Hello!
I was directed by the mods of r/Japan to post here for this question:
I’m going to be (in a couple months) going on a study tour, and will be staying with a host family. I want to get some uniquely American gifts for them, and a few people I meet that would be welcomed by most people, around teen/young adult age. Is there anything that is not commonly sold in Japan that is “hip with the kids”, but sold commonly in America?
4 comments
Search the sub for ideas (also search the r/JETProgramme subreddit, where this comes up *a lot*, and search r/JapanLife too), as well as terms like “omiyage” (sometimes spelled omiage). Best things (in my opinion) are usually sweets/chocolates/snacks, especially if individually wrapped.
To get an idea of what Japanese folks would get for each other have a look here:
https://shopping.jtb.co.jp/tags/america-omiyage
In general individually wrapped single serving consumables are the best bet. If you want to splurge a nice bottle of local whiskey is usually a safe bet.
I’m from Australia and we gifted a singing kangaroo plushie. My host family adores it. 🥰
Authentic maple syrup, maybe two big cans? Texan BBQ rub if your host has an outdoor grill?
For the kids IDK; teenagers are a hard group to please haha