Originally Posted by
joejones
So yes, coffee and chocolates are good, especially if there's a local connection (so if you're coming from California, bring some Ghirardelli or See's). You can also make do with local knick-knacks, like little Statues of Liberty from New York or something like that, but the key is to make your gift somehow specific to the place you come from.
I second Ghirardelli - especially if you live in, or near, San Francisco. I always get one of my friends Ghirardelli chocolates and the other one another type... Ferrero Rocher chocolates. One of my friends mentioned that they are unbelievably expensive in Japan but in the US they're standard so I usually buy them for her.
Although it's a bit late I try to get ahold of some Girl Scout Cookies to bring with me if the timing is right. They are definitely a US type thing that no one else has ever really heard of~
As to things from the hometown - when I studied abroad in Japan one of the things I brought to give my host family was a picture book - not like a kids book but some really nice shots of where we lived by a local artist. Not sure if you live in a scenic area but if you're near a body of water or have a bunch of local artists I would see about buying something from them to bring to the family. I happen to think postcards are a nice general gift to give as well, they usually have nice images.
Souvenirs can be tricky unless it's something really famous (e.g. Eiffel tower, golden gate bridge, statue of liberty, etc). Clothing can also be hard because you don't know the size of the family before you go there (although S & M US sizes are usually pretty safe bets...)