＃14　贈り物についてお話します

stand.fm

一般的に日本人は贈答品が好きです。
旅行の後、職場でお土産としてお菓子を配る風景がみられますよね。
贈答文化のはじまりは、日本は農耕社会だそうで、昔は「収穫したものを分け合う」双方向の関係を築かれたということです。その後、家柄や身分を示す物に使われたりしながらも、双方向のやりとりが確立されたようです。
 
Generally speaking, Japanese people like to give and receive gifts each other. After they go on a travel, they give small gifts to their bosses and colleagues. In ancient times, Japan had been a farming country and ancient Japanese had been cooperated to transplant and harvest rice with community members. This culture has been nurtured people’s mutual cooperation and established relationship sharing harvests. After that, gifts had been used to show their status but exchanging gifts has been familiar among Japanese.
 
もうすぐバレンタインデー。
日本ではバレンタインデーに、女性が好きな男性にチョコレートを贈ります。そして3月14日にホワイトデーという日があり、男性が女性にお返しをしなければなりません。欧米ではカードや花を贈るそうですが、日本ではチョコレート。もとはお菓子屋さんが始めたイベントだったと言われています。そして感謝の気持ちを込めて会社で上司や同僚にチョコレートを贈る女性もいます。女性の友達同士で交換することもありますね。実は一番の楽しみは自分のためにチョコレートを買う、という女性もいます。
 
In Japan, women give chocolate to their lovers or men they like on Valentine’s Day. Then, on march 14th called White Day, men have to give some presents back to the women. In Western countries many people exchange cards or flowers one another but in Japan, only women give chocolate on this day. It is said that a chocolate company started this event. Today one of the popular events among women. Some women give chocolate to their bosses and colleagues to show their thankfulness. Sometimes women exchange chocolate between friends. And some women think that buying one special chocolate for themselves is the best.
 
バレンタインは若い人たちのお歳暮のようになってきていますね。
日本には12月半ばに、日頃の感謝を込めて、上司や顧客などにお歳暮を贈る習慣がおなじみでした。今は控えることが一般的ですが、多くのデパートではお歳暮用のギフトセットがこの時期に並びます。
一般的なギフトはアルコール類やコーヒー、ハムや生活必需品の洗剤、石けんなど。
この習慣は会社間でも行われます。年末には顧客廻りをするビジネスマンの姿を目にしますが、このときには会社の名前が入ったカレンダーや文房具を贈ります。
 
In Japan, there is a custom of giving yearned gifts to bosses or clients in mid-December to show thankfulness for their favors in daily lives. This is called Oseibo, meaning the end of the year. Now many companies refrain from receiving gifts, but still many department stores have big campaigns for seasonal gifts in this season.
Gifts are usually necessary items such as alcoholic beverages, coffee, ham, or daily essentials such as detergent or soap.
This custom is practiced not only between individuals but also between companies. We often see business people heading for their customer’s offices with big bags full of gifts at the end of the year. Their gifts are calendars or some other stationaries with company’s name printed.

贈り物の包装にもこだわります。かつては風呂敷を使っていました。
風呂敷はものを包むための四角い布のことです。もとは銭湯で脱いだ服を包むために使われていたのですが、今では見る機会が少なくなりました。しかし、再び風呂敷が見直されはじめたんですね。風呂敷はどんな形のものでも包める便利なものです。包み方も色々で、箱を包装紙のようにして包んだり、日本酒のビンを包んだり、かばんやリュックのようにして持つことができたり、すいかのような丸いものも包めるんですよね。そして洗うと何度も使えるので非常にエコなんです。
 
A furoshiki is a square piece of cloth used to warp things. People used them to wrap their clothes when they went to public bath houses. Today It is rare to see people using furoshiki, but it is getting popular because some Japanese realized that furoshiki are convenient for day- to-day needs. They can wrap several small things together or different kinds of shapes such as a large sake bottle, a watermelon, and any kinds of boxes. And they are also environmentally friendly. They can be washed after they are used for gifts so they can be used again and again.