The face to face: an essential of Japanese business. (Part 2): The gift

Today we'll look a little at the essentials of the gift in Japanese culture, focusing on Japanese business culture.

It's no secret that gift giving is an integral part of Japanese culture. I won't go too much into information that is already available, but there are a few things to keep in mind when planning a trip to Japan.

1) When in doubt, give a gift. You are making your first trip to Japan, and you will be meeting with a certain amount of people. If this is your first meeting with them, why not give them a gift? You should try to have something for every person you know you will meet, then a couple extras just in case. Japanese usually don't expect gifts from foreigners, so receiving one shows sensitivity and good foresight of the giver. Make the office staff happy by including a box of chocolates or something else the office can share. Without a doubt you will be a guest people will look forward to seeing.

2) It's the thought that counts. And this thought really does count. There is no need to break the bank, and an overly expensive gift may embarrass the receiver. Showing that you took the time and thought of this person before your trip is the message you want to send.

3) Presentation is everything. In Japan the wrapping is just as important as the gift inside. There is no need to fret too much about extravagent ribbons and such if the gift is travelling from overseas, but it should at least be wrapped nicely.

4) Make sure the boss gets a gift at least as good as everyone else.Even if you will meet the president or head only briefly during your trip (or not at all), make sure you get him something as well. Not only is it good for you when it comes time to make decisions regarding your company, it will create discomfort among the boss's subordinates if they received something and he didn't.

When you are hosting Japanese guests there are a few things to remember:

1) A gift is still important. But you can wait to give it until the end of the trip, though probably before the bags are packed is best.

2) Schedule time for your Japanese guests to buy gifts for home. Not only does the Japanese businessperson have to worry about getting gifts for those he's meeting, but he has to worry even more about getting gifts for his office and family. This is a real source of stress for the Japanese traveller, and I have heard that 20-50% of vacation times is spent shopping for gifts.

3) Help your guest choose local specialties. Without guidance, the busy Japanese businessman buys a bottle Jack Daniels for the boss, cookies for the office and a the same Chanel handkerchief for his wife that he bought on the last three trips. All these items are available in not only every duty-free shop in the world, but also in every department store in Japan. Every state has specialty stores featuring local goods. Because of this, getting your hands on things that aren't available in Japan is a real treat for the recipients.

So back to our tale of the Japanese businessman who made a special trip to drop off a report to an city official in Oregon. (Please refer to the previous post if you haven't read it yet.)

Introductions were made, and our client presented the city official with a Japanese picture book about fishing "because you said you enjoyed fishing in your free time." The official looked sheepish and said "I probably shouldn't be accepting this, but I appreciate it very much. I wish I knew you were coming, and I could have returned the favor."

Since the gentlemen know each other, and have met each other, if only briefly, at least once a year for the last several years, the culture of gift giving can morph a little bit. Now it's not enough to show, "I was thinking of you," but more, "I know you well enough to know that this is something you will enjoy." Notice how he pointed out "because you said you enjoyed fishing". This is a concrete way we can see a reading of the kuuki that we talked about in earlier posts.

A few years ago I hosted some American high school students on a Japan exchange trip. We were based out of Nara, but the father of the host family I stayed with worked at the JR Tennoji train station in Osaka. He offered to host a trip for the students and leaders to Osaka to see some temples and Osaka Castle. He and his wife also hosted us trip leaders on weekend day trips during our three-week stay. A few days after our outing to Osaka it came time to go back to the US. Our last night together he and his wife pulled out a twol large vinyl bags and handed one to each of us. The contents summarize the essentials of gift giving in Japan. Along with paperweights and windchimes from the neighborhood we were staying in (known in Japan for its goldfish farms), there were small trinkets from several of the temples we visited. Also he had over heard the other leader saying that he would like to find jikatabi (pictured)　that fit him , but his large shoe size made our searches fruitless. Much to our surprise, this kind man had searched out and special ordered extra-large sized tabi for the trip leader's huge feet. Keep in mind, our host's English was far from fluent, but he had somehow gleened this information.

At Osaka Castle a student was commenting on a series of t-shirts containing Osaka-ben phrases, and our host had overheard me comment that one of them was "cool". He had secretly purchased one of the shirts that day and brought it home to present it to me on our last night in Japan.

It is this kind of careful observation and presentation which makes the culture of gift-giving so important and fascinating.