Our story: Hana and Mikan
Hana grew up next to a small train station in the mountains of Japan. The little shops around the station were full of good things that hardly anyone outside the town knew about: knives from a local workshop, tea from a nearby farm, sweets you could only buy in that one prefecture.
Whenever Hana sent photos to friends abroad, the same questions came back: “Where can I buy that?” “Is it really good?” “Will it work in my country?”
So Hana started a guide that answers in her friends’ own languages. She called it Eastbound Finds – the good things you find when you head east. It starts with Japan, and little by little it will also introduce good things from the rest of Asia.
Her travel buddy is Mikan, a curious calico cat who jumped into Hana’s backpack one morning at the station and never left. Every time Hana says “This is great!”, Mikan sniffs it and asks: “Wait – can it be shipped to your country?”
Who does what
- Hana shows you around: what a product or place is, how to choose, and where to find it.
- Mikan checks the fine print: import rules, allergies, halal, voltage and other things worth knowing before you buy. Look for “Mikan’s note” in our articles.
An honest note
- Hana and Mikan are illustrated guides – fictional characters created for this site. They have not personally tried the products we write about.
- Our articles are created with AI and checked against the sources listed on each page. Please also check the seller and official information before you decide.
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