I heard that for Japanese men, whisky or other alcohol is appropriate and desirable as a gift. I'm looking for suggestions to give to the wife, their daughter and 2 sons (all 3 are in their mid-20s). What from the US can I bring them when I visit ? When the wife came to the US to visit, she brought me and my husband quite lavish gifts. thank you.

From my observations (in Honolulu and Los Angeles) a popular gift for a Japanese woman would be a designer handbag or a scarf. I'd suggest a leather Coach bag; they're made in the U.S.A. and should run from $150-$500. In scarves, try Christian Dior or Hermes, at about $250.

When i read the topic the first thing comes to my mind is Scarf, so i support Emily's post. Try the best quality one you can find.

Ditto on the scarf. Japanese women appreciate name brands, as well. You might want to see if the men or women play golf. You can get them some boxes of golf balls, which are quite expensive in Japan (and will be appreciated).

Japanese are very appreciative of beautiful gift packaging so whatever you choose, I would advise that you get the gift wrapped prettily.