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Presents for all seasons
To give presents and acknowledge one's duty to others is an important factor in traditional Japanese society. Give and take are very closely related and if you get something, you have to give something back (o-kaeshi お返し), for your neighbour, friend, on the workplace or from a family member.
Giving a small gift is a great way to express your gratitude toward the other person.
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For a wedding people bring nicely decorated envelops with a money gift. And when the wedding ceremony is over, they get a little present back, usually a piece of ceramics for keeps ... (some end up at the recycle stores lately! ).
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If you move to a new home, you give a little present to your neighbours, sice you moved "near" SOBA 側, some buckwheat noodles (hikkoshi soba 引越し蕎麦) are not uncommon.
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Twice a year there are "official" times for giving gifts to all that have been helpful to you during the past six months.
In former times you had to carry the present yourself, combined with a short polite visit to the receiver.
Nowadays, this is easier. Many department stores and shopping malls offer seasonal presents and send them for you, including a small greeting card.
Local post offices have long magazines with offers for local specialities to be send around.
Many gifts are seasonal and a lot include food items. In summer, beer is a most welcome gift. But washing powder is also appreciated.
oseibo, o-seibo 歳暮 present for the end of the year
Usually given from December 20 till the end of the year. This present does not need a revanche present.
It started off as a gift from the sub-family (bunke 分家) to the main family (honke 本家）to give an offering for the family altar in the main family home and was an opportunity for the families to get together and celebrate.
Geschenk zum Jahresende
ochuugen, o-chuugen お中元 present for midsummer
chuugen is an idea from Chinese Taoism, where the year has been divided into three parts.
It overlaps with the Buddhist ancestor festival of O-Bon.
Geschenk zur Jahresmitte
Chugen, chuugen 中元 -
giving mid-year money or presents
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omiyage, o-miyage お土産 local souvenir
This is usually something to eat or drink which you bring back from a trip. You can thus share the "taste" of your destination with the less favorite one's who could not go with you. Especially important is a little souvenir for the people at your work place. If a Japanese travels abroad, he will fill his coffers with souvenirs for the ones back home.
In Japan, all travel destinations have their local souveniers and many stores sell them along the access roads to temples and shrines (sandoo 参道 ) and of course at the station.
At Tokyo station, you can buy these souvenirs from all of Japan (just in case you forgot to buy some on your trip).
It could be local senbei or manju or pickled vegetables.
You can even buy life crab along the ports of the Sea of Japan and have them shipped on ice to your relatives, friends or other people with obligations.
Reisemitbringsel
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barentain dii バレンタイン St. Valentine present
The custom to give some chocolates has been introduced from America. You can buy a variety of things at the sweets stores or make some chocolates at home.
Not only do you give sweets to your beloved friend, but also "duty chocolate, obligatory cocolate" (giri choko ギリチョコ / 義理チョコ) to all male members of your working surroundings. GIRI 義理 is the word for "doing your duty" and CHOKO of course, short for Chocolade.
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But this is not the end to Valentine's day in Japan. On March 14 now the male receivers have to give back (remember, o-kashi).
howaito dii ホワイトデイ "white day" present
The reverse present is usually a piece of white chocolate.
This day was invented in Japan in 1978 to promote business and has been well accepted by the young consumers, now even in Korea, Taiwan and China.
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"Weisser Tag"
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If someone brings a present to your home or comes visiting, he brings a gift and hands it over with the words
tsumaranai mono desu ga "It is really just a trivial thing!" even if it is a melon for 100 Dollars worth. You are not supposed to open it in front of your visitor.
To visit without a gift is bad manners, tebura (手ぶら) "empty handed".
The gift is usually placed in a bag, best the paper bag from the store where you bought it.
Some expensive gifts, like melons for 100 dollars, are not eaten by yourself but often given away soon to the next one in line of your obligatory gift receivers list. These are some kind of "merry go round" presents.
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Visiting, obligatory visiting
and sending greeting cards
For many occasions it is customary to visit or send cards, some of these visits are kigo called
xyz MIMAI 見舞.
kigo for mid-summer
. mizu mimai 水見舞 (みずみまい)
visiting after a water damage
lit. "water visit", after a typhoon
also given as a kigo for mid-autumn
. aki demizu 秋出水 (あきでみず) autumn floods
mizu mimai 水見舞（みずみまい）"inquiry after the water situation"
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kigo for late summer
shochuu mimai 暑中見舞 (しょちゅうみまい)
visiting in the greatest heat
doyoo mimai 土用見舞（どようみまい）visiting on the dog days
natsu mimai 夏見舞（なつみまい）visiting in summer
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kigo for mid-winter
. susu mimai 煤見舞（すすみまい）
visit during the cleaning season
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kigo for late winter
. kan mimai 寒見舞 (かんみまい)
visiting in the cold season
... kanchuu mimai 寒中見舞（かんちゅうみまい）
yuki mimai 雪見舞 (ゆきみまい) "snow visit"
visiting a friend during the snow season
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kigo for all winter
. kaji mimai 火事見舞
visiting someone after a fire damage
Usually with a good gift of money.
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Worldwide use
Kleine Geschenke erhalten die Freundschaft!
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Things found on the way
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HAIKU and SENRYU
どら焼も虎焼きもきてお中元
dorayaki mo torayaki mo kite o-chuugen
I got Dorayaki
and also some Torayaki -
presents for mid-year
Iijima Haruko 飯島晴子 (1921 - 2000)
This is a play with words of DORA and TORA (Tiger).
torayaki 虎焼き Dorayaki in form of a little tiger
. WASHOKU
Dorayaki sweets
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Related KIGO
barentain dii / Valentine’s Day
Chugen, chuugen 中元 -
giving mid-year money or presents
howaito dii / White Day
Seibo, seiboo 歳暮 -
giving Year End money or presents
Otoshidama, o-toshidama お年玉 Money Presents for the New Year
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Related words
***** WASHOKU : General Information
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