Gift for person moving to Japan

Would an IPAD be a functional gift for person moving back to Japan after living in the states for many years?

Hi!
It depends on the situation and the iPad...
If the person is going to have wifi at there house, then it could be a great gift....but wifi is not so common here..
Also, it could only be used with wifi connection. If the iPad was purchused in Japan however, a cellular dataplan . Could let it used anywhere. But, a US cellular data plan could not be used. in japan , obviously...

Also, if they wanted to use useful apps that pertain to life in japan, then make sure that they have a japanese iTunes account and they set the iPad up with that, otherwise they will lose out on lots of good apps to use here.

Yes, it depends of gift.
Japanese people like "brand things", what are know in Japan. For examle in personal computing this is a Apple's (iPad ot iPhone), in handbag - Louis Vuitton, and so on...

Good luck!

i think an ipad would be an appreciated gift by just about anyone, but make sure that it's an unlocked ipad so that they can use it with japanese carriers (if it's a 3g version)

I also think an ipad would be appreciated by just about anyone. I use mine for keeping in touch with my family back home. Its a little more convenient than using a laptop for many things, but less so for others.

A few comments on the previous posts:

Also, if they wanted to use useful apps that pertain to life in japan, then make sure that they have a japanese iTunes account and they set the iPad up with that, otherwise they will lose out on lots of good apps to use here.

No need to set it up with the Japanese account first, as its trivial to switch between accounts when making purchases (assuming they have accounts in both countries). Either way its not really something you need to be concerned about.

i think an ipad would be an appreciated gift by just about anyone, but make sure that it's an unlocked ipad so that they can use it with japanese carriers (if it's a 3g version)

Don't worry about looking for unlocked versions. All ipads (except those sold in Japan) are unlocked.

Great gift! but maybe wait as an iPad mini might be arriving soon
http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/18/rumor_suspect_ipad_mini_mock...
It should be cheaper and around a screen size of around 8 inches, possibly with colored aluminium backs like the iPod range.
I say this because the shape is much closer to new ipods and colours would also help differentiate it from the original iPads as
something more fun and casual looking.
http://www.apple.com/ipod/
yeah I agree with the yllsfm you can still keep original iTunes account. If they use it for renting films podcasts and purchasing music, tv shows etc it will be a useful way to keep in touch with what is going on back in US pop culture. Also the Japanese store is not so well stocked compared to other country stores and the selection is biased towards Japanese and Japan (which is useful sometimes for train navi apps, hulu jp app etc, but not always..not really a fan of JPoop music myself).
One thing they can do is keep the original account and get an iTunes gift card once they are in Japan which lets you make a new Japanese account without registering a credit card. You can have two iTunes accounts running at same time it just means to make purchases you have to log in and log out on iTunes store page, their iTunes library will not be split in two.

Thank you very much for all your help. I purchased an IPad today at an Apple store. They told me AT&T Ipad would be most compatible and that a simcard could be purchased in Japan. Also recommended that Apple store in Japan would be glad to help with questions. Probably my friend has nephews and nieces who will be able to help as well. Thanks again.