Japanese anime has been growing in popularity over the past 20 years—and so have the toys, movies, collectible cards, card games, board games and other merchandise that go along with it. With anime being produced in over 100 countries, there’s an ever-expanding fan base that is hungry for anime-related gifts. Read on to learn about five amazing gifts for anime fans of all ages.

5 Gifts for Anime Fans

1. Japanese Food

Japanese anime features food in many of its TV shows and movies, so many fans are curious to know how these dishes taste. Fans have been salivating over the meticulously drawn meals and delicious details drawn into some of the meals showcased in anime—and picking up perfectly made sushi can be enough to satisfy.

Candy manufacturers have created some great-tasting sweets that are available in American chain stores. If your friend is a fan of both anime and food, this is a good option.

2. Plush and Pillows

There are thousands of different plush animals, also known as stuffed animals, based on some of the most popular Japanese anime series. Pillows and blankets that depict beloved anime characters are also popular items, so you can give your friend an anime-inspired gift to curl up with at night.

3. Card Games

Many teens and adults enjoy anime-based card games, including Fantasista Doll, Duel Masters, and Aikatsu! For fans of these games, look into buying an expansion pack for their favorite card game—or find a new game altogether and set them down an exciting new path of fun and adventure.

Card games are an excellent way to take one’s love of anime away from the television set or computer screen and into a social setting. Finding like-minded anime fans to play with encourages socializing and can be a great way to get family members to bond.

4. Model Kits

If you know someone who enjoys building plastic scale model kits or diecast model kits, consider browsing the extensive selection at Plaza Japan, which features hundreds of model kits based on the world’s most popular anime series.

Model kits are a great way to bring elements of anime into the real world—and a way of branching out one’s love of anime into a new enjoyable pastime. Just be careful—once you complete one model kit, you’ll be compelled to start building your next one to add to the anime world that you’re bringing to life.

5. Outdoor Sports

For those who like outdoor sports and activities, there is a variety of sports equipment with various anime designs. You can find anime water floats, fishing lures, bait buckets, water bottles and more. Watching a fishing lure that is a model of Freeza from Dragonball Z float around is not only fun for adults but can help entertain children as well. Ask them to watch the floating Freeza and alert you to any rapid bobbing.

Something for Every Age and Gender

Blankets and pillows are always a useful purchase and pleasing to the eyes. Anime card games have been around for decades and show no sign of slowing in popularity; they are also an excellent way to bond with people. Building models is a great way to stimulate the brain, and some anime fans enjoy receiving model kits as gifts. Outdoor lovers are covered as well—just find out who their favorite anime character is, and you’re ready to go.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Clarke is a Seattle-based blogger who has been writing about international travel for nearly 10 years. When she’s not planning her next adventure, she can be found walking her dog in the woods.

Photo Credits:

Yu-Gi-Oh! cards image by Timothy Tsui [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

Pokemon!!! by Daniel Lee, Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0) via Flickr