Gift search: tooyama? sanbo?

In the distant future I am hoping to leave a gift for my first aiki-sensei and for the dojo. I am making the gift for sensei, but I'd like to acquire the gift for the dojo. I am having trouble finding the right name and appropriate information about it.

Traditionally, the uchideshi leave a dojo gift when they end their stay, but often the gift is left on a random plate or funky basket. I was hoping to find the traditional ... uh..stand or tray seen at many shinto shrines, but to be frank I am a gaijin and am ignorant about what is appropriate. In doing an internet search I have found two words which somewhat fit what I am looking for. They are 'sanbo' and 'tooyama' but to be frank, the sites were in japanese text and I couldn't extract much more than these two words. Can anyone assist with a little wisdom? I would be very much in your debt.

Thanks

Hi, Jane.

I confess to total ignorance of exactly what it is you are looking for...but if you are "all over California", if you can get to Japan Center in SF and browse the shops you may find what you are looking for.

good luck!

Janet Rosen wrote: Hi, Jane. ... if you can get to Japan Center in SF and browse the shops you may find what you are looking for. good luck!

Ah yes, and the best place to go is Soko Hardware. I know the Center well. Soko Hardware had one. They wanted $80.00 for it. When I said okay, the woman looked surprised that I'd pay that much for it and then said "Oh, we can't sell you that one, we use it and it is our last one." "Can I order another one?" I asked. "No." she said.

Somehow I think they might have thought I was going to do something horribly inappropriate with it like use it as an ashtray or something.

Thanks for the suggestion though. It would normally lead me to all sorts of goodies.