Quote:
Originally Posted by YuriTokoro
Hi.
Could you correct my English?
"Is this peculiar to Japan?"
One of my Japanese friends (whose husband is American) once said that when American people go to visit the home of an acquaintance, they don’t bring a calling present.
If you are American, tell me if this is true.
If you are not American, do you bring a hospitality gift? I want to know if this is a custom peculiar to Japan.
I usually bring sweets or fruits which costs about 2000 or 3000 yen. This depends on our relationships.
When you have guests in your house, you need to provide some sweets to serve your guests. If you haven’t had time to buy anything, you can serve the gift the guests offered, saying “I’m sorry; this is what you have brought.” (“Omotase de sumimasen.)
Do you have any customs when you visit an acquaintance?
Thank you!
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Being from Canada, I can say bringing a gift is dependent on the situation. If it's a party with other guests, most of the time bringing something like food or dessert is preferable to ensure everyone has enough to eat. Other times, bringing gifts when you visit an acquaintance isn't a common practice.
I don't visit acquaintance that much in their homes...mostly because my acquaintances are quite far away. Perhaps another person who does have acquaintances closer to them can provide more insight.
Revisions: Putting "whose husband is American" in parentheses was done because while it was useful additional information to add credence to the person's view, having it as part of the sentence made for awkward and slower reading.
"Whether or not" was shortened to "if" to preserve the original presentation of the sentence concept. As originally written, it would work if spoken aloud in an informal setting.
Hope that helps, Yuri.
