Please Help, Need Gift Ideas for...
 

Hope I posted in the correct forum, please move thread if not.

Greetings! I hope you guys can help me out, this is a serious life or death crisis :p. Here is my situation... in less than a month, I will be moving to Tokyo for a research project in a neurobiology lab for the next year. I've got just two :vsign: questions!

1. I am not quite attuned to japanese culture, so just wondering if it's normal/expected/weird/too much to give my future professor and tutor a gift?If so...

2. What shall I get them? In Japan, is there some sort of traditional gift that students give to their teachers (like giving an apple)? Here's a brief profile/my relations of/to them...

Professor: male, middle-aged, well-known in the field, head honcho, even though I will be working in his lab I probably won't see him often.

Tutor: female, in her twenties, will be working closely with her, the person that will be showing me the ropes for the next year.

Thanks,

J

I was told that when visiting a family, it's nice to bring a gift like melon, but...not sure about your situation. I hope someone can answer this for you.

Any kind of individually wrapped candies would go well, especially if they come from your home country. My teachers seem to be found of chocolates or cookies (not home made though).

Hehe, Homemade chocolate would be a little suspect. :P

Just give them umm, Yea a fruit ^_^

Bring a half-dozen small, wrapped local gifts. The best is something edible, as Japanese houses tend to be a little cramped. Something local to your area will be the most appreciated. Candies, jam, maple syrup is nice.

whenever we host japanese students at my house or when i went to japan as an exchange student, we gave the students and my host family see's candies. they really liked them. hope that helps

I heard Japanese like Ice Creame aswell. So... Take them out to ice creame?

Is that suggested?

I think you might have a problem trying to get fruit past customs and into the country. I just noticed your location as Seattle. Maybe try bringing them some coffee (hermetically sealed of course).

I'm sure there is a grocery store in Japan :vsign:

Just get things you would find typical of seatle and get a load of stuff like that for giving to people in japan.