For some reason Johnny Walker is a common gift to give traveling Japanese businessmen.  Maybe if they actually like whisky you can give them something better.  I have the feeling it is well liked because it is expensive?  You have to be careful though, if you give a gift that is more expensive than theirs, it will backfire. 

My only experience in this sort of thing was a some brief business dealings with Fuji and Dell.  Dell gave us all a really nice pen set with case to give to our counterparts at the start of the first meeting.  It all seemed rather orchestrated and controlled though, so I have no idea if it met all of the social stigmas of gift giving.

My experience in entertaining visiting Japanese business people is that you can't go wrong taking them someplace that really is what your city is about. If there is nothing like it in Tokyo, so much the better.  I once scored huge points by taking the CEO of a Japanese client to a great steakhouse in Beverly Hills (where he ordered half a chicken and a Bud).

In Chicago, i would take them to an Italian place with great food. If they are staying downtown, think about Volare. If you want a neighborhood place with the added bonus of horribly kitschy decor, I don't think you can beat Sabatino's on Irving Park.

Saw it on Food network. Go here http://dmkburgerbar.com/

Weird but totally American. Like Burn said they are like us and want to experience new things rather than feel "at home."

My company has an exclusive partnership with a Japanese company.  They come once a year to visit - last year wasn't so great.  We took them to the fanciest sushi place in Chicago (can't personally eat there as its not kosher) where one tried ordering something with squid, the other something with octopus.  Not available.  I just asked them to bring the fanciest stuff they had and the businessmen laughed (politely) when it arrived, as apparently it was a kind only women and children eat.  Didn't know what to get them as a gift so I got two signed Ryan Braun baseballs to represent America.  They had no idea who he was.


Anyways, they're coming back next week and I figured I'd ask some random internet strangers who may actually know a thing or two about Japan what I should do.  They always want to go somewhere, and they always want to eat out, and they always expect presents.  Whats reasonable?  (Money is not necessarily an issue as we like to keep them happy.)

I remember there was an episode of Mad Men where Don had to deal with some Japanese clients ("The chrysanthemum and the sword"). There is a snippet of that episode that is applicable to your situation, where Joan asked the Japanese business men about what restaurant the other ad company's rep took them to. I'd take a look (the show itself is great).

Your predicament with the Japanese restaurant is not uncommon.. it's the same with Chinese food. It's almost impossible to get real Chinese food in America, even in Chinatown. The required skill of preparing most Japanese dishes is much higher as well, which doesn't help.

My fiance (she visits Tokyo every year for business) says they love beef, so I'd recommend steak. Just make sure you order the tender portions (loin) and make sure it's not overcooked. If you can find a good French or Thai restaurant I'd consider that too, Italian might be a bit too rich for their tastes.

As for the gift, lean towards clean aesthetics, especially on the packaging/wrapping. I'm surprised they didn't like the baseballs, it's a very popular sport in Japan.