Gift for sensei?

[grimalkin]

My Japanese language class semester is finishing up. Our sensei has been just great, going above and beyond to answer questions, etc. I'd like to give her a small gift as a token of my appreciation for all she's done.

We're both happily married middle-aged women, so I know there won't be any question of it being taken the wrong way "that" way, but is it o.k. for an adult student to give sensei a gift or is it considered rude (since I'm in some way rewarding her for being good at her job?) If it is o.k., is there a traditional "sensei" gift?

Thanks for any advice!

[Belton]

Gift giving is a huge social custom and tradition in Japan.
It acknowledges mutual relationships and obligations.
I've always given my teacher a Winter and Summer gift, and omiyage whenever I come back from Japan. (It also fits in with my own upbringing and customs as it happens.)

So I can't think it would cause any offence.
My advice is to use whatever gift - giving customs you usually do.
(Home made cookies probably ok, caviar maybe not)

Often gifts are consumable in Japan I think. (Things to eat or drink!) Probably because there often isn't room to have ornaments etc in your apartment. Also gifts are always wrapped. Often in an artful fashion. Stores will usually do this for you with even the smallest purchase.

The set phrase when giving a gift is
つまらないものですんが・・・どうぞ。
(this is something very trivial but... please (accept it))
I find this often surprises Japanese when I say it.
You'd usually use both hands to give a gift (or money and cards in a shop by the way), and it might not be opened although I think nowadays it usually is.
Also there is often a return gift to maintain balance, although I'm not sure how this would work in a student/teacher interaction.

[grimalkin]

Thank you, Belton-san; this is exactly what I needed. I make really good brownies, so that's what I'll do.

The set phrase when giving a gift is
つまらないものですんが・・・どうぞ。
(this is something very trivial but... please (accept it))

This is funny, because we learned つまらない as "boring" so it looks like "boring-thing this is..." to me. It makes sense, boring and trivial, but it still makes me smile.

Thanks again.

[Taurus]

Gift giving is a huge social custom and tradition in Japan.
The set phrase when giving a gift is
つまらないものですんが・・・どうぞ。
(this is something very trivial but... please (accept it))
I find this often surprises Japanese when I say it.

I mentioned this in another topic, but nobody seemed to be able to answer me there, so I'm going to try again: when I first met my girlfriend's family, I used the phrase 'hon no kimochi desu' (ほんの気持ちです), which I'd learnt from my Minna no Nihongo textbooks, and which they all found uproariously funny. My question is, why did they find it so funny?

Anyway, now it's like my catchphrase or something, so I use it every time I give them something. But I think I'll start using tsumaranaimono... with people I don't already know...

[Belton]

when I first met my girlfriend's family, I used the phrase 'hon no kimochi desu' (ほんの気持ちです), which I'd learnt from my Minna no Nihongo textbooks, and which they all found uproariously funny. My question is, why did they find it so funny?

I'm not sure. I wonder if it shouldn't be ほんとうの
本当の気持ちです、This is a token of my true feelings
but ほんの means "merely"
This is mere emotion ?
that might be funny.

but even 本当の気持ちです might be a bit strong in many situations.
Maybe more suited to giving your girlfriend a gift rather than her parents.

Most gift giving and hospitality situations are a ritual of how poor and unacceptable your efforts are. （when really they aren't)
A potential minefield for an outsider.
Also potentially funny if you hit on a phrase that is too polite or too formal I suppose.