When it comes to Vietnamese basket bags, the colorful plastic baskets (PP-band marché bags) are the standard, but the souvenir candidates broaden to four types, including rattan baskets, hemp bags, and embroidered totes. In this article, from the viewpoint of a Vietnam resident, we cover the features by type, famous brands and shops like MONET, HANA, and Saigon Swagger, purchase spots on Hang Chieu Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, price ranges, and even mail-order routes in Japan. They’re sometimes written “kagobakku,” but they’re all the same basket-bag-type souvenir.
For Vietnamese goods other than basket bags,the Vietnamese goods guideandand the stylish-souvenir guidealso sum them up.
3 features of Vietnamese plastic baskets (marché bags)
The central presence among Vietnamese basket bags, the “plastic basket (marché bag),” has three features that make it easier to choose once you know them. Rattan, hemp, and embroidered totes have different material characteristics, so we’ll sort them out individually in a later section.
It originates from reusing PP bands (packing straps)
The most common “plastic basket” originates in weaving polypropylene packing straps (PP bands) that come out as waste. It’s drawing attention as a sustainable material, and it’s excellent on the practical side too—lightweight, washable, and durable. Rich in color, the sight of them lined up colorfully at markets leaves a strong impression on travelers.
A rich variety of weaves
There are over 20 patterns just in the weave—checkerboard, check, small flowers, diagonal, plaited, four-strand, and more. Even the same plastic basket looks completely different depending on the weave, so on the ground it’s a fun shopping experience to compare the actual items closely.
Often handmade and close to one-of-a-kind
There are mass-produced items, but many workshop-made ones hand-woven by artisans in the Hanoi outskirts and southern villages are also in circulation. The one-of-a-kind feel—“different even in the same design”—by the color combination and the evenness of the weave is the charm. As a personal bag or eco-bag, fans who use them daily in Japan are also increasing.
A precaution before use: brand-new plastic baskets may have a distinctive plastic smell, so airing them in the shade for 2–3 days after purchase makes it stop bothering you. Also, the corners of the weave can snag on stockings or lace-fabric clothing, so on days you pair them with delicate materials, either avoid them or use an inner cloth.
The four types of basket bags by kind
The items collectively called “basket bags” in Vietnam fall broadly into four types. Their material, use, and price range differ, so choose by the recipient and how you’ll use them.
| Type | Material | Price guide | Characteristics | Suited use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic basket (marché bag) | PP band | 80,000–250,000 VND (about 480–1,500 yen) | Colorful, lightweight, washable | Everyday use, shopping, giveaway souvenirs |
| Rattan basket | Rattan | 200,000–800,000 VND (about 1,200–4,800 yen) | Natural, refined texture | A stylish summer bag, a serious gift |
| Hemp bag / jute | Hemp / jute | 150,000–500,000 VND (about 900–3,000 yen) | Sustainable material, light | The eco-conscious set, grown-up casual |
| Embroidered tote | Canvas + embroidery | 100,000–400,000 VND (about 600–2,400 yen) | Vietnamese traditional embroidery stands out | Gifts for women |
The go-to split is: a plastic basket for standard giveaways or your own use, rattan for a serious gift, hemp for the eco-minded, and an embroidered tote for a small gift for women.
5 basket-bag brand shops you can buy from locally
Besides the market-type shops on Hang Chieu Street, we introduce brand and select shops you can buy from in Vietnam (MONET, a Japanese mail-order option, is covered separately in a later section).
hansry: from Ho Chi Minh City, a seagrass-bag specialist with a Japanese owner
A basket-bag specialty brand run by a Japanese owner, born in 2016 in Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City. Centered on bags of seagrass material, it offers pieces packed with the fine attention unique to Japanese sensibilities—easy-to-hold processing on the handles, a gold pin of the brand logo “vj,” bag-in-bag pieces, and more. It once went online-only, but it revived its shop in March 2024 and relocated and expanded within Thao Dien in March 2025. You can also buy from its online shop (shop.hansry.com), which ships to Japan.
- Suited to: those who prioritize quality, prefer grown-up cute designs, and want the peace of mind of a Japanese owner
- Price feel: 1,000,000–3,000,000 VND (about 6,000–18,000 yen)
- Note: seagrass bags are the mainstay; it doesn’t handle PP-band plastic baskets
HANA: a stylish select shop in Hanoi’s Old Quarter
A select shop of basket bags and goods in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. It carries plastic baskets, rattan baskets, and embroidered totes, and it’s a tourist-friendly shop where credit cards are accepted too.
- Suited to: those who prioritize quality and service and aren’t fond of market pricing
- Price feel: 1.3–1.5 times Hang Chieu Street
- Note: new items arrive quickly, so buy target items early
Saigon Swagger: a city-bag brand from Ho Chi Minh City
A bag brand launched in Ho Chi Minh City in 2013 by a Vietnamese female university student. Rather than traditional woven basket bags, it offers modern city bags and backpacks popular with Vietnamese youth, drawing attention as an option for adults who want to graduate from basket-bag-type items.
