[32 Items Across 7 Categories] A Summary of My Best Purchases This Year and a Look Back at 2021

I've already written too many articles about things I've bought that were good, but I wanted to write one that summarizes everything, so here it is. Even though I had been neglecting my note for a long time, it's fun once you get into the rhythm of writing.

As I was writing about this and that being good, it turned into a huge list, so I've divided it into 7 categories totaling 32 items. Who is this even for? It was a happy year where I did a lot of shopping, and every single item changed my life for the better.

There are a lot of them, so please feel free to read just the parts you're interested in.

Housing & Home Appliances Category

Pre-owned Condo & Full Renovation

First is this. Maybe it's the best buy of the year, or even my life? I'm so glad I did the renovation.

Hitachi Big Drum Washer/Dryer

I bought a Hitachi Big Drum when I moved. I use the drying function for almost everything except delicate clothes. Since I couldn't fit a drum washer in my previous rental due to space constraints, I'm amazed at how incredibly easy this makes things.

IKEA Tillreda Dishwasher

I installed a huge dishwasher in the kitchen. The large capacity that lets me throw in pots and pans is the best.

SHARP Double-Door Refrigerator 412L

Before moving, I was using a 130L refrigerator meant for one person, so the capacity more than tripled at once. I've learned how convenient freezing food is.

The freezer is always being used, while the top refrigerator section is always empty, but having that much extra space is convenient for chilling drinks or shoving in leftovers while still in the pot.

There's actually no need for it to be a double-door model, but due to the layout, I could only choose a left-opening door, and the refrigerators that only opened to the left had mediocre designs, so I went with this one. I like its simple white design.

Overseas Lighting

I had most of the lighting fixtures imported from overseas. There were various issues, like getting frustrated because they wouldn't arrive or having them left on the street and having to go to the police station to pick them up, but they are cute, so I'm glad I was particular about them.

DIY & Interior Category

Imagine Wall Paint

Paint I used to paint my walls extensively. It was quite easy to apply even for a beginner, and every color has a lovely finish.

BOSCH Trimmer

A BOSCH trimmer I received as a birthday present. I used this to remake my TV stand and other things. I haven't taken it out much lately, but I want to make more use of it.

Watco Oil & Briwax

Two classic paints that have been very useful for various projects. My personal favorite finish is staining with Watco Oil and then polishing with clear Briwax for a glossy look.

Vertebra03

The colorful and cute office chair, Vertebra03, which I even wrote about in a contributed article. I went to the Itoki showroom to try it out and still agonized over it for a while, but it was definitely a chair worth buying without compromise.

Old Karimoku Chair and Retro Drawers

Actually, I bought another chair, which is an old Karimoku Colonial chair I bought secondhand. With its wide seat, luxurious velvet, and classic curves, it's a chair with a presence that adds a retro, sophisticated vibe just by placing it there.

It creates a nice atmosphere when paired with the small drawers where I store my sewing tools.

Table Clocks & Wall Clocks

It's convenient to be able to tell the time at a glance, isn't it? I realized this again after trying to place a clock. Also, by making time checking and alarm functions analog, I stopped bringing my smartphone into bed, which improved the quality of my sleep.

IKEA Gold Frame & Etsy Art Print

It used to cost quite a lot of money to collect enough art to create a gallery wall, but ever since I discovered that digital data is sold on Etsy, it has become much easier. Even if you print it on your home printer, it looks quite good once you put it in a frame.

[Update] ZARA HOME Towels

I forgot about these, but they were also great and had good reviews on Twitter, so I'm adding them. It really lifted my spirits to select towels that matched the room's decor.

Daily Necessities & Sundries Category

Molcar plushie I won on Torumo

I got hooked on Molcar, and it's still making 'pui pui pui pui' sounds in my house all the time. When the UFO catcher machines came out, I went all the way to a nearby arcade to try it, but they sold out in an instant. However, there was an online crane game on Torumo, and I managed to get one there.

Monchhichi plushie

After I cut my hair, people said I looked like a Monchhichi, which sparked a Monchhichi boom in our household. It eventually led to me buying a plushie. By the way, I couldn't find a Monchhichi tote bag at Daiso, so I bought one on Mercari.

By the way, I recently got a perm, so I've moved on from the Monchhichi hairstyle.

