Growing up, whenever my dad would go out-of-town on business he would return with gifts for our entire family. This was customary in our home, not just because my dad is a nice guy, but also because it is a cultural tradition in Japan. My mother is Japanese and I was raised in Hawaii, a state with a large Asian population. Whether you are Hawaiian, Filipino, Samoan, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, or Caucasian, if you live in Hawaii, you adhere to the Japanese tradition of returning from your travels with omiyage. Omiyage (pronounced: oh-me-yah-gay) are gifts given to bosses, co-workers, family … Continue reading →