- Suited to: those who prefer simple, urban designs, in their 20s–30s
- Price feel: 500,000–1,500,000 VND (about 3,000–9,000 yen)
- Note: it’s a different genre from plastic baskets, so using both is recommended
Viettime Craft: a wholesale brand of the workshop-direct type
A brand handling the manufacture and wholesale of Vietnamese handicrafts, producing a wide range from PP-band plastic baskets and rattan baskets to seagrass bags. Individual purchase from its direct-sales EC site is possible too, and you can buy good-quality items at prices close to wholesale.
- Suited to: those buying several or prioritizing value for their own use
- Price feel: 20–30% cheaper than market-type shops
- Note: mostly an English-language site; delivery is 1–3 weeks
Lotus Vietnam: an embroidery-type brand from Ho Chi Minh City
An embroidery-type handicraft brand founded in Ho Chi Minh City in 2015. Tote bags, drawstring pouches, and pouches with ribbon embroidery are popular, used as small gifts for women. They’re also sold on overseas EC marketplaces like Etsy.
- Suited to: small gifts for women, embroidery lovers
- Price feel: 300,000–800,000 VND (about 1,800–4,800 yen)
- Note: mostly embroidered totes; no woven baskets
If buying in Hanoi, three shops on Hang Chieu Street
“Hàng Chiếu Street” in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is Vietnam’s largest cluster of basket bags. Colorful plastic baskets line the storefronts, and even the small shops deep in the alleys have abundant selections. We introduce three shops residents often use.
| Shop | Price guide | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| 76 Hàng Chiếu | Small 80,000 VND, large 110,000 VND (about 480–660 yen) | A kind madam attends to you; good for beginners |
| 72 Hàng Chiếu | Around 180,000 VND (about 1,080 yen) | A hidden gem deep in the alley; well stocked with autumn colors |
| 74A Hàng Chiếu | Hemp bags from 150,000 VND (about 900 yen) | Casual at the storefront; also handles rattan and hemp |
The go-to way to buy is to tour the three shops and compare color, weave, and size. Price negotiation is possible too, and buying several can get you an extra item or a discount.the Hanoi souvenir guidealso introduces other shopping spots in the Old Quarter.
Where to buy basket bags in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang
You can buy basket bags in major cities other than Hanoi too. We sort out the main spots by business-trip or travel destination.
Ho Chi Minh City: Ben Thanh Market, Dong Khoi Street, Saigon Square
The goods area of Ben Thanh Market (Chợ Bến Thành) has an abundant variety of plastic baskets. At select shops around Dong Khoi Street, you can also buy brand items like Saigon Swagger. Saigon Square is more wholesale-oriented for young people, with prices cheaper than market-type shops.
Da Nang: Han Market, Hoi An Old Town
Basket-bag specialty shops gather in the second-floor goods area of Da Nang’s Han Market (Chợ Hàn) and in Hoi An Old Town, 30 minutes by car. Hoi An in particular has an abundant variety of rattan baskets and embroidered totes, ideal for shopping while sightseeing.
Airport duty-free shops
Basket bags also appear, in limited numbers, in the departure areas of Noi Bai Airport, Tan Son Nhat Airport, and Da Nang Airport. Prices are a guide of 1.5–2 times those in the city, and the trick is to treat them as a fallback for anything you forgot to buy.
How to choose plastic baskets by size, and the going rate
For plastic baskets, use and price change greatly by size. We sort out guides for everyday and travel use (for rattan, hemp, and embroidered totes, see the by-type table in the first half).
| Size | Capacity guide | Price | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| S (fits B5) | 2〜3L | 80,000–120,000 VND (480–720 yen) | Neighborhood shopping, a sub-bag |
| M (fits A4) | 5〜8L | 120,000–180,000 VND (720–1,080 yen) | Everyday use, commuting to work or school |
| L (wide gusset) | 10〜15L | 180,000–300,000 VND (1,080–1,800 yen) | Marché grocery runs, travel |
| Extra-large (for travel) | Over 20L | 300,000–600,000 VND (1,800–3,600 yen) | Laundry bag, moving |
The most popular as a souvenir is the M size. It fits A4 documents in Japan and is a perfect size for everyday use. For the S size, combining several colors for giveaway souvenirs is also recommended.
Precautions for bringing them home and tips for carry-on
You need to change how you bring basket bags home depending on their size. Here are tips to keep the shape you carefully chose from getting crushed.
S and M sizes are safest as carry-on
The rule of thumb is to bring S and M sizes as carry-on baggage in the overhead bin. Put them in a suitcase and there’s a high chance the shape gets crushed. Stuffing small items (clothing, socks) inside to prevent it from losing shape lets you bring it home to Japan intact.
