If you’ve heard of Shinzi Katoh, you probably share the same obsession that I have for the wonderful Japanese artist and his super-whimsical illustrated stuff!

I first came across the zakka products while on vacation in Taipei, Taiwan over the New Year’s in 2013. The nostalgic Yongkang Street was peppered with zakka shops and what did I find but a shop named Zakka Club, which was filled to the brim with Shinzi Katoh goods?

I spent a fortune buying bags, decorative tapes, a mug, a 4-in-1 bento box set, notebooks — basically the whole works, to start my own collection at home.

Here’s a glimpse of what the shop looks like.

The one thing I regretted? Not bringing home any one of the Shinzi Katoh bunny/piggy/frog softies with me! See how cute they were!

Here’s a closer look at what I did bring home with me.

A そらべあ (Solar Bear) pencil pouch. The weeping bears were created to help spread awareness on the effects of global warming.

I love these Cheri bento boxes!

This is a close-up of one of the two bags I bought. I take this bag with me to my Japanese lessons, which I have been taking for over two years now. French + Japanese stuff always makes me smile.

Isn’t this bag sweet?

I hope I can visit Taipei again soon and simply live on Yongkang Street. Zakka lovers will love it there. I learned all about the town’s zakka scene from this article.

懐かしいな!