North Carolina Omiyage Hunt

Note: The information in this post is based on my observations from when I was in Japan and what I know from the Internet, and is more included so you don't have to Google "omiyage" before reading this post to understand it, than to actually help people.

Kaz was extremely helpful when I asked what I should bring his parents when I meet them this summer.

"You don't have to bring them anything. You can even bring them dirt."

As optimistic as he may be, I'd have to decide upon omiyage myself.

Omiyage — お土産（おみやげ）

I think of omiyage as sort of akin to "extreme souveniring". In Japan, when you go on a trip, you are expected to bring back gifts from the region to which you traveled for friends, family, and/or coworkers. These are more than keychains and magnets you hand someone as you pass them by in the office with a, "Hey, I brought you back something" (unless they love collecting fridge magnets, in which case, go for it.) The most typical omiyage is a consumable, small, or useful item from the region you visited, such as snacks, perfume, alcohol, or fruits. It must be nicely wrapped, or come in nice packaging. It is best to go with something the region is known for. For example, when I studied abroad in Japan and took a trip to Hokkaido, a box of famed Shiroi Koibito cookies for the members of my laboratory was a safe, and probably expected, bet.

Omiyage in Japan can be found at many gift shops and rest stops along highways, and snacks are easy to find in many different quantities. You don't have to get something individual or unique for everyone, for example, you can bring back one box of twenty-four yatsuhashi sweets from Kyoto for the ten coworkers in your office.

However, choosing omiyage is much harder if you've visited or are coming from somewhere that little individually-wrapped snacks are not part of the culture. American "souvenirs" are largely small but admittedly useless things—although it is cool to pull that old keychain from the back of the drawer and see that it still flashes your name after all these years.

Now that I'm not only returning to Japan and meeting friends, but meeting Kaz's parents, I needed to figure out what constitutes good North Carolina omiyage.

The Museum of Natural History was recommended as a good place for Carolina-themed gifts, so that's the first place I went. I highly recommend this for anyone who is close enough to warrant a trip. Even if you don't find anything suitable, it will definitely get ideas flowing.

Photo credit: NC Museum of History. Although all of these are beautiful,
I do not recommend pottery as omiyage unless you know the person will like it.

I left with a gift for Kaz's mom and all of my friends, and an idea for a gift for his dad. I came home with the following:

• Biltmore Estate sparkling wine for his mom.
• Seventeen Twelve NC bourbon for his dad. I got this from an ABC (liquor) store, which had an NC section.
• Burlap "Greetings from North Carolina" gift bags for the alcohol. I went back to the museum after the ABC store to get a second one.
• Chapel Hill Toffee of various sizes for friends and former teachers.

Omiyage do not have to be expensive. They are just a way of showing the people around you that you value them. In fact, omiyage that are too expensive may be seen as a burden, as the receiver may feel the need to give you a gift of around the same value.

Start by thinking of things for which your city/state/province/region is known. If your area is known for something that's impractical as a gift, look for things that your area might not be so famous for, but are at least produced there. Bonus points for gifts with your area's name on it.

Of course, you should also take into consideration how you'll be traveling with your gifts. You can wrap alcohol in plastic bags, then bubble wrap, pack it in the middle of the clothes in your checked bag, and cross your fingers for good luck. If traveling with goods that can melt, such as chocolate, you might not want to put it in your checked baggage if coming from or going somewhere hot. Make sure you understand export and import laws, travel regulations, and airline/cruise line guidelines. It would be a shame for your Everclear to be tossed out at the airport because you didn't realize alcohols above a certain alcohol content are banned from air travel.

What would you recommend as omiyage from your area?

~Decchan