Thursday, September 21, 2017

(1418) The culture of exchanging gifts...


...is one of the most interesting subsets of Japanese culture. For example, the okaeshi (お返し) are gifts that are given to you by someone because you went to their relative's funeral or their own wedding. If it's a funeral, usually the packaging is this white paper with some simple motif and the painted (or real) string knot.


Inside, there is something that needs to be perishable. In this case, five packs or food wrap; I was consoled by the fact that Atsuko, with many decades of practice at being a Japanese was as speechless as I was.   

(For a bigger version of these pictures both in color and black and white, check my "Japan Arekore" set on Flickr)


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