Hi milepig -

Having attended Waseda University in Tokyo for graduate levels, I recall that on one reunion, my wife and I later went to a wholesale market where large sections of meat were being cut up. One butcher was using a large, heavy weight Japanese knife, very similar to a German Chef's knife, only twice a big and heavy.

I asked about the knife and was told it was " on sale " for 15,000 JPY, or around $ 145.00 USD., and having a few hundred knives in our kitchen, the wife said a firm NO THANK YOU before I could utter a reply. In hindsight, I believe that was the regular price.

I'm not suggesting that this would be an appropriate gift for your mother, but on thinking about it, there are good individual knives available in Japan that might be hard to find later when you depart. This is a good way to see another side of Japan, and pick up techniques and perhaps a few unique kitchen tools at the same time.