Electric Toothbrush: Sonicare DiamondClean

I'm not very good at brushing my teeth. Every time I go to the dentist, I get brushing instructions and they try to sell me an electric toothbrush, so I thought, 'I might as well buy the best one,' and ended up with the Sonicare series, which made me go, 'Is this really the price of a toothbrush????' I think I bought a set of two on Rakuten, so it was a little cheaper.

Because it's expensive, just holding it against my teeth for two minutes leaves them smooth and shiny. I realized that if you brush properly, your mouth feels this refreshed. Since the cost of treating future dental problems would be much higher than this, I've decided to use it as an investment in my health.

Anthropologie giant teapot set

When it arrived, I laughed because it was twice as big as I expected. But as it turns out, being this big is a good thing because I can serve everyone at once when I have tea with about four people.

KINTO double-wall iced tea glass

When I said I wanted these, a friend ordered them on the spot and bought them for me as a housewarming gift. Because they are double-walled, they don't get condensation, you can drink hot beverages from them, and they are versatile glasses that are microwave and dishwasher safe. They are so convenient that even though I have four, I use them so much every day that I can't keep up with washing them, so I want to buy two more.

Flute Glass France 5oz

A delicate and beautiful flute glass available at Kimura Glass. It's cute even just hanging there, and it's a glass that lets you enjoy a cafe atmosphere, perfect not only for drinks but also for parfaits and other desserts. I also ordered the Piccolo from Kimura Glass, but it seems to be out of stock, so I'm waiting for it to arrive. I have a feeling that glasses and tableware are going to be a rabbit hole.

HARIO Kirk Bottle / Filter-in Bottle

With my move, I stopped buying bottled tea and sports drinks and started making them with tea bags and powder. This HARIO Kirk Bottle has a large 1L capacity and a leak-proof structure even when placed on its side, making it convenient to make and store plenty in the refrigerator. I was stressed about the constant accumulation of a massive amount of plastic bottle waste, but since my new refrigerator is larger, I was finally able to do this.

I also use this smaller HARIO bottle, and I make various drinks depending on my mood. (This shape cannot be placed on its side, so I use it in the door pocket.)

Bath Magiclean Air Jet

Regarding bathroom cleaning, no matter how much they say 'no scrubbing required,' I was still scrubbing, you know, all the time. But after reading this article this year, I changed my mind, and I'm now officially in the 'no scrubbing' camp.

I was especially surprised when I tried the Bath Magiclean Air Jet—I didn't know a spray like this existed! When you push it once, it doesn't just spray; it releases foam in a wide mist. This allows the foam to spread quickly and evenly!

It might also be because the bathroom itself is now a clean TOTO unit bath, but it's incredibly easy to finish cleaning the bathroom without having to bend down and scrub.

Electric Assist Bicycle YAMAHA Pas City-X & Earmuffs

If I had to choose the best of the best of 2021 outside of the house, this would definitely be it. It was a life-changing purchase that truly replaced all of my transportation.

When looking for an apartment, I gave up on the condition of being near a station, but since it's in a location that can be called the city center even without a station nearby, I can go almost anywhere within a 30-minute radius as long as I have an electric assist bicycle. It's easy to make detours along the way, and my range of action has expanded overwhelmingly, giving me freedom of movement. I agonized over which model to choose, but I'm glad I bought it.

I thought I wouldn't be able to ride it in the winter because it's too cold, but in addition to gloves, a scarf, and an ultra-light down jacket, 'earmuffs' make it the ultimate setup. I was speeding along in 3°C weather today, and it was fine. Protect your ears when it's cold. At this rate, I think I'll be able to ride comfortably except on days when it snows.

Food Category

Ono Nori Seasoned Table Nori

Actually, I'm not the type to be very particular about food (I like delicious things, but I'm not very interested in the act of eating itself), so I don't have much to introduce, but I want to mention this one thing this year.

The taste and texture are so different from the usual nori that, despite it being a high-end product for nori, I've been eating it like crazy and keep buying it again.

Gadget Category

I don't have much to say about gadgets either, but the following three items have become essential tools for working remotely on a regular basis.

AfterShokz OpenMove Bone Conduction Headphones

I feel like this became popular around the second half of this year, but I've been using it since the beginning. It was so much cheaper when I bought it, though...

I can't stand the feeling of my ears being blocked when I talk, so it's comfortable to be able to hear with open, natural sound.

The microphone quality isn't great, so I use it strictly for listening, paired with my Mac's microphone or the Marantz Professional condenser mic I bought last year.

