Someone once commented that Japanese love to exchange gifts. Perhaps that is an understatement. There are 2 major gift-giving occasions specially carved out in the Japanese calendar; it is customary for visitors to bring a gift when visiting a Japanese home; it is also an unspoken rule that one must bring back souvenirs from one's travels for colleagues, friends and neighbors; and there are tons of other calendar holidays that would render a small gift or other. It is an obligatory social ritual that hinges on obsession.
The budget for each gift will be decided according to the rank of importance the receiver holds in the life of the giver or the depth of gratitude owed but it is almost always natural that the boss will receive a more expensive gift than the friend.
Many a time, it is not the content of the gift that gets the attention. Rather, the luxurious -looking boxes that contain the gift are already a sight to behold. The subtlety of this practice brings a new twist to the saying, “It is the thought that counts.”
Ochugen in July is a gift-giving season that carries the subtle enquiring of the receiver's health in the harsh summer months. It also coincides with the Obon season which is the welcoming back of spirits of departed family members and relatives. Ochugen originated from the customary distributing of ancestral offerings to friends and family and has since evolved to become an important gift-giving occasion that is observed by all.
Oseibo in December can be likened to the financial closings of businesses. Just as businesses need to summarize their earnings and deficits for the whole year, Oseibo is the practice of acknowledging all the kindness that was shown to oneself throughout the year. It adds to the festivity of the approaching New Year celebrations.
Buying the right kinds of gifts is an important aspect of gift exchanging for any culture. In Japan, to help shoppers tackle the massive amount of gifts one need to purchase during the gift-giving seasons, retailers set up a special corner with a well-planned and extensive catalogue. All one would need to do is to walk into this haven with a long list of obligatory names, choose and mark the items down, sign and pay for them and delivery will be made on behalf by the staff.
Popular gift items are specialty food and confectionery, kitchen or home décor pieces and gift certificates ranked in that order.
