My 10 Best Buys of 2025

This post moved here from “2025年ベストバイ10選” on Shizuka na Internet, where it was first written in Japanese.

Last year’s best buy: BOOX Go Color 7

An e-reader with physical buttons. Unlike a Kindle it runs Android, so it reads e-books from stores other than Kindle too; it’s in colour, and it takes a microSD card for more storage. Still in active service — I read on it every night before bed.

This year’s best buys

Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417)

Pay A$670 and you can live in Australia for a year and work without limits. The application goes through in no time, and if you apply before you turn 30 you can start your stay any time while you’re still 31 — the strongest visa there is.

FUJIFILM X-E5

A mirrorless camera that adds a bit of colour to everyday life. Easy to carry, yet you can swap lenses — the perfect answer to my selfish wish to still play with it like a gadget. I think nobody beats FUJIFILM for colour straight out of the camera.

FUJIFILM X-E5 Mirrorless Digital Camera - The Refined Classic | Cameras | FUJIFILM X Series & GFX - AustraliaX-E5 embodies what it means to be a modern classic — a camera that combines a sophisticated, elegant design with analog controls that inspire image making.fujifilm-x.com

FUJINON XF35mmF2 R WR

The lens people call Fuji’s “god lens”. The bokeh and the soft, retro character are just lovely. It raises the quality of the whole experience of taking photos. It’s fun.

フジノンレンズ XF35mmF2 R WR | レンズ | FUJIFILM X Series & GFX - Japan富士フイルム Xシリーズ「フジノンレンズ XF35mmF2 R WR」の公式製品ページです。fujifilm-x.com

YOSEMITE SPRINGROLL CAMERA JACKET

Expensive. Expensive, but I couldn’t find any other camera case that looks this good and fits this well, so I use it every time I carry the camera. Annoyingly.

YOSEMITE SPRINGROLL CAMERA JACKETスプリングロールカメラジャケット大好評だったスプリングロールカメラジャケットがパワーアップして帰ってきました。ストラップを付けたまま簡単に取り外しが出来、クッション性のある肉厚なカメラジャケットです。あなたの大切なカメラを守ります。 推奨機種：ライカMシリーズ ご注意：大型のレンズフードや、直径約60mm以上、長さ約50mm以上のレンズは使用不可 商品のご購入の際はポリシーをご確認のうえご購入下さいませ。 お一人でも多くのお客様にご購入いただくため、1会計につき同一商品は各３点までの購入個数制限をつけさせていただきます。 本製品およびパッケージは、改良等のため予告なく仕様、デザイン、素材などを変更する場合がございます。A separate shipping feeshop.extended.jp

XREAL One Pro

Smart glasses as an external monitor. Honestly, they can’t beat a physical monitor yet, but if you have to work from a single laptop, or while travelling (it takes a heart that doesn’t mind being looked at as a weirdo), this device is worth considering. I’m using them with hopes for how they’ll evolve.

XREAL One Pro | Wear Every WorldXREAL One Pro features a custom X1 spatial chip, 57° FOV X Prism optics, a 0.55" Sony Micro-OLED display, and Sound by Bose. With 3ms latency, 120Hz refresh, native 3DoF anchoring, and three-level dimming — one pair, every world.xreal.com

Ubusuna (産土)

A new-era sake: fresh, juicy and lightly sparkling. If you’ve never had sake or don’t really like it, please try this one. Classic sake is delicious too, but this shows what sake can become — and it’s really good. Unfiltered, unpasteurised, undiluted: the best!

Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24000)

A ridiculously big power bank. I’ve lost count of how many times it rescued my MacBook Pro. In Sydney, where the voltage was unstable and I didn’t have a proper place to charge, it was a hero. It’s heavy (about the same as a 500 ml bottle), but with up to 140 W output and a 24,000 mAh capacity it charges a MacBook Pro about once, or an iPhone 14 more than five times.

Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24000) | 大容量モバイルバッテリーの製品情報Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24000) ならAnker (アンカー) Japan 公式オンラインストア。最大140W出力でスマートディスプレイ機能搭載のモバイルバッテリーです。MacBook Pro (16インチ、2021) を含むさまざまな機器へ急速充電が可能です。また、バッテリーへの充電も最大140Wでの入力に対応しています。USB Power Delivery 3.1対応により、最大140Wでの超高出力を実現。さらに幅広い機器への急速充電に対応しました。高さわずか約16cm、幅は約5cmとメガネケースほどのスリムなサイズを実現。重さも500mlペットボトルと同等で、持ち運びにも便利です。24000mAhの超大容量で、MacBook Proも約1回、iPhone 13なら5回以上充電可能です。外出時などでも、充電切れの心配がありません。製品本体にスマートディスプレイ機能を搭載し、バッテリーの残量や、リアルタイムでの出力を確認できます。ankerjapan.com

A trip to Laos and Vietnam with my mother

Before leaving for Sydney I travelled with my mother, just the two of us. It’s time you rarely get, and it was full and a lot of fun. A good way to spend time and money.

Cursor

I’ve paid for all sorts of AI tools, but in the end my IDE is Cursor. For personal development it’s the best match for me right now. Whether it’s the optimal choice changes from time to time, but I’ve got used to it, so I’m a Cursor user.

AI Coding Agent for Building Ambitious Software | CursorBuilt to make you extraordinarily productive, agents turn ideas into code. Accelerate development by handing off tasks to Cursor.cursor.com

King Gnu Livehouse Tour 2025

I somehow managed to get tickets for the extra show at Ariake Garden. This is why I pay for the fan club. I savoured the joy of King Gnu doing a show at this size — and of being able to go.

King Gnuオフィシャルファンクラブ「CLUB GNU」King Gnuオフィシャルファンクラブ「CLUB GNU」会員募集中！clubgnu.com

Bonus

Accept Ambassador

A monthly ¥1,500 donation that supports young people in conflict zones. A friend from university is part of this NPO, so I give a little. I can’t claim to feel it first-hand, but it makes the things happening in the world feel a bit closer. It’s less about charity or volunteering than wanting to back people who are doing something worthwhile; I’ve decided to keep it up for a year. I think this is a good way to spend money too.