Hello I’m studying abroad in Japan for the next year, and currently I’m figuring out お土産 for my host family. I got a letter from them and it listed all their interests and some other info. The son likes 踏切(railroad crossing) and legos. I was thinking of getting a hogwarts express train lego set for him, but is a train the same as 踏切/would this be a good gift to give to someone who really loves 踏切?
Also I was thinking of getting him a basketball jersey of a popular US player since he likes playing basketball. For the parents I’m getting merch from my university and some cherry related snacks and sweets because our state is known for cherries. Maybe some other local foods as well. The father likes walking, going for drives, and games, and the mother likes gardening. Is this too much or too little? Is there anything that could be changed?
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**Host family gifts**
Hello I’m studying abroad in Japan for the next year, and currently I’m figuring out お土産 for my host family. I got a letter from them and it listed all their interests and some other info. The son likes 踏切(railroad crossing) and legos. I was thinking of getting a hogwarts express train lego set for him, but is a train the same as 踏切/would this be a good gift to give to someone who really loves 踏切?
Also I was thinking of getting him a basketball jersey of a popular US player since he likes playing basketball. For the parents I’m getting merch from my university and some cherry related snacks and sweets because our state is known for cherries. Maybe some other local foods as well. The father likes walking, going for drives, and games, and the mother likes gardening. Is this too much or too little? Is there anything that could be changed?
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It’s a very nice gesture. But a basketball jersey + lego might get costly. So it’s up to you how much you want to spend.
Also if you’re buying for the intention of being liked or having a really good first impression, then you should re-consider. You can always do that in other ways.
You don’t need to go crazy overboard. Especially for the kid, I think a jersey alone should be fine. Please consider the space your things are going to take up in their home.
Food is always a good choice, but again, no need to overdo it.
I would not spend a whole lot of money, because it creates sort of reverse obligation. Candy/sweets are a great idea.
An expensive lego set (Cheapest I could find a Hogwart’s express set was $125) is ***far*** too much.
Honestly even the Jersey + Merch + Cherry stuff sounds like a lot. You shouldn’t be spending hundreds of dollars on gifts.
In general perishables like food, tea/coffee or national specialty snacks would probably work better as お土産. You don’t want to overwhelm your host families with extravagant gifts, and it’s more cost-friendly too.