

The package includes Rokkatei’s signature dim sum: Marusei butter sandwiches (黄油葡萄干夹心饼干), Marusei butter cakes (烤核桃奶油夹心蛋糕), etc. The package is also available in a variety of other colors.

Tea Face Cheese Corn Horns ✖️ Southern Raw Coconut Crisps

A snack that you often want to eat even in Japan. If you don’t like too much sweetness it’s better for corn on the cob, and if you like sweetness you can choose raw coconut crunch.

Both snacks are often active, so you can stock up a little at low prices, small packages to catch up on the show is also more convenient, eat a bag can be thrown away directly, no burden.

a digital chapter

DJI Osmo Pocket 3

Definitely a groundbreaking product for the DJI Osmo lineup. I’ll be taking the Pocket 3 with me on all of my travels this year, whether it’s within Indonesia or Japan, the Pocket 3’s ultra-wide angle helps me get some really great shots.

Although this is a video-focused product, after using it for a year, I found that the Pocket 3 has the same amazing resolution for ultra-wide-angle photos taken during the day, and the included panoramic photo compositing, when used properly, can also produce effects that the camera can’t by rendering them on-the-fly.

Two wide-angle images taken with the Pocket 3 are attached here for your reference. For more usage scenarios you can refer to this article:Indonesia: A Magical Journey from Bromo Volcano to Genie’s Bluff.

In addition, with the software update, the Pocket 3 can also act as a computer camera without having to install any plug-ins and comes with a beauty effect. This update is simply a godsend for people who often use ZOOM for meetings, further expanding the usage scenarios.

It’s not worth mentioning that for DJI’s product strategy, I’d recommend purchasing the kit version of the Pocket 3 when you’re on a budget, as the standalone version doesn’t allow you to use the camera’s 1/3 nut without a charging handle, which doesn’t expand the number of usage scenarios. However, this problem has been solved with the Pocket 3 more than a year after its introduction, and third-party accessories are largely available to solve the aforementioned problem.

WAVE75 Mechanical Keyboard + Snow Clear Shaft

Although this keyboard is not well known, the development team is WOB Studios, the studio behind the big breakout hit that was the RAINY 75 (Rain 75). However, it seems that this keyboard has not achieved the same unprecedented success as the Rainy 75, and is still a relatively niche customized keyboard.

I recommend it for the following reasons: as a mass-produced customized keyboard, it is very convenient to have the keyboard assembled at the factory and ready to use when it arrives. Even if you don’t change anything after receiving it, the quality of the keyboard is still outstanding.

The body comes with a quick release structure, making it easy to subsequently tune it to your liking. Comes with a magnetic keyboard receiver storage compartment, four extra sound packs, and a changeable silicone grain gasket structure, which is already an excellent configuration for a $500 keyboard (starting at $300 for the low end). The only downside is that the included keycaps are really ugly and the PBT content feels low, making them sticky after a while of typing. But that doesn’t seem to be a problem for a custom keyboard, after all, who keeps the stock keycaps when playing with a custom one?

I got my hands on the Obsidian-Painted RGB version, which I think is one of the best looking configurations in there. If any of you want to get the same model, I can also recommend three more suitable sets of keycaps here: the Chemistry 001 (or the replica Chemistry 003, which is cheaper), the Border Peripherals ✖️ Epoch Gray keycaps (my choice), and the Titan Nation Star Trek keycaps (which are relatively inexpensive).

Sony 100-400 镜头.

The telephoto lens has an irreplaceable advantage when it comes to photographing natural landscapes like big mountains and rivers. With its powerful telephoto capabilities and excellent image quality, this lens can be a great tool for capturing the beauty of nature.

The 100-400mm focal length range offers great creative freedom for shooting. Whether it’s a majestic mountain range in the distance, a delicate river texture, or a bird soaring through the air, it’s easy to capture, filling every frame with a sense of storytelling. Compared to telephoto lenses in its class, this lens features a lightweight design that reduces the burden of long-duration shooting, making it ideal for outdoor photography scenarios that require trekking.

The drawbacks are also quite obvious, due to the lack of a snap lock design, this lens will fail to snap on after prolonged use, and the front half of the lens will slide out on its own when carried on the body. In addition, the F4.5-5.6 aperture will be limited in bokeh effect, and it’s hard to excel in dark light without a tripod (but everyone shoots landscapes with a tripod, right?). .

