Is it tacky to travel with small gifts to give away?

I’m travelling to Japan in February to visit my niece who is studying Japanese language and culture there as a student at university.

I’m Indigenous (Cree) - First Nations, North American Indian - for those of you not in Canada - and was thinking about making a few pairs of beaded earrings, pins, necklaces, sun catchers (etc), to give away on my trip to folks I make a particular connection with.

Good idea? Bad idea?