Letter from Boston Local Gifts By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
土地のみやげ品 古い伝統と歴史の残る町ボストンには、毎日大勢の観光客が訪れます。そんな観光客をねらって、たくさんのみやげもの店がさまざまな記念品を売っています。雅子さんも日本の友人や親せきにボストンみやげを買うことがありますが、そのたびに何を買おうかと悩みます。雅子さんが考える、もらってうれしいボストンみやげとは？

Tourism is a big industry in Boston, and busloads of people visit the city every day. Naturally, people who have come from afar want to buy gifts to take back home, and many local merchants capitalize on this desire. There are dozens of cheap gift shops around the most popular tourist areas of Boston.

The worst kinds of gifts are the generic gifts items that one can buy in any city but that happen to have the word "Boston" printed on them. T-shirts, pens, mugs and posters fall under this category. These are the kinds of items that natives would never touch, since they tend to be designed poorly.

There is nothing more disappointing than watching people buy local gift items that have a "Made in China" label printed on the back. (Well, something that may be more disappointing is watching more tourists wear Harvard T-shirts than Harvard students. Hey, why aren't they buying BU T-shirts!?)

Slightly above these items are items that are actually unique to the area but that have become stereotypes over the years. Lobster, clam chowder, baked beans and brown bread are indeed originally from New England. But it is not as if Bostonians eat these things every day. In fact, I've never eaten brown bread and I eat lobster only once or twice a year.

Even though I'm not a Boston tourist, I do think about such issues at times, since there are occasions when I have to bring gifts to friends and relatives in Japan. This can be a very difficult task.

I hesitate to fall back on familiar brand name items such as makeup, handbags and liquor, even though these gifts are often appreciated. These items are available anywhere. Granted, they may be a little more expensive in Japan, but there is really no need for me to bring them over.

I obviously don't want to give the tourist trap items that I've mentioned above either. These days, I've come to rely on some local boutiques that sell American-made handicrafts. Perhaps surprisingly, they don't sell patchwork quilts, handwoven baskets, stenciled boxes or other well-known American craft items. They sell contemporary crafts that don't resemble anything from colonial times. And they don't make any false attempts to copy Native American motifs.

The stores sell things like handmade scarves, pottery, jewelry, photo frames and lamp shades. Even though the items are often very attractive, I would say that most of the items are for everyday use. I can almost hear them cry out, "Please use me!!''

One might argue that they don't contain any trace of American history, but I would say that they probably capture the spirit of the current times better than any replica of ancient crafts.

The items are not mass-produced and they often contain information about the artisans who create the pieces or the techniques used in creating them. I went to a store today in which all of the items had been created by Massachusetts residents. This is great for gift-giving purposes. Apparently, the store keeps an eye out for fresh talent by watching students who are enrolled in local crafts classes.

I selected a beautiful handwo ven scarf that was on sale for $56 (¥5,880). It was not cheap, but it was a bit less expensive than mass-produced designer scarves in department stores and a lot cheaper than haute couture. Considering the time it takes to make things by hand, I think I got a bargain.

These stores are craft stores, not art galleries, so I think the artisans keep users' interests in mind. Because the artists live in the area, they can stay in touch with local tastes. I like the idea of supporting local industries and of supporting people who make high-quality, hand-crafted items, which is one of the reasons I like going to these stores.

The bottom line, however, is that there are many things in these stores that, as a Bostonian, I would like to get for myself. I think this is a good hint that the items might make good gifts for others who want to understand what it is like to live in this city.

Shukan ST: March 17, 2000

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