Who doesn’t love giving and receiving gifts? The rush you feel when you put thought into selecting gifts. You will be surprised to know that there is a culture where giving and receiving gifts is regarded high. Japanese culture is all about sharing happiness with friends and family. When it comes to giving gifts, Japanese people take pride in doing it right with all social customs. If you are newly introduced to Japanese culture, you would love to know all the rules and traditions about giving gifts. Let’s take a look at the complete guide about Japanese culture gifts.
Japanese Culture vs. Western Cultures
In western culture, a little spirit of giving gifts without expecting is involved, but gifts in Japanese culture are given and received in a chain of gratitude and obligation. In Japanese culture, you are expected to give a present on specific occasions and holidays. If upon receiving, you are obliged to express your gratitude by giving okaeshi (present in return) after a short time. All around the world, Japanese stores have a wide variety of gifts to maintain the culture of giving gifts. You can find many katana shop in Montreal if your friends are Japanese sword lovers.
Omiyage
Omiyage is one of the most followed traditions of Japanese culture. It is about giving a small gift to your friend, family or colleagues after a trip. These are small gifts such as teas, snacks, or regional souvenirs. Many people buy omiyage to their colleagues to show gratitude about managing things caused by your unavailability.
Wedding Gifts
Weddings in Japan are celebrated with great enthusiasm. Again, a few customs and traditions are followed while giving the bride & groom gifts. There is no gift registry; instead, it is known to give a cash amount in the gift. The cash must be wrinkle-free and wrapped in a particular occasion envelope called a shugi-bukuro. A pre-determined amount is fixed for cash-gift, i.e., 30,000 yen for individuals and 50,000 for couples. A few Japanese superstitions believe that even amount can easily be divided, which does not promise well for the newlyweds.
Thank-you gifts
Thank-you gifts are three kinds in Japanese culture: okaeshi, ochugen, and oseibo. Oskaeshi is a small gift given as a return gift for a gift you have received. It is a known rule that Oskaeshi is supposed to be half of the price of the original gift. You can gift any item in the gift, such as body care products, packaged goods, and alcohol. Ochugen and Oseibo are pretty similar in nature as both are given in the spirit of gratitude. However, Ochugen is given at the mid-year, and Oseibo is an end-year gift given to friends, family, and colleagues to acknowledge their favors for the past year.
Ideas for Japanese Culture Gifts in Montreal
If you are someone living in Montreal who wants to gift Japanese culture gifts to their family and friends, then you have plenty of options available. There are plenty of Japanese stores in Montreal where you can buy authentic Japanese goods for gifts. For Japanese snacks, frozen food, and ingredients, you can go to Montreal Korean & Japanese Foods. If you are looking for a katana shop in Montreal, you can visit Kimono Vintage. They have a wide variety of traditional Japanese accessories and furniture.
Conclusion
Japanese culture is rich in customs and traditions. If you live in Montreal, Canada, you must visit the shops and get yourself or your friends and family gifts for the next occasion.
