Japanese gift giving
The gift giving culture
In Japanese society, gift giving is a major custom with gifts being given not
only on special occasions but as a social duty or obligation. Gifts are
traditionally given at O-chugen in summer and at O-seibo, the
end of a year. In addition, when a person returns from a trip, business or
pleasure, he or she is expected to bring back Omiyage (souvenirs) from
the area they have visited.
Read more about how kokeshi dolls became a popular Omiyage from
Northern Japan in our kokeshi history page.
Types of gifts
The nature of the gift is less important than the act of giving itself. Often,
the gift is not of a personal nature, with foodstuffs and alcohol, such as
sake, being popular gift items.
Special occasion gifts
At a wedding, guests traditionally give money to the happy couple and on their
return from honeymoon, the newly-weds bring back souvenirs to give to their
wedding guests. Similarly when a child is born, the parents give gifts,
commemorating the child's birth, to their family and friends. Gifts are not
traditionally given at birthdays or Christmas, though this is rapidly becoming
a modern custom adopted from the West.
Valentine's day in Japan is celebrated rather differently than in the West.
Japanese women give chocolates - giri choco (obligatory chocolate) and
honmei choco (chocolate for the man she is serious about) - to their
male friends and colleagues. Since the 1980s, a new custom has arisen where, on
White Day, 14th March, a Japanese man gives more expensive chocolates
or sweets back to the women that gave a gift to him on Valentine's Day.
Presentation of the gift
Great care is taken in wrapping the gift and a furoshiki (colourful
cloth) is often used to carry it. The colour of the wrapping paper can be
significant with red symbolising life and vitality, and white representing
purity and cleanliness. The gift is very seldom unwrapped in the presence of
the giver, this preferably being done in private.
The Japanese word for shi (four) sounds like the word for death and for
this reason gift sets are rarely given in sets of four. Five is the most
commonly used number
A set of five sake cups
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