Logicool M575 Trackball Mouse

I had been a long-time Mac trackpad user, but the strain became too much and my wrists started hurting, so I introduced a mouse. A thumb-operated trackball mouse was more comfortable than I imagined.

MOFT Laptop Stand

I read Aya-san's article about it, bought one, and now I can't live without it. I feel like I can't type properly anymore unless it's propped up because the keyboard angle feels wrong otherwise. It doesn't affect portability at all, and it's a great purchase because such a small difference makes working so much more comfortable.

Fashion & Cosmetics Category

Glasses

I bought these at a JINS I happened to wander into, and I ended up liking them so much that I started wearing glasses often. My eyesight is just at that perfect level where I can live without them, but I wasn't really seeing people's faces from a distance, so when I put them on, I was like, 'Oh, I can see...!!'

It was a year where I also changed my hairstyle and had quite a few changes in my appearance.

Clothes bought at select shops

I happened to read this note by Suisui-san, was completely influenced by it, and ended up splurging at a vintage shop in Koenji the very next day. I even found a favorite at a vintage shop near my house and have become a full-fledged 'vintage shop regular.'

Since starting remote work, I had been living without caring much about my appearance for a while, but since going out has become a rare occasion, I want to enjoy the clothes I wear when I do.

ettusais Lip Edition (Tint Rouge) 09 Cocoa Brown

I feel like I'd never be able to get out if I fell down the cosmetics rabbit hole, so I consciously keep my distance and don't know much about it, but I do like reading cosmetic reviews. I bought this brown lipstick after someone recommended it on Twitter. It has just the right amount of color and a stylish brown tone, and since it's a tint, it lasts reasonably well, so I've been using it daily and find it very useful.

I'm the type whose face looks pale if I don't wear lipstick, so I'm always searching for warm-toned lip colors that have good pigmentation and staying power.

I alternate using this with the 3CE yellow-orange lipstick I bought last year that feels like the ultimate warm autumn color.

Books & Manga Category

Macrame knitting book

Around Golden Week, I suddenly got into macramé, and while looking at this book, I mass-produced planter hangers in a single day. The nice thing about macramé is that it's basically just repeating the same movements, so you can finish it quickly and see it take shape.

A book that actually makes you better at drawing

Although I am not an artist myself, I was a geek in elementary and junior high school, so I spent all my time on drawing bulletin boards, posted illustrations in Fanroad, and have had to create design sketches for work, so I've lived a life of getting by with drawing in one way or another. Because of that, I've always had a longing for people who can draw.

This book translated that longing into concrete practice methods for actually moving my hands.

I had never learned how to draw, so I thought, 'Oh, so that's how illustrations are drawn! Huh!' and it finally made sense to me for the first time. I'm practicing little by little, so I hope to get good enough to share my illustrations someday.

2.5 Dimensional Seduction (Ririsa)

I've liked it since the beginning of the year, but really, just read it. It's a passionate cosplay club battle manga. What is that, you ask? But it really is.

It's a manga that fully expresses the obsession with making cosplay costumes and the stoic effort and love for expression, which reminded me of the passionate feelings I had until just recently as a costume maker and dancer. I want to make a cosplay costume soon.

Believe it or not, you can read all the chapters for free right now! (Until 2021/12/25)

To be honest, the first few chapters are an erotic romantic comedy, but please bear with it and read up to chapter 34. It suddenly turns into a Jump manga.

Attack on Titan

I apologize for putting such opposite types of manga side by side, but I couldn't not write about Attack on Titan, which concluded this year... It's an incredible manga that I'm amazed was perfectly planned from beginning to end just to draw this conclusion.

For those who haven't read it yet, those who gave up because they couldn't handle the gore in the beginning, or those who dropped it because they didn't understand what was going on in the Marley arc, you're all missing out, so please read it all the way through.

Looking back, I bought a lot of things this year, my life changed rapidly along with that, and I think I was able to create a lot of things myself. A point of reflection is that I tried my hand at too many things, so I didn't write as many notes as I had planned.

Next year, I hope to output a bit more to the world, including the stock I have so far. I would be happy if it could help someone, be enjoyed by someone, or encourage someone to think, 'I'll try it too!'

I'm feeling good all of a sudden, so I might write a few more articles before the end of the year, but for now, my 2021 best buys are finished. Thank you very much!

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