gift for host family? *opinions wanted/needed*
 

So I'm travelling to Japan this summer and for 3 days I'll be staying with a host family. Since I'll be intruded on them and their home, I need to get them a gift. But I can't think of anything. Any suggestions on what a nice Japanese family might want from an American? I was thinking that since I live in California maybe I could give them a minitature Golden Gate Bridge but I don't know if that would be lame or what... Help please!!

well i think that what ever you give them they will like it since you spent your money on a gift for them and it is a a thing that they dont see often (the bridge)

Yeah I know... I just wanna make sure it's good. I mean I know they'll appreciate it but i want to give them something they'll remember. I don't want to give them something they'll just throw away or sell in a garage sale, you know?

yeah i understand but i dont know about a great gift try to get someting that they can use around the house often or something like that

Some kind of food or drink is always good. I'm in northern CA, so I took a bunch of different flavored California almonds when I went. If you're in the bay area, isn't Ghiradelli Chocolate based there? Or maybe a bag of fortune cookies... they were invented in San Francisco. Or maybe some Napa valley wine...

Very nice flowers or plant.

Very few people know that in Japan, flowers and plants are very nice and great gifts.

They can be costly, but if you go to a nice place and get it arranged beautifully, or arrange them your self, it is a very nice gesture.

A nice bottle of sake is always a nice gesture also.

I agree. Japanese homes are small, so food over "display items" is highly recommended.

But would you be able to get food past customs? Drink you can't get past security with the whole liquid ban.

You can keep drinks in the Luggage that you don´t carry with you, you just cant take it in the passenger-room.

I heared from a Japanese that Food is always nice and for Girls a nicelooking Hankerchief. Other than that i think a Towel (maybe some Print saying California) seems to be a typicall Japanese present and you cant go wrong there. I would maybe pick some snacks, get a Towel and some Postcards and maybe something really Touristic (like this Bridge you mentioned).
But im also curios what i should bring over from Germany/switzerland (swiss knife is not good i heared, because you shouldn´t bring knifes at all).

Firebird

When I went to Japan with school (not whole school, only 20-30 people), we were suggested to give gifts unique to Australia, or just something Australian that they most likely won't find common in Japan. So I (my mum) bought all these random things like little glass figurines of Australian animals, toy boomerangs for the kids, koala purses for the girls and some other random stuff that I wouldn't really want.
Frankly, I think any kind of gift is fine, as long as it looks like you put a little thought in it (all that counts). If I assume that they think the same as me, the gifts they give you will most likely end up in some corner of a room.
Can't agree with giving them a bottle of sake though, it's something they can just go down the road (or wherever) to buy, doesn't really go well with the experience of hosting a foreigner kinda thing if you know what I mean. That, and they'd probably be giving you a bottle of sake to take back to the family (I received 2 bottles from 3 different families).
And thats what I think.