Apple Watch Series 10

While the iPhone 16 Pro Max was also updated this year, I still think the Watch Series 10 is the only thing Apple has made worth replacing this year.

On the one hand, replacing my previous grandpa’s version of the S5 greatly improves range, and on the other hand, the fast charging of the day version basically satisfies my daily use needs, so as long as I charge it at night while I’m washing up, I can basically wear it and use it all day long.

CoolState Tech 120W Charging Head/Anker 140W Charging Head

As a veteran of charging heads, I asked a friend to ship these two products to Japan as soon as they came out. In terms of combined price and configuration, there is no doubt that these two products are very cost-effective. But I’m not recommending this single product here, but rather that we all have a product in the same category, with a multi-port, high-wattage charging head that’s great for those who are always on the go. In my opinion, choosing a similar product for traveling certainly saves a lot of luggage space.

Both CoolState 120W charging head and Anker 140W charging head are equipped with the function of “multiple ports without disconnecting”, so that you can enjoy the smoothness in the charging scenario of multiple devices. The CoolState 120W charging head is more cost-effective, while the Anker 140W charging head has a screen to monitor the charging power in real time, and can also record the duration of use, the function is more fancy, can greatly satisfy the charging head enthusiasts.

other than

In this section I would like to share the products that I have used long enough but did not actually purchase. After fully using these products, I think they are strong products, so I would be the first to consider purchasing them in the future if I have the budget for it.

DJI DJI AIR 3S Drone

I started getting into drones with the DJI Elf 3, and have used the Elf 3, Elf 4Pro, and Mavic Pro, but after coming to Japan I didn’t follow up by purchasing a new drone due to the cumbersome rules of aerial photography in Japan.

The last six months have been rubbing a friend’s drone, from DJI AIR 3 to DJI AIR 3S, once again marveled at the perfect function of the current drone at the same time, but also to find the joy of the year. I drove with a friend to Xinjiang for more than 20 days in November, and because the aerial perspective has a unique advantage over the “big view” of Xinjiang, I had to use the AIR 3S to take photos every day, and the frequency of use was very high.

After these days of high-frequency use, the drone adopts the 4G module + GPS positioning when flying, basically, there will be no loss of signal in such a sparsely populated scenic spots in Xinjiang, and the dual-camera is also very out of the film, especially the addition of a telephoto lens can be more satisfactory in the limited flight time of the scenery photos.

In addition, DJI AIR 3S has some built-in automatic photography to solve the problem of many aerial photography novices do not know how to “brush the pot” and other difficult actions. Basically, if you select the object you want to shoot with your finger, you can shoot it automatically, and sometimes it may be smoother than your own manual lens operation.

In particular, the drone’s auto-tracking feature was very useful, and even when we tried to use auto-tracking on top of the cliffs on the old Tasha Road, the drone was able to very evenly run the lens and smoothly track the vehicle for the shot without losing the target.

Tank 300 Car

It is said that the car is a man’s big toy, then I think it is not too far off the mark to write about the feeling of using the car here. Tank 300 is the same product that has been experienced in Xinjiang for more than 20 days, driving about 300-600 kilometers every day, and as a 200,000 yuan level SUV, I think there are almost no shortcomings.

In these 20 days, this rented Tank 300 took us through windy deserts and gravel, and even took us safely to our destination on an icy, 4,000-meter-high mountain road, which can be said to be pulling out all the stops, both in terms of emotional value and sense of driving experience. With a combined price tag of 200,000, it’s hard for me to say that it has shortcomings such as high gas mileage, lagging on the car’s engine, slightly high wind noise (also related to the snow tires), and chicken ribs for voice control, because as an off-road tool, it’s just a near-perfect piece of work. The Tank 300 is inherently suited for use in wide-open spaces like Sichuan-Tibet and Xinjiang, and there should be more and better automotive options if you return to urban commuting.

put at the end

This is a conclusion and a disclaimer. All the products in this article are purchased at their own expense, their own experience, so the “good thing” does not contain any advertising components, but the definition of “good thing” is entirely my subjective judgment, only my own experience sharing, for reference only, and can not constitute a specific Consumption advice.

There are a few more goodies to share than in previous years as some of my friends have specifically pushed for more this year. But no matter what I say about these items, please buy all of them according to your actual needs – after all, the best things are the ones that fit your needs.

I hope these 2024 Goodies Shares have been a little helpful to you reading this, and if you have any questions, feel free to interact with me by leaving a comment at the bottom of this article. See you in 2025 for our goodies to share.