Gifts for Japanese roommate?

Dioltas

This fall I am studying abroad at an university in Japan. I'm planning on bringing some small but nice gifts for my roommate, adviser, and other cool people that I meet. However, I am totally stumped on what to get. That is where you come in, oh great and wise H/A forum!

Factors that may affect what to get for people:
-The University is taught almost entirely in English
-My roommate will be Japanese
-Since I am a girl, my roommate will also be of the female persuasion.
-Oh yeah, my adviser is female as well.
-I have EXTREMELY limited packing space, so the "small" part of "small but nice gifts" is pretty important.
-I am from the Twin Cities are of Minnesota.

So, hit me with some stellar gift ideas. I will be heading to the Mall of America tonight to do some last minute shopping, so if I can find anything there that would be great.

Dman

You might be on the wrong forum.

If I know what good gifts for women were I would be sending more of them. I use all the easy gifts for my girlfriend, I'm not sure perfume or hand cream is something you give to your room mate.

Locus

Traditional 'welcome' gifts in Japan are generally a food item of some kind, preferably a food item that's native to wherever you come from (and preferably something it would be difficult to get unless you lived there).

Candy tends to work pretty well, since pretty much everyone likes it. When my parents visited me in Japan they brought Godiva chocolate for everyone. Not exactly a New Jersey delicacy, but everyone appreciated it.

If you don't want to go the food route, just get something that represents where you come from. Since you're in school, why not get something that an academic could use? A set of pens from University of Minnesota, or some kind of Minnesota Twins paraphernalia. Basically anything that they can subsequently display and say, "Hey, I know someone from Minnesota."

i n c u b u s

Locus wrote: »

Traditional 'welcome' gifts in Japan are generally a food item of some kind, preferably a food item that's native to wherever you come from (and preferably something it would be difficult to get unless you lived there).

Candy tends to work pretty well, since pretty much everyone likes it. When my parents visited me in Japan they brought Godiva chocolate for everyone. Not exactly a New Jersey delicacy, but everyone appreciated it.

If you don't want to go the food route, just get something that represents where you come from. Since you're in school, why not get something that an academic could use? A set of pens from University of Minnesota, or some kind of Minnesota Twins paraphernalia. Basically anything that they can subsequently display and say, "Hey, I know someone from Minnesota."

I second this advice, hit up a candy store in the MoA and see if they have some neat unique candies.

Reiten

Pens or small things like that with your current university's name/mascot on it are also good, small and very portable gifts. Key chains or things that can be attached to cell phones are also great, especially for women (not so good for college advisors, etc.). People always liked this more than food in my experience. They also have the advantage of being completely unavailable in Japan.