Japanese Giftware

When unwrapping a gift, Japanese people may carefully remove the paper and the seals and keep the paper as a compliment to the hosts. The presentation of the gift is an important part of the exercise; gifts are carefully wrapped. Gifts are not opened immediately. Traditionally, it was polite to take the gift home as is and send a thank you note later. Today, many people will ask a guest to open a gift, but if they do not, the Japanese will resist the urge to ask if they can open the gift. Since the act of accepting a gift can create a sense of unfulfilled obligation on the part of the receiver, gifts are sometimes refused, depending on the situation.

Seasonal gifts

There are two gift seasons in Japan, called oseibo and chugen. One is for winter and the other is for summer. Gifts are given to those whom one has a relationship with, especially the people who have helped the gift giver.

It is considered impolite to go to someone's house without a gift. In Japanese this is called tebura (empty-handed). A gift is usually brought in a paper bag (preferably a bag from the shop where you bought the gift), the gift is taken out of the bag and the bag is placed underneath the gift when giving it to the host, using both hands. The gift is often presented when shown into the living room, saying "tsumaranai mono desu ga" (Literally: "It is a meager thing, but...") to show modesty. If the host offers something, it is polite to make a soft declination saying "okizukai naku" (please don't go through the trouble), but the guest can gladly accept if the host asks for the second time.

Other gifts

Another custom in Japan is for women to give men chocolate on Valentine's Day. The chocolate can be given to the object of the woman's affection, or to any man the woman is connected to. The latter is called giri-choko (obligation chocolate). This custom is also performed by the male one month after Valentine's Day, called White Day.

Souvenirs

In Japan, vacation-goers do not send postcards. However, those returning from a vacation usually bring back a souvenir called omiyage. The most common form of omiyage is a box of sweets such as chocolates or manju to be shared around with co-workers. In tourist spots in Japan, the sale of omiyage is a big business, and there are also omiyage stands at train stations selling gifts from far-away areas for returning people who didn't want to carry around or have forgotten to buy a gift. There are also services which deliver regional souvenirs from places in Japan or from foreign countries to be used as omiyage.