Omiyage and the serious business of gift-giving in Japan

I am leaving for Japan next week, but I've already started packing. It's not that I'm bringing an elaborate wardrobe or anything (my clothes will be various shades of black and grey basically) but I have to get a lot of お土産　(おみやげ　omiyage). An omiyage is a gift from a trip, to give to family and acquaintances at your destination, whether it's home for you or not. The kanji that make up the word omiyage are 土　(earth or ground) and 産　(product), so theoretically it's a local product from wherever you went to. (Omiyage can also mean 'souvenir', but here I'm going to talk about omiyage as gifts.)

Going to Japan, if you are Japanese or have lived there long enough to be part of a community (or you have Japanese relatives), is an expensive proposition because of that omiyage obligation after a trip. In my case, I'm going to have to dedicate at least half of one suitcase to omiyage, since I haven't been back there in such a long time.

Omiyage-gifts go a bit beyond little souvenir chotchkes. They have to be attractive, and they have to be gift wrapped. Gifts are given not just after traveling, but on many other occasions too. Gifts help to oil the cogs of Japanese society.

The serious business of gift-giving

Tokyo Station omiyage-shop. Photo credit: williacw

In Japan, the gift-giving or 贈答　(ぞうとう　zoutou) business is so well oiled that you can easily pick up appropriate, beautifully wrapped gifts at a moment's notice. But when you travel, it can get a bit more difficult. Of course hordes of well heeled Japanese tourists have alerted many businesses, especially on the high end of the fashion and other industries in major tourist destinations, to the need for well-wrapped gifts. In places like Paris there are even businesses dedicated to smoothing the way of the anxious gift-shopping Japanese tourist. (These types of businesses exist in other major cities too, but I seem to notice them particularly in Paris.)

Rules of omiyage as gifts

If you are already deep into Japanese society, or have Japanese relatives, you are probably well acquainted with your omiyage-gift obligations. If you're not though, here are some basic (tongue in cheek) rules to follow. (Do remember that younger (say, under 35 or 40) people don't really go along with all these rules, necessarily. If you're dealing with older or more traditional folk though, it's different.)

The best omiyage is something that can be consumed

Japanese homes -- which are usually tiny, especially in the cities -- are typically already overstuffed with Stuff. You don't want to burden the recipient with something that have to find space for. The gift-giving culture is one reason why things like outrageously expensive melons exist in Japan. An expensive, elaborately wrapped melon makes a great gift.

Food is a great gift. (I plan on bringing several boxes of Swiss chocolates as gifts.) Cosmetics can also be good - perfume, expensive lipstick, etc. (At one time every other Japanese girl was clamouring for Dior or Chanel lipsticks.) Wine and other alcoholic beverages are a good bet too, especially if the country you're coming from is known for them.

The second best omiyage is something expensive with a label on it

The perfect gift for any household with a female in it is an expensive scarf from a well known label. See also: perfume, brand name cosmetics. Expensive ties are a possibility for males, for for them I would stick to food or drink gifts.

The third best omiyage is something for the kids

Remembering the rule about not adding to storage problems, go for small items such as t-shirts, small toys, etc.

Don't gift anything homemade unless you really know the recipient

For the first meeting, don't bring your Aunt Jane's amazing fruit cake, even if it is out of this world. for the fourth or fifth meeting it's probably ok.

Your intended recipient really wants it.

Your recipient may initially act coy about accepting the gift. Just keep politely insisting they take it. It's a sort of weird ritualistic dance.

The recipient may not open the box in front of you.

Don't be surprised or shocked or disappointed if the recipient just puts the gift away, without even opening it. This is fairly usual, especially for people who get tons of gifts. I still remember seeing the 押し入れ　(おしいれ oshi-ire, a typical closet of sorts built into all traditional style Japanese homes, where futon are folded and stored) of the father-in-law of one of my uncles, who used to be an executive for a big company. It was packed with boxes of unopened omiyage.

