Proper Gift for Family Taking Care of Me?
 

Yeah, I am veryyyyy late. I leave this friday evening. I know
But I still have not found something that I think is a perfect thing to give the family taking care of me during my three week stay in Japan. (I asked the oldest son for advice, and even he was not sure...gah. Thanks Rei.)
I was planning individual, since Mom, Rei, and his two younger birthdays are ALLL this month...but my budget cannot handle it. (And I do not want Dad left out.)

The suggestions I got were
Something unique to use in Kitchen
Coffee
Team Jerseys from America

Anything else? I want it to be good enough that I do not seem cheap and such. :\ I respect the family a whole lot, they were very kind to me while I was dating Rei when I was younger, and they went through a lot with the middle son and his accident and subsequent paralyzation...

I think I am stressing too much about this, but I want it to be good...

Don't give four gifts, even if there are four in the family you want to gift. Four and nine are considered unlucky. But since you didn't want to leave the father out, then nevermind!

Practical gifts are better than decorative. Perhaps a nice set of glass coasters? Or perhaps snacks from home that you know aren't available there. It's good to give something to be enjoyed by everyone but then not had to be stored or put away, since space may be at a premium. Nuts or dried fruits? I don't know how much Japanese people are into cheese, but maybe a cheese "set" or whatever it's called?

Yeah, I knew about the number bit xD Another reason not leave Dad out.
Coasters...hmmm I like that Idea. Dried fruits seems good too, I hope they are not picky eaters.

Ideally if you take the traditional route it would be something from your hometown, something unique to it. Not so much as a gift for gift's sake.

i.e. As I'm in Canada something like maple syrup would suffice as a component.

try something organic :) cookies, little sweet things.. something locally produce in your country ..

give it as a gift to the family .. and wrap in something presentable.:vsign:

I'm not sure which part of California you are from but remember a lot of people have interest in things from your home state! Go to a local Farmer's Market and find something tasty. Wine, olive oil, olives, nuts, chocolates, honey, hot sauce, salsa, dried fruits - anything local. Even something with imagery of California could be nice.
Let me know what area you are form and I could help more. :vsign:

Fresno, california

Oh that's perfect, then you at the epicenter of amazing things grown in CA! For sure think about honey, nuts (almonds, pistachios), jam or artisan chocolates. Those are all things a whole family can enjoy. You could get a wine or coffee beans for the adults and something sweet for all to share.

If you from way up north or the desert I'd have to rethink that.

Actually something really nice is nuts and dried fruit IN honey. Doesn't need to be expensive honey either and you can do it at home- the fruit flavours it, it looks very fancy in a nice jar with a covered lid and it is gorgeous spooned on yoghurt for like a pudding.

Hm...I am looking where I can buy that in my town now. When I was younger there was a store famous for dried fruits and nuts and now...I do not know what happened to it..../sadface

I just make it with stuff from the supermarket; have a look on the labels and you might find something local, failing that opt for 'american'. Dried ready-to-eat figs, apricots, plums and dates are great in it, raisins add a deeper flavor to the honey. For nuts you can use anything, but walnuts and pecans go really well. I don't tend to use peanut, i find it's too strong a taste.

We're in New Jersey and always travel with boxes of salt water taffy in case we need a gift. :D

Hey, I know that the OP has probably bought a gift and gave it already, but I'll leave a basic guide for giving gifts in Japan. Y'all can correct me if I'm wrong, this is just my opinion based on experiences while living in Japan.

I've found that practical things like soy sauce/spices etc. is popular. And the women are particularly pleased with that kind of thing. So maybe something like that, except with a foreign spin on it.
Soap works; but be careful with 'em and give something neutral and mild-scented. American, scented soaps/perfumes/etc. are really strong from a Japanese point of view.
Don't give objects/figurines. Japanese houses are usually small, and medium-sized/big "okimono" objects aren't the best gift unless you've seen the inside of the house already. Food is appreciated; good cheese is really expensive in Japan because everything is imported, nuts are expensive too (and good ones are rare). Ain't much good chocolates either. Maybe a Ghirardelli?
When buying presents overseas, keep in mind the packaging. If plastic and cardboard or paper are stuck together really securely, it might be really hard to throw away depending on how the city disposes of trash. Packaging that contains metal is a tad frowned upon, unless it's something reusable like an aluminum can.
Don't get anything too flashy or impressive, because they're going to feel obligated to give something of equal or better value.

Maybe, if you have already analyzed what people like (Soy sauce and so on) you should kind of create a big gift basket? With this gift basket you can show your own creativity and you can include a lot of things one can really need in every day cooking life - not just soy sauce but other great things like spices, herbs and red wine gifts.
Nothing is as special as a really great gift basket - because the family can therefore see that you really thought about every piece you put into that basket carefully.

Is this a humor thread or is my brain simply not working at 3 a.m.?

That appears to be the response from a bot, as there's a link in there somewhere that has nothing to do with soy sauce.... You're alertness at 3am is still there....:)