Omiyage etiquette

[TipsyTraveler]

Hi, I'm looking for some advice regarding my upcoming trip to Japan/Tokyo Disney. I've done quite a bit of reading about omiyage and I think I have a pretty good understanding of what it is, how to give it, when to give it, etc. We won't be visiting family or staying as guests in someone's home while in Japan, so I don't think we'll be in any of the usual circumstances where it would be expected. Then I got to thinking... In past travels to other parts of the world there have been a number of times where locals and other travelers have gone above and beyond to help us out of a problem or make our trip memorable in some way.

Examples include:
Paying our bar tab after a few hours of chatting
Insisting on paying our cab fare for us
Offering to meet up with us night after night to show us around town
Driving us, as much as a half an hour away, to make sure we got where we were trying to go without getting lost
Walking us to our destination instead of just giving us the directions we had asked for
Giving us gifts from their home country
Buying our meals
Taking us in for the night when we had car trouble

Now, I know the last example would qualify for omiyage, but what about the rest? Would it be appropriate to give omiyage as a token of appreciation in those types of situations? I was thinking about having a few gifts on hand to give if we find ourselves in situations where a stranger really goes out of their way to be kind to us. And is there a difference between giving omiyage in social situations versus work situations? For instance, would it be appropriate to give something to a hotel concierge person if I felt they did more than the job called for in making sure we had a wonderful stay? I think the omiyage culture is nice, and I'd be happy to participate, but I don't want to do anything that would be odd or make people feel uncomfortable.

Which brings me to the second part of my post: Glo-sticks. I know people in the stateside Disney parks will sometimes take a bag of glo-sticks and share them with other people/kids while waiting for the nightly parade, etc. I've never done that myself but I always thought it was a nice way to spread a little pixie dust, so I had planned to throw some glo-sticks in my luggage before heading to Tokyo Disney. Now, after reading what a serious business gift-giving is in Japan, I'm starting to rethink that. I don't consider glo-sticks to be a gift by any means, but I'm not sure how the Japanese would see it. To offer glo-sticks to kids sitting next to me while waiting for the parade... Would that be seen as no-big-deal-something-fun-for-the-kids, or would I be stepping into awkward gift-giving territory that would make people uncomfortable?

TIA!

 

[Ebiten]

I think it's great that you want to share like this.

Omiyage really is for when you're visiting someone/taking something back home to share with others/for yourself.

I think the glo-stick idea is nice and i'm sure a really young kid might enjoy it during something like the electrical parade. Maybe open one up and wave it around and see if any kid is staring at you in awe. Though just to let you know, the parent of said kid might actually give you something in return for your kind gesture, something small.

I find giving candy available in the US but not in Japan is appreciated for the staff at the hotel I stay at by giving it to the staff at check-in to share with others. Candy is different, small, light weight, and doesn't cost a whole lot of money; especially if it's a local specialty (the Japanese love region specific foods).

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Thanks for responding, Ebiten!

So, it's okay to give to the hotel staff, and I should do that when I check-in rather than when I'm checking out? I don't want to seem as though I'm trying to bribe them for extra perks or anything. I live in the mid-Atlantic region so I was thinking of bringing Salt water taffy. I guess it's that or Old Bay Seasoning.

 

[Ebiten]

It's tradition to give omiyage at the beginning so it shouldn't be a problem.

Omiyage is sort of like a greeting gift so not saying you will or will not get something in return but it wouldn't be treated as a bribe. If anything, I usually get happy staff who thank me for the candy .

Salt water taffy is a good choice as it's not something commonly found in Japan. I'm sure the staff, especially the women, would enjoy the bright pastel colors that comes with salt water taffy.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Great, Salt water taffy it is! Thanks for your help.