You need to understand how to present gifts correctly if you want to make a good impression in a social or business situation in Japan. In Japan, you are expected to present a gift to new business contacts, when visit someone’s house for dinner, and on certain national holidays and festivals. It’s even common to give gifts at Christmas in Japan nowadays.
Here are eight things you need to know about giving gifts in Japan to make sure your gift helps you make a great impression on your new Japanese friends or colleagues:
1. Presentation is very important. Make sure your gift is beautifully wrapped and presented. It’s also a good idea to make sure it’s in a bag from the shop from which you bought it. This is especially important if the gift is a souvenir or was bought in another city or country.
2. Offer the gift with both hands. This is the most polite way to present a gift and is similar to the way you give someone your buisness card in Japan.
3. As you offer the gift, mention that it’s not big or expensive. An appropriate phrase in English might be “It’s just a little something…”. Make sure the gift isn’t too extravagant, either. An over-the-top gift will make the receiver feel embarrassed.
4. Don’t be surprised if the gift is politely refused. The recipient may politely decline to accept the gift once or twice before he or she finally accepts it. This is part of the gift-giving procedure and perfectly normal.
5. Avoid the colour red. Unlike in China, where red is a lucky colour, In Japan it’s best to avoid red when it comes to gifts. Don’t give red clothes and, if you are giving a pen, make sure the ink isn’t red.
5. Avoid the number four. This is similar to China where the character representing the number four also means ‘death’. Avoid giving four of anything and try to give pairs instead. Number two is much luckier!
6. Your gift won’t be opened immediately. Opening gifts as soon as they are presented is seen as very rude. If you are given a gift, wait a while before opening it, too.
7. Don’t buy women gifts on Valentine’s day. In Japan, Valentine’s day is a time for women to give presents (usually chocolates) to special men in their lives.
8. Guys, don’t forget White Day! I bet you thought men had an easy ride getting all the gifts on Valentines day! Well, on White day, it’s time to return the favour. Originally a marketing scheme by a marshmallow mogul, White Day is a time for men to buy white gifts (usually white chocolate) for the ladies. It’s on March 14th.
Now you know how to impress people with your gifts in Japan, why not take it a step further and learn some phrases you can use to make sure you make the right impression on people. You don’t need any previous experience of Japanese to start learning right away. Click here to sign up for a learn2lingo account and see how many great learn2lingo Japanese teachers are online and ready to help you learn.
Today’s image is by marija jure.