rach 1 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I think we spoke about this last year as well a bit, but hey that was so 03. Good things to take home as presents. Things that people back home have thought were really cool. Any good ideas, apart from obvious ones. Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 1L cans of beer. (at the cost of lugging a kilo of weight) little jars of umeshuu Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I took home those cans of sake where you can push the button on the bottom of the can and within a few minutes becomes very hot. My friends loved them. Hire zake...I think it was called. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Paying to fly yourself back there ought to be a big enough gift, but otherwise Japanese fridge magnets that you get at the airport are good. Last time I took back carefully selected and packaged sake, and I bet it's still in everybody's sideboards now, with the level half-way down the neck of the bottle. Won't be doing that again. Those little dried fish/toenails with almonds seem to go down well and don't get crushed to a powder like senbe. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 sumo beer mats for the lads, ninja keyrings for the kids, and silk scarfs w/geisha print for the ladies. Simple, cheap, available at the airport (five minutes as opposed to a day in Kyoto) and everyone was happy. In the past I always went out of my way to get fantastic gifts, but I suspect they weren't received with a true appreciation of there value and the effort that went into finding them. The latest, golden week round of cheap omiage seems to of confirmed that... Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 O-ko. Japanese insence. I always bring O-ko when I visit my friends in other country. I want to get very nice Japanese insence burner for myself sometime. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 100 yen shop sels some really nice japanese plates and sets like that. Heavy but very very much appreciated and in OZ things like that cost alot. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I took a selection of Japanese stick mags for my mate. They were lamo ones from the airport news stand but he still had a laugh .... "dont they know what a razor is?!". This was a last minute thought at the airport whilst killing time. Normally I do not think to buy presents and the like. Has anyone seen those stretching machines that they advertise in those mags? It is alike a torture rack that stretches the body and makes you taller. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Being a stitch below six foot, i've often looked at them longingly... Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 I know the feeling about expensive presents not being appreciated. I did that when I was first here, spend a mini fortune on beautiful presents and disappointed with the reactions. Might as well have been a 10th of the value of prezzies. Not that I was particularly looking for a "oooohh what expensive present" kind of reaction, sure you know what I mean. My dad likes senbe kakinotane and that kind of stuff with some beer and me mum like umeshu. Link to post Share on other sites
egglesby 1 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Umeshu seems to be popular. That and our local cake shop does some amazing rum.raison cookies which people love back home. I usually just stock up on them. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 I'm going to take 10 packs of senko hanabi this time - light, cheap, Japanese, and fun. Link to post Share on other sites
IIIII 2 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 What might they be? Link to post Share on other sites
r45 4 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Sake, cookies, senbe. Link to post Share on other sites
jstepp 0 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 If your country has a trade embargo against Cuba, bring home some Cuban cigars, just not too many Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Senko hanabi are those little fireworks you squat down on the ground and light. A blob of magma forms on the end and chucks out sparks. It's very wabi sabi, especially if you're facing a pretty gurl squatting down in a mini skirt saying "Ah jozu jozu". (I once wrote a song about senko hanabi, but my band was too embarrassed even to play it once.) Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Another nice cheapo player is "furin" wind chimes. Those little glass ones shaped like fish or piglets. My local 100-yen shop has a great selection, and they even come wrapped in a protective box cushioned with paper...this is one of the few non-edible gifts where a year later I still saw it in use hanging outside the kitchen window or on the back step. Another good one is a six-pack of those tiny cans of Asahi beer...they're about the size of 2-3 shot glasses. Not only does the recipient find them a cute conversation piece, but they are also perfect for when somebody demands that you shotgun a can of beer for losing a bet or a game of chance...a routine occurrence in Walled Lake, MI. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Don't they use the windchimes for target practice in Walled Lake, Michigan? Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Sadly, they pawned all their guns for booze money! Link to post Share on other sites
powwwers 0 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 t-shirts with `trukked` up english messages on `em that no one can understand. my nephew had his 21st. bday party tha otha week and i put together a few goodies for `im. tha best was a pack of `POOH BISCUTS`! gotta luv that. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Still trumped by the 'Chocolate Cum' biscuits I found in Bali I'm afraid. Link to post Share on other sites
IIIII 2 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Calendars with Japanese scenery on them are good presents. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Everybody loves porn. Good the entire family. For the kids just bring the comic book porn. Link to post Share on other sites
base40 0 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 With you there I5 dude - calendars make a good present. Easy, useful and not too expensive either. Link to post Share on other sites
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