What is a good gift from the USA to someone in Japan? -

I have a host family I will be staying with in Japan. A mom, dad, 2 brothers and a sister but I have no idea what to buy them. I would like to get them something Americanish (if that even exsists).

They will definitely appreciate gifts from the US. For your host father, I d strongly recommend getting him some kind of good liquor, maybe even a good California wine. The brothers might like Dodgers/Yankees (or whatever team has Japanese players right now) stuff. The sister might like some good American fashion magazines. Girls like ANYTHING that is quot;cutequot;. I might do a nice scarf, American chocolate, nuts, dried fruit for the mom. I had a host family in Japan, too, and it seems like things that have to do with American culture were popular. Practically everything is available in Japan, so something that is specific to your city, your state, your hobbies, the US would be interesting to them. Don t forget to pack pix/video of your family, your car, your school, your city, your pets...too. I remember my host siblings looking at my high school yearbook for ages! They thought it was interesting how the students could wear makeup and do their hair and wear whatever they wanted, since Japanese students have to wear uniforms and can t wear makeup. And most importantly, a good, open attitude about being in a different country. A lot of Japanese people that I encountered assumed that I owned a gun, saw people getting shot, was in a car chase, don t know anything about any other countries, and ate junk food all the time. I m serious. As an American in Japan, imagine that you are an ambassador- try to dispel these awful stereotypes about Americans. Actions that you make will be translated as quot;Americans think this and Americans do thatquot; by people you meet. But going back to your question, gift giving is such a big part of Japanese culture. I think anything you brought over with you would be hugely appreciated. Sorry about going overboard on your answer. You ll have a fab time. Enjoy it!

Buy them each a baseball glove because baseball is an American pastime. Or just think of some great American recipe that you can take over there and make for them. They might love it and adopt it into their culture.

if there is a way to ship meat (beef) they would love it. beef is very expensive there, I know I lived there for 3 years

I suggest something that s local to where you live, which is very unique, useful, or beautiful, and which they could not get in Japan. For instance, a cofee table book with pictures from your state, handicrafts, things with state insignia, any special products you can only get in your state, special foods that are unique to your state (but remember no fresh fruits veggies or seeds will make it through customs, only packaged, nonperishable foods). Often, gift shops in local museums will carry these kinds of items. On the other hand, an exception to the quot;Americanaquot; rule might be if you see something wonderful that might prove very useful especially if you know something about them: a wonderful container for holding tea, really special chopstick holders, a particularly special golf shirt (e.g. green Master s shirt). Become familiar with gift giving customs: in China where I live the gift-wrap is very important because it shows the effort which has gone into the gift. Your hosts know you are making a stab in the dark so the effort is probably more important than the item itself. Also, red and yellow and bright colors are probably good colors for gift wrap, but not white or black. In China you don t give a fan or clock (both symbolize bad things by association). And in some cultures it s in bad taste to open the gift right then, so when exchanging gifts don t just jump in to open a gift and don t be surprised if someone waits to open the gift after they have left your company. Oh, and for the youngsters, get something fun and appropriate for their age group, even something you could do together like a jigsaw puzzle, monopoly game, Twister game, etc.

For the two guys, I think they ll like something to do with baseball. More particularly, it should have Ichiro s name on it. Or Matsui...

Send them some nice porterhouse steaks. Beef is a treat in Japan. http://www.omahasteaks.com/servlet/brows...

I have always found that something edible, maybe candy or snacks are a good gift. They are consumable and don t take up permanent space. It is hard to buy souvenirs for someone because you don t know if they will like them. Candies and such have always worked for me! My mother-in law and aunt in Indonesia also love those shaped glycerin soaps in the form of animals, etc (sometimes I find them at Michael s)