If your gift is perishable, you will want to warn them about it. Here's a short and handy phrase:

すぐ召し上がって下さい。　すぐめしあがってください　sugu meshiagatte kudasai. = Please consume right away.

As a non-Japanese, you aren't really expected to bring omiyage

As a non-Japanese person you always have the out of real or pretended ignorance. Japanese people usually assume, rightly or wrongly, that non-Japanese people are utterly unfamiliar with the rules of Japanese society. If you want to save money, you can rely on this.

In my case though, this is not an option...

Comments

[Debra]

I remember the day's (long ago) when I would $ell 10-20 Chanel lipsticks and scarves then carefully wrap each one while painstakingly placing a tiny mark on the wrapping or bow so the giver would know which was the bright red vs. the more demure colors. :)

[Tiffany Harvey]

Very helpful info! I knew about the gift giving, but not about the need to wrap things.

So, you said expensive, but what would a good price range be?

[clotilde]

Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu!

Thanks for another great post. You wrote, "In places like Paris there are even businesses dedicated to smoothing the way of the anxious gift-shopping Japanese tourist." I'm curious about which ones you mean?

Also, I just noticed the background -- is it new? It's lovely!

[maki]

Bonne Année Clotilde ^_^

There are shopping services, many attached to the Japanese travel agencies like JTB, who assist tourists to shop, get their tax refunds, and so on. There are also Japanese-operated (or at least staffed) 'duty-free shops' (really meaning that you can shop there and they take care of the tax refund issue smoothly for you). There are some like that I know of in NY and London too (and probably other places) as well as Paris.

[maki]

That's a very difficult question to answer really....it depends on your recipient and your relationship to them, and so on. The wrapping is very very important! Almost as important as the innards :)

[maki]

Oh yes the background is new and seasonal...I found some wonderful traditional Japanese patterns and am planning to use them for backgrounds to reflect the seasons on this site.

[brandi]

soooo helpful! I have been reading and reading about the gift giving thing, but no one's really explained what to give. I really appreciate your insights. Thanks :)

[rei yano]

This is a little late for asking a question however:
if I am visiting a family would it be odd that I got them all the same gift? Like 3 of the same kind of wine?

[maki]

I don't think it's odd at all...sounds like a reasonable thing to do! That way no one gets upset that they got something better or worse...

[Danichani]

Oooh! Do I spy Tokyo Banana in the picture up there? Yum. That and nama choco are always my favorite gifts to bring home :-D

[JennSo]

In the Philippines there is something similar. The gifts are called pasalubong.

Usually if you go on a trip you or are visiting someone out of town you are expected to bring a gift, usually food. Sometimes it doesn't even need to be a long trip. Occassionally people ask for pasalubong when they know someone is going on a trip. At our office we often ask people who go out of town for the day to bring back some pasalubong back for us. One time we even asked an officemate who was just going to go to a government office to bring us a pasalubong and she brought us a cupcakes similar to twinkies.

On longer trips local delicacies or specialty items are usually given, usually sweets. Its a lot less formal than an omiyage though since it doesn't need to be wrapped up.

[Charissa - The Gifted Blog]

Great, informative article. We brought some Los Angeles omiyage to friends who live outside of Tokyo, and it was great fun figuring out what gifts would best convey local flavor! Appreciate the nuances that you're able to communicate here, especially the list of gift recommendations!

[charizardpal]

So why is it bad to bring homemade gifts from friends?

[Streamerz]

Please try to give a pronunciation guide to the word omiyage. I have been making the little fabric flower wrappings for omiyage for awhile, but feel silly trying to pronounce the word when I have no knowledge of Japanese.

[Grace]

The Pronunciation for Omiyage is Oh-Meh-Yaa-geh.

[ridonrides]

The Chinese have a similar tradition, but I'm not aware of any special phrase or word for it. All I know is I used to receive loads of clothes bought in China that I never wear (rude, I know). When my relatives go overseas they bring red envelopes and oddly enough souvenirs like American ginseng.