English Gift Ideas for a Japanese Friend?

[SaRabbit]

Dear JRef users,

Thanks for the advice you gave me earlier in the year about booking our Holiday to Japan in March.

It's all booked now and I'm fluctuating between excited and apprehensive!

Luckily I will be meeting a friend of ours (known exclusively over the internet and email until next year) who we can hang with for a while. Have you any ideas for a gift I can bring him from England? Something small and sturdy (obviously it needs to withstand long haul travel).

Is there anything English-y that the Japanese like and find hard to come by that he might like?

Any ideas welcome.
Thanks

 

[undrentide]

When we hear the word "England", it's the tea that comes to our mind first!
Most major brands are already available in Japan (Twining, Lipton, Whittard, as well as those from Harrods, Wedgewood, just for example) but some exotic flavours might be interesting if your friend loves tea.

If he's interested in football, some souvenir things from one of the English teams would be nice.

If he likes sweets, how about your local speciality? Biscuits, fudge or chocolate...

If he has never been to England, a small booklet or a few postcards of your city or town, or some places of interest near to where you're living.

Just a few things I can think of right now. I'm sure other members will come up with better ideas!

 

[TGI-ECT]

Wedgewood China

Depending on the impression you want to make, and how deep your pockets are, any Wedgewood china product.

You could get a not-so-expensive clock set in that famous Wedgewood blue china, with white bas-relief on the front and top. I'm looking at mine as I type. Yes, also a gift.

I'm sure this wasn't too expensive. It's really quite small. About ... no, exactly 8.3 centimeters tall/high.

That's a gift that will be treasured and handed down from generation to generation forever.

That's class. That's style.

No, I don't work for Wedgewood.

 

[Spyder93090]

When I went to Yamagata for foreign exchange, I brought mostly sweets and then some t-shirts from my store (Pac-Sun). Anyways, I brought Belgian Chocolate and they scarfed that in no-time. Jelly Belly and Ferrero Rocherre did pretty well too. Hope this helps !

 

[SaRabbit]

Excellent! Thanks to all of you for the ideas.

I particularly like the idea of a football shirt/tshirt and the fudge/belgian chocs.

I'll look into the wedgewood but I know nothing about it and I would hate for it to break. ... but I'll see what I can find out online, I'd really like to get something meaningful.