Gift-giving customs vary from culture to culture.   What is considered culturally savvy in one culture may be a cultural faux pas in another.

Understanding how different countries view gift giving is important. Gifts may be seen  as thoughtful gestures, generosity, business development & promotion, bribery, or payment for special favors.   The importance placed on exchanging gifts and the protocol associated with gift giving also varies from culture to culture.

China

Gifts should always be presented with two hands.

Gifts should not be wrapped in white, blue, or black.  These colors are associated with funerals.  Red, yellow, and pink are known as joyful colors.

Sharp objects, such a letter openers, knives, scissors, etc. should not be given as gifts.  These types of items imply the severance of a relationship.  So does red lettering.

In the Chinese culture, it is customary to repeatedly refuse a gift.  But it is also expected that the giver will be persistent, and soon the gift will be accepted.

A gift displaying your company logo is acceptable.  This ensures that the gift is not seen as a bribe and can be seen as more of a form of advertising. 

Depending on the type of gift, try to avoid giving one of something.  Chinese philosophy stresses harmony and balance, so try to give in pairs, if it is a single item.

Japan

Business gifts should be given at mid-year and at year-end.

The gift-giving ritual is deeply routed in the Japanese culture.  Therefore, always be prepared with a gift whenever meeting with a Japanese business associate or colleague.

The quality and value of a gift given should always be indicative of the rank of the person within the company receiving it.  Higher ranking professionals should receive higher quality gifts.  This especially applies when meeting with a group of professionals at one time.

Never present a gift to one individual in a group without giving gifts to everyone.  It is considered extremely rude.  Either present a group gift, or a separate gift to each individual in the group.  If you want to give a gift to just one individual, then give it in private.

The word "four" in Japanese is "shi", which is also associated with the word "death".  Avoid giving gifts in sets of four, and also in nine, which is considered unlucky.

Always wrap the gift you are going to present, however, do not wrap it in white paper.  White wrapping paper represents death.

Avoid gifts displaying company logos and/or monetary gifts.

More To Come

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