An annual tradition. Here are my picks for best purchases of the year.
2022 Review
Starting with how last year's picks held up — the 2022 post is here.
Every single item from last year is still a daily essential. All are still strongly recommended. Check the 2022 post if you're curious.
Best Purchases of 2023
This year, rather than big-ticket splurges, I found myself gravitating toward "strong supporting cast" items. And I'm proud to say there were few misses.
1. ICL Surgery
I'd been wearing soft contact lenses since the second year of middle school, and finally — at the right time — got vision correction surgery in February. I went to a clinic in Osaka.
Cost: just over ¥500,000. Not cheap. But both eyes went from below 0.1 to 2.0 vision, and daily life changed dramatically. Waking up in the morning without having to feel around for glasses is genuinely moving.
2. Rice Flour Products (Various)
I've struggled with digestive discomfort for a long time. When I was in Tokyo, I was told during a medical visit that I might have irritable bowel syndrome and that further examination would be needed.
In 2022, I tried a ketogenic diet and the symptoms disappeared — then returned immediately when I stopped the diet. This led me to suspect some kind of food sensitivity.
In 2023, I tracked down the causes: wheat (gluten) and dairy (including whey). By systematically eliminating foods and monitoring how I felt, I identified that the wheat flour and whey protein I'd been eating without a second thought were making me ill.
Since then, I've cut both completely — at home and when eating out — and replaced them with rice flour alternatives. I now bake bread at home using TOMZ rice flour, eat rice flour udon noodles, and have become fond of Kenmei's rice vermicelli.
Some people can't imagine life without wheat pasta or bread. But I've discovered the genuine appeal of rice-based foods, and combined with the improvement in my health, I'm very satisfied. The only inconvenience is dining out.
3. Mitsubishi Electric Rice Cooker, 5.5-cup, Hontan Gama (Ceramic Carbon Pot)
Given my high rice consumption and my growing children who were outpacing our 3-cup Hario rice cooker, I did serious research into high-end rice cookers.
I initially looked at the Zojirushi Enbukidaki, which everyone raves about, but ultimately chose the Hontan Gama for its "ceramic carbon pot that produces results similar to a clay pot," its durability (lower operating temperatures mean fewer breakdowns), and its simplified parts.
(Product link)
The resulting texture — each grain distinct and well-defined — is excellent. Very satisfied.
4. T-fal Pressure Cooker 4.5L
A baby shower gift to my wife, which I've basically taken over. I use it almost every day to pressure-cook chicken.
(Product link)
The recipe I use almost exclusively:
(Recipe link)
Beyond chicken, it's great for braised pork belly, spare ribs, hearty soups like buta-jiru (pork miso soup), and curry — anything that benefits from cooking large cuts of meat quickly. Basically all the dishes I make. The ultimate tool for a man's cooking. Even if my wife technically received it.
5. Flexispot E7 Standing Desk
I'd been hesitant for years, but finally pulled the trigger this year.
(Product link)
On remote work days I can be at my desk all day. The long sitting hours were creating hip joint strain, according to my chiropractor. I'd been compensating by walking more, but after our daughter was born there were days I simply couldn't get out. Hence the standing desk.
The Flexispot lets you save your preferred heights as presets, so standing or sitting is a single button press. The movement is smooth and quiet. Very happy with it.
6. Sunglasses (Kaneko Optical)
A birthday gift from my wife. They look great. From Kaneko Optical.
7. Shizukana Internet Supporter Subscription
Shizukana Internet (しずかなインターネット, "Quiet Internet") is a Japanese writing platform designed as a calmer alternative to social media — focused on reflective writing rather than engagement metrics.
Starting in November 2023, I began writing some kind of essay on Shizukana Internet almost every day.
(Platform link)
For services like this to continue long-term, they need sustainability that doesn't depend on page views or network effects. I genuinely want this service to survive for a long time, so I've been making a small monthly contribution.
The developer, Catnose-san, and I also recorded a podcast episode together — give it a listen.
(Podcast link)
Seven items total. Another good year of purchases.
