Gift Giving on Japanese Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is renowned for being the most romantic day in the annual calendar, giving couples the chance to express their love through the art of thoughtful gestures and the exchanging of gifts.
As the culture of gift giving grows year on year for Valentine’s Day, the pressure to find the perfect gift which really says ‘I love you’ can be increasingly difficult. In a recent exposé by Red Tricycle, women reveal some of the worst presents they have received on Valentine’s Day with a rubbish bin close to top of the list! In this article, a recent study claims over half of women have been disappointed by their partners efforts on Valentine’s Day so it seems we still have some work to do to make sure we are choosing the right gifts for our partners.
Our Japanese gift giving guide looks at some of our favourite gift ideas to make your loved one smile this Valentine’s Day, avoiding any baked bean related disasters!
Japanese Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day
Invigorate the senses this Valentine’s Day and treat your partner to our collection of Japanese incense. Some of the most popular ingredients used in our range of traditional Japanese incense include sandalwood, lavender and lotus flower. With authentic Japanese scents reminiscent of religious and spiritual ceremonies, you can fill your home with a calming fragrance and set the scene for a romantic dinner at home.
For more information about the calming essence of Japanese incense, read our recent exploration the traditional manufacturing process of the perfumes which are used and the key notes from our collection.
Japanese lucky cats otherwise known as maneki neko also make thoughtful gifts. These ornate lucky charms are made from ceramic and are hand painted in a beautiful range of colours. Every lucky cat is believed to bring its owner good luck, with each different colour cat symbolising something unique. To find out what’s so lucky about lucky cats, including their history, colour symbolism and posture meanings, our informative blog post goes into finer detail about the traditional Japanese gift so you can make sure you have chosen the right cat for the one you love.
With so many Japanese lucky cats to choose from, each with their own personality, colour and meaning, they are great gift with a personalised touch. You can choose a cat to suit your partner’s personality or wish them luck with their current ventures and make them feel truly special.
Valentine’s Day in Japan
The Daily Mail recently explored the varying cultural traditions surrounding Valentine’s Day from around the world. Japan featured as one of the most surprising ways in which to celebrate love on 14th February with their unique gift giving tradition. Unlike many other countries, gifts are not actually exchanged, instead the sole responsibility falls on the woman to adorn her significant other with gifts. However, White Day is celebrated a month later and this gives men a chance to dedicate a day to their female companion.
Our recent blog post delves deeper into the customs of Valentine’s Day in Japan including the celebration of White Day. Despite the popular adage “money can’t buy you love”, White Day gives the men a chance to return the favour with a gift – and tradition states it should be at least three times the value of the gift they received a month earlier!
If you want to treat your loved one to something a little different this year, browse through our range of Valentine’s Day gifts and find the perfect present to show your loved one just how much you care. The Japanese Shop is the leading UK supplier of Japanese gifts and every gift is lovingly handpicked for its quality and authenticity.
We offer a complimentary gift wrapping service with all orders, which means all your gifts are gift wrapped in the traditional Japanese way using special textured paper adorned with Japanese patterns and imagery. We can also add a personalised gift message with every order so you can say it with love this Valentine’s Day.