AboutTai Yamanaka Expertise I can answer questions regarding Japanese business culture, business etiquette, corporate society, as well as provide know-how on how to research industries, corporations and communicate with business contacts.
Experience I have over 20 years of experience working in Japanese corporations as well as for American corporations doing business with Japan. I have served as a representative as well as a go-between for American and other corporations with Japanese businesses, industry and scholarly associations as well as government agencies
Expert: Tai Yamanaka Date: 6/29/2007 Subject: Appropriate Gift to Dignitaries and Business Associates
Question QUESTION: My client is a Colonel in military public affairs and has been assigned to Japan for the next 3 years. He wishes to take with him an appropriate gift to present to dignitaries he meets in government, business and the military. What would be correct? Our thoughts are a coin or paper weight. Would either be correct? What else works?
ANSWER: Hello Don,
Thank you for your question.
In business and official meetings, it’s always a good idea to bring gifts. While they are called “gifts,” the proper positioning in a Japanese setting is to understand them as “tribute.” The present is meant to say, “because of our business/government/military relationship, we are able to prosper. This item is a representation or portion of that prosperity.”
It’s important that the gifts be ranked, according to the corporate or hierarchical rank of the recipient. So, for example, if you are meeting a general manager, a manager, and a clerk, you should prepare three types of gifts, good, medium and regular. Examples of this ranking would be—fountain pen, ballpoint pen, pencil.
(If the recipients are of the same rank, then the gifts can be the same value, but it would be nice if they were different, rather than identical, just to show that you appreciate them individually).
The gifts need not be expensive. Since you say that your client is a military representative presents with the corresponding military logo would be perfectly fine. Food and items of clothing are generally not appropriate, with some exceptions.
In terms of examples, golf gloves are okay and liquor is fine. Keep in mind, though, that because Japan is such a large trading country, many American goods are already available in Japan. So, for example, American hard liquor (Bourbon, vodka) is readily available in Japan. But fermented American liquor (wine, port, brandy) are still comparatively rare in Japan.
Avoid American chocolate and confections (because the Japanese stuff is far superior) and because every duty-free shop in every airport sells Sees and Ghirardelli products and Japanese tourists have inundated their relatives and acquaintances with those products.
To summarize and using your suggestion—yes, do bring gifts. Be sure to have ranked gifts. If you are going to bring a paperweight, be sure to also bring similar but different valued gifts, such as a pen stand and/or a pen/pencil with your logo.
I hope this helps.
Please let me know if I can provide additional information.
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QUESTION: Your insight is helpful and it is likely that any gift will be inclusive of the appropriate logo. Other than consumables and pens, what might the recipient prize receiving? Is it better to give something practical and usable or something more likely just to be displayed? If you could provide more concrete examples it would be helpful.
Answer Hello again, Don,
Thank you for your follow-up question.
There’s not any one good answer to your question, since (1) in the traditional Japanese environment, gift-giving is an ongoing thing. There is even an annual gift-giving season (and that’s not Christmas) so you keep on giving and giving. And (2) as in most cultures, it’s the thought that counts, rather than the actual gift.
If you want the recipient to remember you all the time, practical gifts that he/she would use every day would be appropriate. If you want the recipient to have a celebration, then something consumable would be fine. Also, anything unusual would be especially welcome and prized, since most things that are available in the U.S. are available in Japan.
Some examples of fine (but not unusual) gifts—golf gloves and balls, pens and other writing utensils, mugs and cups, American lacquer ware, sunglasses, caps, books, liquor, American farm products (e.g., honey), etc.
A couple of more things to avoid—anything associated with the number 4 (since that number is a homonym for “death”), any cutlery (since it could be interpreted that you want to sever the relationship).
I hope this helps.
Please let me know if I can provide additional information.
