I think fans maybe some brushes and ink.

You should try and find yourself a singing bowl for meditation, they're fantastic objects and finding one that fits your hand and feels right is a journey in itself.

Before the pop culture boom, I think martial arts and the zen aesthetic were the most popular reasons for people to become infatuated with Japan, so you are certainly not alone.

Learning the culture of another people is an excellent way to more clearly see your own, I hope you take time to study the history and customs of the culture you admire, as well as collecting items of interest
I am not an expert but if you would like to ask any questions about my personal study or experience I would be happy to share.

Eye - thanks, though I'm not sure where I would start. I know that many cultures in the East are very strict with etiquette so maybe I'll begin there and see what I can learn from. Maybe I'll research one of the not so well known countries first and then work my way toward China and Japan.

Anjali - Thanks for the suggestions, I'll definitely look into the tingshas and rain chain. I could certainly use anything associated with meditation!

I chose Laos to start with, and was really surprised to read a few things about the country. For starters, Laos was under French control for roughly 55 years until World War II, where the Japanese occupied Laos momentarily. Afterward, Laos declared its independence from France in 1945, but didn't get full independence until 1954.

Laos is landlocked so much of its economy goes into investment and trade with neighboring Thailand, Vietnam, and China. Rice is the primary agriculture, and about 70% of farms are self-sufficient in the crop. Mining is also important, as ore mining of gold, coal, copper, tin, and bauxite are important to their economy and resources. They import petroleum and gas. Tourism is steadily increasing as many people come to the country to experience their deep Buddhist culture (About 67% of Laotians are Buddhist, 1.5% Christian, and the remaining 31.5% are unspecified) and relaxed style of living. Tourists often travel to Laos to see ancient temples and colonial architecture as well as hiking and trekking trips in the mountains and hill areas.

Laotian cuisine is mostly rice-based, and meals vary from grilled and steamed meats such as pork, beef, chicken, and fish to stews, salads, rice, and noodle dishes. Laotians eat a variety of fruits, and the capitol city brews a few different varieties of Beerlao. Other beverages common with meals are fruit and coconut juice, coffee, and sugar cane juice.

The primary language is Lao, though a little more than half of the population speaks it. The remaining population speaks tribal languages and minority languages, including French and English. Adult literacy exceeds two thirds, and The National University of Laos in the capitol city of Vientiane is the leading university of the country.

Laos has a small and underfunded military called the Lao People's Army. It consists of roughly 130,000 personnel and is mainly used for border patrol. Laos maintains strong ties to the Vietnamese Military. Many of the tanks and weapons they use are Soviet made.

My source for all of this to begin with was Wikipedia, though I will dig deeper into better sources soon. Next I'll look into a typical Laotian day, what Laotian etiquette is like, and so on. Then after I'll choose another country, most likely I'll look at Vietnam or Thailand since they are neighboring countries.