Popular Japanese store Loft reveals their top 12 most popular items sold in 2018【Pictures】

From reusable titanium straws to a marker pen that opens boxes, this list is a fantastic source of Christmas gift ideas for your loved ones.

Popular chain store Loft may be crazy enough to offer quirky pineapple-themed lucky bags at the end of the year, but the novelty shop also sells an astounding range of unusual everyday commodities that are often both surprisingly practical and aesthetically pleasing.

There are literally thousands of cool choices available, which can make shopping at the store a rather time-consuming process. Fortunately, the Japanese company recently compiled a list of 12 most sought-after merchandise between January to November this year that will help shoppers decide. In no particular order, the items and their respective manufacturing companies are as follows.

▼ 1. Laundry Mag (1,944 yen [US$17.11], Tamakane)

Throw this little pouch into your washing machine to eliminate all mold odor. Utilizing the power of magnesium, the great thing about it is that you can just throw it in together with laundry and let the washing cycle do all the work for you. Lasts for more than 300 uses.

▼ 2. Trivia Ruled Notebook (411 yen, King Jim)

This A5-sized notebook might seem ordinary at first glance, but the lines on the book are actually made up of tiny Japanese words from various themes. Choose from a range of era names, a collection of 100 famous poems, country names, city names, or even prime numbers.

▼ 3. Study Planner (972 yen, Iroha)

Available in a variety of colors, this A5-sized study planner features cute designs and simple layouts to help organize your weekly schedules into easily digestible formats.

▼ 4. Eco Carat Bottle Drying Stick (1,059 yen, Marna)

Don’t you hate it when you try to dry long narrow bottles that are hard to reach the insides of with your hands? Worry no more, as placing this super absorbent porous ceramic stick in there will dry up those hard-to-reach places in no time. It also comes with a silicone sleeve to prevent scratches!

▼ 5. Titanium Straw (756 yen, Horie)

Why bother with disposable plastic straws when you can astound your friends with a reusable and lightweight straw made from titanium?

▼ 6. We Didn’t Playtest This at All Card Game (1,620 yen, Group SNE)

Cards with random, funny and often ridiculous descriptions help make this fast-paced game a blast to play with friends.

▼ 7. Abdominal Breathing Exerciser “Long Piropiro” (1,059 yen, Dream)

Remember those little party horns that unroll when blown into? Extend it to one meter (3.28 feet) in length and it apparently transforms into an exercise tool. Mix it into a bag of regular party blowers for maximum laughter.

▼ 8. Marker Work (195 yen, Zebra)

This nifty marker pen comes with a short sturdy stub that is great for opening cardboard boxes.

▼ 9. Air Curl (Plus)

This double clip sports a longer handle that reduces the amount of strength required to open by a whopping 50 percent. Available in packs of 10 in small, medium and large (324 yen, 378 yen, 486 yen) sizes.

▼ 10. Lovely Butt Hip Care Soap (648 yen, Pelican Soap)

Shaped like a cute bum and packed with six moisturizing essences, the Lovely Butt Hip Care Soap became a hit among customers in the second half of 2018.

▼ 11. Five Seconds Shine Heel File (2,700 yen, Kyowa)

Utilizing 0.01 millimeter-sized pieces of specially designed glass, a quick buff provides a smooth finish to dry and cracked heels in an instant.

▼ 12. Teeth Shining (1,944 yen, Wazuku)

This dental treatment cream comes infused with tungsten oxide, a whitening component that activates even in natural light. Apply it to teeth after brushing, shine an LED light in your mouth and a chemical reaction will occur, rapidly disintegrating yellow stains for a shiny smile. An extremely popular product since its release in September.

Any one of these would make a great present or a novelty gift for friends and family, though I would be absolutely thrilled if I received my very own engraved Titanium Straw. There are a ton of other interesting items available, but the best way to discover them is to drop by a Loft store. Who knows? You might even spot a Japanese wrestling hunk operating the cash register!

Images:©SoraNews24, Loft

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