Exchanging Gifts
Exchanging gifts is a way of life in Japan and they’ve been doing it for centuries. Evidence the many shops at tourist destinations and the department stores; there are even stores that specialize in gift wrapping. When I was putting together a box to send to my relatives in Japan, I had consulted several acquaintances and one item, lipstick, appealed to me because it would be easy to pack and didn’t weigh much. My relatives had sent me a photo of a special birthday celebration at a spa resort and the men and women were in yukatas and all the women wore lipstick. I asked a salesclerk at a beauty supply store if she knew what colors the Japanese like and she said that they like bright colors. I think I packed about 15 tubes of lipstick in reds, plum, and rouge, some kitchen towels, cookies, and chocolate candy in the box. When I met them in Japan, I realized they must have had a good laugh because no one was wearing lipstick! I did not choose an age appropriate gift as we are all in our late sixties and lipstick is probably used only for special occasions.
Someone recently suggested quality kitchen gadgets such as can openers and peelers. Practical items that are not easy to find in Japan seem to please them. Every summer, I send them American cherries, which are always a big hit. In the end, any thoughtful gift is appreciated. (Business gifts are a whole different category.)