Gift to a person meeting for the first time

I'm going to Japan next week and I met someone on the classifieds of japan guide, so we are going to meet and go eat something together.

The thing is, that person is not going to be my guide or anything, we are just going to have a chat, but I feel like maybe I should bring something.

If I don't bring anything I will feel bad, but if I bring something it might be a problem for the other person, who could feel ''in debt''.
I know how the Japanese think and sometimes those weird situations drive me crazy... when you think you are being kind you could just be creating tension if the counterpart can't reciprocate u.u

Anyhow, are these kind of gifts usually given at the beginning or at the end of the meeting ?

Thank you very much.

Hello I have met a few of my penpals from this website. The first time I was a tour guide in my home area and she presented me with some sweets and an japanese ear cleaner. This might sound strange but it was more about the character at the end of the ear cleaner than ear cleaner itself. Japan is a gift giving society. So I would say yes take a gift. Is there anything unque to your area. I love giving gifts that you can only get when visiting my area, well Yes you can buy anything on the internet, food items are very popular but I can only speak for my experience in the US the candy it was to rich and sweet for most japanese taste bud. Surely if you are going to meet up with your penpal, you have talked about what you like. I mean whe he/she likes and what you like. As any gift should be , it is not about the amount spent is the thought. There are some good videos on the internet explaining the gift giving custom in Japan.
Meeting and have lunch or dinner with a Japanese penpals has worked out for me. As a solo traveller I was getting bored of always eating lunch or dinner bymyself.
I don't know if you drink or not , but you can always meet somebody in an Irish pub because I went to one in Osaka and there were many college students that wanted to talk. They only asked me to slow down because I was talking too fast.
Enjoy your traveller and meeting your penpals.