L and extra-large sizes: reinforce with cardboard and check them
For large sizes that don’t fit in the carry-on dimensions (55 × 40 × 23 cm), check them in. It’s safest to reinforce them with cardboard or ask the shop to pack them. For general souvenir packing techniques, seethe guide to packing Vietnamese souvenirs into a suitcasealso sum them up.
Check each airline’s baggage rules
When using an LCC, checked baggage is a separate charge, so if you plan to bring home several basket bags, buying a weight allowance in advance is the smart move. For each airline’s rules, seecomplete guide to flights from Japan to Vietnamfor details.
3 routes to buy Vietnamese basket bags in Japan
For those who “forgot to buy one locally” or “want a spare,” we introduce three routes to get Vietnamese basket bags within Japan.
Vietnamese-goods specialty mail-order (MONET, Emmpuku Lotus, Vietnam no Kaze)
MONET is a Japanese plastic-basket mail-order specialist with a rich variety of PP-band color and weave combinations, and sizes from S to L. You can also get plastic baskets, embroidered totes, and rattan at other Vietnamese-goods online shops such as Emmpuku Lotus, Vietnam no Kaze, and made me chum. Prices are a guide of 1.5–2.5 times those locally, and new and limited items appear too.
Amazon, Rakuten Ichiba, BASE
Vietnamese plastic baskets are also listed in large numbers on major EC marketplaces. Choosing a shop with many reviews lets you avoid quality trouble, and Prime support means fast delivery, which is an advantage. Buying several to reach the free-shipping threshold is a good deal.
Imported-goods shops in Tokyo and limited-time events
They’re carried at the goods corners attached to Vietnamese-food shops in Takadanobaba and Shin-Okubo in Tokyo, and at imported-goods select shops in Omotesando and Daikanyama. They also appear a few times a year at department-store Asian-goods events, so checking your local event schedule can lead you to a lucky find.
Summary: choose from four types by use
Vietnamese basket bags are a deep souvenir you can choose from four types—plastic basket, rattan, hemp, and embroidered tote—according to use. Plastic baskets for giveaways and everyday use, rattan for a serious gift, hemp for the eco-minded, and embroidered totes for a small gift for women are the go-to picks. The local classic is to compare the actual items at three shops on Hang Chieu Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Brand options like MONET, HANA, and Saigon Swagger can also be chosen with confidence, backed by quality assurance.
For Vietnamese goods to pair with basket bags, seethe Vietnamese goods guide; for a ranking of souvenirs in general, see2026 Souvenir Rankingas well.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you recommend buying Vietnamese basket bags?
Hang Chieu Street (Hàng Chiếu) in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is the largest cluster. Long-established shops line up at Nos. 72, 74A, and 76. In Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Square, and hansry in the Thao Dien district are standard; in Da Nang, Han Market and Hoi An Old Town. If you prioritize quality and service, brand options like hansry, MONET, and HANA are recommended.
How much do Vietnamese plastic baskets cost?
It varies by size, but a guide is 80,000–120,000 VND (about 480–720 yen) for S, 120,000–180,000 VND (about 720–1,080 yen) for M, and 180,000–300,000 VND (about 1,080–1,800 yen) for L. At markets, price negotiation can sometimes get you 10–20% off.
What famous brands of Vietnamese basket bags are there?
The five popular brands locally are hansry (a Japanese-owned shop in Ho Chi Minh City), HANA in Hanoi, the city-bag brand Saigon Swagger, the wholesale-type Viettime Craft, and the embroidered-tote brand Lotus Vietnam. In Japanese mail-order, MONET is long-established, and if buying market-type, the cluster of long-established shops on “Hang Chieu Street” is also highly reliable.
Can I bring basket bags on board?
S and M sizes can be carried on if they fit within the carry-on dimensions (a guide of 55 × 40 × 23 cm). Since they crush easily, it’s safest to put them in the overhead bin. L and extra-large sizes need to go in checked baggage or be transported reinforced with cardboard.
Can I buy Vietnamese basket bags in Japan too?
They’re available at the hansry official online shop (shop.hansry.com), specialty mail-order like Emmpuku Lotus and Vietnam no Kaze, major EC marketplaces such as Amazon, Rakuten, and BASE, the goods corners attached to Vietnamese-food shops in Takadanobaba and Shin-Okubo in Tokyo, and imported-goods shops in Omotesando and Daikanyama. Prices are a guide of 1.5–2.5 times those locally.
What types of basket-bag weaves are there?
There are over 20 patterns just in the weave—checkerboard, check, small flowers, diagonal, plaited, four-strand, floral, and more. Even the same design looks very different by weave and color combination, so on the ground, choosing while comparing the actual items becomes a fun shopping experience.
