enlightenment
One week to White Day! Here's another Ichiroya newsletter, on the topic of White Day and gift-giving in Japan:
Hello from Japan! This is Antique Ichiroya News Letter.No.38.
I don' know how many got wonderful gifts and had sweet Valentines last
month, but now it is our(lady's) turn to be treated which is called White day in Japan, and assume that this custom is only celebrated in Japan and Korea.In my opinion,because Japanese(some Asian contries) have a strong sense of obligation when they receive any gifts,this might be so common(?).Today, I would like to talk about White day and related subjects.
There are many theories about the origins of White Day, but according to one,
the holiday began in 1965, when a marshmallow maker started marketing to men
that they should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts with
marshmallows. Originally it was called Marshmallow Day(personally I love this
cute name more than white) and later it was changed to White Day.
Soon, the chocolate companies started realizing that they could capitalise as
well on this day, and began marketing white chocolate. Now, Japanese men give
both white and non-white chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts,
such as jewellery or objects of sentimental value, to the women who gave them
chocolate on Valentine's Day a month prior.
Unfurtunatelly(Lucky for women!),there are tacit understanding between women
and men on white day which is that men are required to give gifts returning
almost double to triple pirces of what he has received,and so many women are already
checking up alone at department stores now and I can really see huge market
realated to these 2 events for couples!
As I mentioned earlier,we strongly obligated to pay back when we receive gifts
and we have special Japanese manners about gifts for each occasions.
For example,gifts for giving birth and entering,graduating schools
usually are cash and should give something back which costs around half to 1/3
of gift you receive.
If you attend friends's weddings,you wrap brand new cash without any folded
lines (about $100 to $300)in the envelop,and the number of bills should be odd
numbers(3,5,9)and even number for funeral,and other sad occasions.
The reason to be odd is that numbers can not split which means that merried
couples can not split,can get separated.
The hosts prepare Hikidemono which are present given to guests at a banquet at
weddings.They contain sweets and memorial items such as trays,plates,picture
stands,etc...but once I had no idea what to do with trays with host's name
written in the hearts even they are so memorial to them!
When I think about gift,American gift system is really fantastic and advanced.
It is made not to get the same things,so easy to return,choose what you
want,but in Japan,if we purchase products once,we will never think about
returning(That is why it takes so long to make up their minds!),and will (almost)never
return them.In my whole life,I have never returned anything,but while I was in USA,
I used to ses lines of customers who want to return products at customer
desk.At the desk,they take return of them for granted as a matter of course.
Personally,I have terrible experience when I worked for a retail store in SF. I
sold one of the most expeinsive tansu shipped to NY,then 3 months later,this
customer called us to tell that they want to return it since they don't like it
anymore(yeah,right,,took so long to hate it!),first,I could not believe this
reason,secondarly,they asked us for shipping charge to return to SF,in the third
place,,,,,endless excuses.
This returning policy seems very calculating first,but is is really logical to
customers,,,,maybe not to stores,but that is how business go and realized again
the difficulty to run business and can not stop admiring all who run own
business dealing with unbelievable problems going through ordeals! I know that there
are more fun parts running business just like our life,going up and down,but
this is life! C$B!G(Best la vie$B!I(BOk,enough for today!
Tomorrow,we will list many interesting antique books,more various hinagata of
uchiwa (round paper fan),and beautiful kimonos on kimono site,please browse our
both sites and hope you find something you like!
Thank you for taking your valuable time to read my 38th
newsletters and we will get back to you soon!
Have a wonderful day.
Hello from Japan! This is Antique Ichiroya News Letter.No.38.
I don' know how many got wonderful gifts and had sweet Valentines last
month, but now it is our(lady's) turn to be treated which is called White day in Japan, and assume that this custom is only celebrated in Japan and Korea.In my opinion,because Japanese(some Asian contries) have a strong sense of obligation when they receive any gifts,this might be so common(?).Today, I would like to talk about White day and related subjects.
There are many theories about the origins of White Day, but according to one,
the holiday began in 1965, when a marshmallow maker started marketing to men
that they should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts with
marshmallows. Originally it was called Marshmallow Day(personally I love this
cute name more than white) and later it was changed to White Day.
Soon, the chocolate companies started realizing that they could capitalise as
well on this day, and began marketing white chocolate. Now, Japanese men give
both white and non-white chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts,
such as jewellery or objects of sentimental value, to the women who gave them
chocolate on Valentine's Day a month prior.
Unfurtunatelly(Lucky for women!),there are tacit understanding between women
and men on white day which is that men are required to give gifts returning
almost double to triple pirces of what he has received,and so many women are already
checking up alone at department stores now and I can really see huge market
realated to these 2 events for couples!
As I mentioned earlier,we strongly obligated to pay back when we receive gifts
and we have special Japanese manners about gifts for each occasions.
For example,gifts for giving birth and entering,graduating schools
usually are cash and should give something back which costs around half to 1/3
of gift you receive.
If you attend friends's weddings,you wrap brand new cash without any folded
lines (about $100 to $300)in the envelop,and the number of bills should be odd
numbers(3,5,9)and even number for funeral,and other sad occasions.
The reason to be odd is that numbers can not split which means that merried
couples can not split,can get separated.
The hosts prepare Hikidemono which are present given to guests at a banquet at
weddings.They contain sweets and memorial items such as trays,plates,picture
stands,etc...but once I had no idea what to do with trays with host's name
written in the hearts even they are so memorial to them!
When I think about gift,American gift system is really fantastic and advanced.
It is made not to get the same things,so easy to return,choose what you
want,but in Japan,if we purchase products once,we will never think about
returning(That is why it takes so long to make up their minds!),and will (almost)never
return them.In my whole life,I have never returned anything,but while I was in USA,
I used to ses lines of customers who want to return products at customer
desk.At the desk,they take return of them for granted as a matter of course.
Personally,I have terrible experience when I worked for a retail store in SF. I
sold one of the most expeinsive tansu shipped to NY,then 3 months later,this
customer called us to tell that they want to return it since they don't like it
anymore(yeah,right,,took so long to hate it!),first,I could not believe this
reason,secondarly,they asked us for shipping charge to return to SF,in the third
place,,,,,endless excuses.
This returning policy seems very calculating first,but is is really logical to
customers,,,,maybe not to stores,but that is how business go and realized again
the difficulty to run business and can not stop admiring all who run own
business dealing with unbelievable problems going through ordeals! I know that there
are more fun parts running business just like our life,going up and down,but
this is life! C$B!G(Best la vie$B!I(BOk,enough for today!
Tomorrow,we will list many interesting antique books,more various hinagata of
uchiwa (round paper fan),and beautiful kimonos on kimono site,please browse our
both sites and hope you find something you like!
Thank you for taking your valuable time to read my 38th
newsletters and we will get back to you soon!
Have a wonderful day.